Apple looks set to unveil iOS 27 at WWDC 2026 this month, but not every iPhone will support the new software upgrade.
Despite offering some of the best software support in the industry, Apple regularly leaves a handful of iPhones out in the cold when releasing a new version of iOS — the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, for instance, can’t run iOS 26 — and the company looks set to continue the trend in 2026.
According to 9to5Mac, the iPhone SE (2020), iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max won’t support iOS 27, meaning you’ll need the iPhone 12 or newer to make use of Apple’s upcoming software features.
iOS 27 compatibility rumors
Here’s the full rumored compatibility list for iOS 27:
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone SE (2022)
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 17
- iPhone 17 Pro
- iPhone 17 Pro Max
- iPhone Air
If this rumored information is accurate, it means iOS 27 will be supported by around 30 iPhone models (including the expected iPhone 18 and its siblings), which is an impressive showing of software support on Apple’s part.
It’s also unlikely that any iOS 27-compatible iPhones will be left waiting for the update, since Apple tends to make new versions of iOS available to all models in one fell swoop (take note, Samsung).
It’s worth noting, however, that even though older models like the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone 14 will support iOS 27, Apple Intelligence features will remain locked to the iPhone 15 Pro and newer.
The headline feature of iOS 27 will likely be Apple’s redesigned Siri, which will almost certainly be part of Apple Intelligence, and as such, older iPhones probably won’t be able to access it. Still, all iOS 27-compatible iPhones should benefit from meaningful upgrades to core iPhone apps, including Wallet, Weather, and Health.
iPadOS 27 compatibility rumors
As for iPads, 9to5Mac reports that the iPad 10.2-inch (2020), iPad Air 10.5-inch (2019), and iPad mini 7.9-inch (2019) won’t support iPadOS 27.
Here’s the full rumored compatibility list for iPadOS 27:
- iPad models from 2021 and later (9th generation onwards)
- iPad Air models from 2020 and later (4th generation onwards)
- iPad Pro models from 2018 and later (3rd generation onwards)
- iPad mini models from 2021 and later (6th generation onwards)
Side note: almost all iPad models are available in multiple sizes and in Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + Cellular configurations, so, in the interest of readability, I’ve grouped the above models into dated categories.
Of course, both of these compatibility lists are subject to change, but rumored information this close to WWDC tends to be accurate. We’ll know for sure at 1pm ET / 10am PT / 6pm BST on Monday, June 8 (which is 3am AEST on Tuesday, June 9 in Australia), as that’s when WWDC 2026 is due to kick off.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.
