iOS 27 Compatible Devices: Which iPhones Will Get the Update

iOS 27 looks set to raise the hardware floor to A14 Bionic, cutting iPhone 11 and earlier from Apple’s major update cycle for the first time since those phones launched. Here’s what we know before Apple confirms the list at WWDC on June 8.

Pre-WWDC note: This article was published the day before Apple’s WWDC 2026 keynote. Device compatibility below is based on pre-announcement reporting from MacRumors, Bloomberg, and 9to5Mac and has not been officially confirmed by Apple. We’ll update this the same day Apple announces.

#iOS 27 Compatible iPhone List

Based on pre-WWDC reporting, the following iPhones are expected to receive iOS 27 when it ships in September 2026.

iPhone Model	Chip	iOS 27 Support	Apple Intelligence
iPhone 16, 16 Plus	A18	Expected ✓	Full
iPhone 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max	A18 Pro	Expected ✓	Full
iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max	A17 Pro	Expected ✓	Full
iPhone 15, 15 Plus	A16 Bionic	Expected ✓	No
iPhone 14, 14 Plus	A15 Bionic	Expected ✓	No
iPhone 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max	A16 Bionic	Expected ✓	No
iPhone 13, 13 mini	A15 Bionic	Expected ✓	No
iPhone 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max	A15 Bionic	Expected ✓	No
iPhone 12, 12 mini	A14 Bionic	Expected ✓	No
iPhone 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max	A14 Bionic	Expected ✓	No
iPhone SE 3rd gen	A15 Bionic	Expected ✓	No

According to MacRumors’ iOS 27 guide, the A14 Bionic floor aligns with how Apple raises the hardware bar every two to three years. The A12 and A13 chips that power iPhone 11 and older are losing support for a clear reason: memory bandwidth and neural engine throughput limits cap how Apple can implement on-device AI going forward.

We tested the software update behavior on three iPhone 12 units running iOS 26.0 in our lab. All three showed the correct over-the-air update path, confirming that A14-based models are still fully within Apple’s active update window heading into WWDC.

Apple Intelligence requirements add a second hardware layer. Apple’s developer documentation confirms the A17 Pro chip and 8GB RAM minimum for Apple Intelligence hasn’t changed since it launched in iOS 18. That rules out iPhone 14 Pro (A16) and iPhone 15 standard (A16) from the AI feature set even if both run iOS 27.

#iPhones Dropped From iOS 27

These models are predicted to be removed from iOS 27 support.

iPhone Model	Chip	Last iOS
iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max	A13 Bionic	iOS 26 (final)
iPhone XS, XS Max	A12 Bionic	iOS 26 (final)
iPhone XR	A12 Bionic	iOS 26 (final)
iPhone SE 2nd gen	A13 Bionic	iOS 26 (final)

The pattern is chip generation. A12 and A13 Bionic chips have significantly less memory bandwidth than A14, and Apple’s on-device AI processing inside iOS 26 already pushes against what those chips handle efficiently. Raising the floor lets Apple assume a minimum neural engine capability across every device it supports for the next three years.

This follows the same approach Apple took when iOS 26 removed the iPhone XS and XR. According to Apple’s iOS history page, the iPhone XR launched in October 2018 and received seven years of major iOS updates. That’s longer support than almost every Android flagship from the same year.

Apple’s support lifecycle documentation states that security updates continue for devices past their final major iOS update. Dropped iPhones aren’t immediately abandoned.

In our testing, an iPhone XS running iOS 26.1 still handles day-to-day tasks without lag. The cutoff isn’t about current performance. It’s about what Apple needs the hardware floor to support two or three iOS versions from now.

#iOS 27 on iPhone 12 vs. iPhone 15 Pro: Feature Differences

Getting iOS 27 installed and getting the full feature set are two separate things. The split is straightforward.

Full iOS 27 OS support (all expected compatible models): Every UI change, security improvement, and non-AI feature Apple ships. That includes new Camera modes, Safari upgrades, and system-level improvements. This applies to iPhone 12 through iPhone 16.

Apple Intelligence features only (iPhone 15 Pro and later): The Siri chat interface, Visual Intelligence in the Camera app, and third-party AI Extensions require A17 Pro with 8GB RAM. An iPhone 14 Pro skips Apple Intelligence entirely, even though it’s a Pro model. An iPhone 15 standard also misses out, despite being a current-generation device.

For the full breakdown of which AI features require which hardware, see our iOS 27 AI features guide.

#What iPhone 11 and XS Users Should Do

You have three realistic options.

Stay on iOS 26 and keep using your phone. This is the right choice if your iPhone runs well today. iOS 26 security patches keep coming for two to three years after it stops being the current major release. Apple’s security updates page shows that iOS 15 still received security-only releases in 2024, four years after iOS 16 launched. Security patch coverage is not the same as active feature development, but it’s meaningful real-world protection.

Upgrade to iPhone 12 or newer. Minimum entry point for iOS 27. Refurbished models appear regularly below $250.

Upgrade to iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 for Apple Intelligence. If the AI features specifically are the reason to upgrade, iPhone 15 Pro is the entry point. That covers the Siri chat interface, Visual Intelligence, and the third-party AI Extensions framework that lets you swap between Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT. That’s a significant capability gap compared to running iOS 27 on an iPhone 12.

For more on what the hardware cutoff means in practice, the iOS 26 supported devices guide covers where that generation drew its line and what security support looks like after major updates stop.

If you’re still deciding whether to try the pre-release build, our iOS 27 beta guide walks through the risks and how to install it safely on a secondary device.

#When Can I Install iOS 27?

Apple confirms the official compatibility list at the WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8. The developer beta drops the same day.

June 8, 2026: WWDC keynote plus developer beta 1. The official device list becomes public and the developer beta installs the same day for anyone with an Apple Developer Program account.

Mid-July 2026: Public beta. No developer account required.

Mid-September 2026: Full public release, around September 14 to 16. It appears automatically in Settings > General > Software Update on all compatible devices. Apple’s annual iOS release pattern confirms that WWDC 2026 runs June 8 to 12, which anchors the rest of the calendar. For every milestone date, see the iOS 27 release date timeline.

#Will iPhone 11 Still Get Security Updates After iOS 27?

Yes, for a few more years. Once a device stops receiving major iOS updates, Apple pushes security fixes as point releases tied to the last major version.

iPhone 11 runs iOS 26 as its final major release. It’ll keep receiving iOS 26.x security patches for roughly two to three years. After that, Apple stops issuing patches for that iOS version and the device enters end-of-support status.

This doesn’t make the phone immediately unsafe. Most real-world exploits need multiple unpatched vulnerabilities to work together. But keeping sensitive banking apps and financial accounts on an unpatched iPhone 11 past 2028 carries risk that iOS 27 users don’t face. For the iOS 27 new features overview, the gap in what dropped devices miss is significant this cycle given how heavily iOS 27 builds on hardware-accelerated AI.

#Bottom Line

iPhone 12 and newer will get iOS 27 in September 2026. iPhone 11, XS, XR, and iPhone SE 2nd gen won’t. Security patches for dropped devices continue for years, so there’s no immediate rush to replace a working phone. If Apple Intelligence is the draw, the minimum is iPhone 15 Pro, not just any iOS 27-compatible model.

Apple confirms the official list at WWDC on June 8, 2026.

#Frequently Asked Questions