Apple will release iOS 18, the next iteration of its iPhone operating system, later in 2024. The new update will bring exciting features like Apple Intelligence, customization capabilities, animated text in Messages, and many other improvements and tweaks. But will your current iPhone support iOS 18 and be able to use all the new features? Here’s a guide to what you should expect if you’re looking to upgrade to iOS 18.
iPhone compatible with iOS 18
Here are the iPhones that Apple has confirmed will support iOS 18:
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)
Features that require newer iPhones
Dominique Tomaszewski
Dominique Tomaszewski
Dominique Tomaszewski
While most of Apple’s new features for iOS 18 will work on all iPhones, some of them have hardware requirements that mean they’ll only be available on certain models. Here are the features that will only be supported on newer devices.
Apple Information
Apple’s new AI features might grab headlines, but hardware requirements mean they’ll only be available for a handful of iPhones. Here are the models that will be able to support Apple Intelligence:
We don’t yet know if Apple Intelligence will only be available on the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro models or if the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will also be included. We think it’s likely that they’ll all get the feature, as Apple typically uses the previous-generation Pro processors in subsequent standard iPhone models and we know they’re compatible with AI requirements.
Live Audio Transcription
This feature lets you record notes and have your iPhone turn the speech into text that you can use later. This feature will only be available for iPhone 12 or later devices. This means that if you have an iPhone 11, Xr, Xs, or SE, you won’t be able to use this feature.
Accessibility Eye Tracking
This impressive new feature in iOS 18 allows users to control their iPhone simply with eye movements. It is available on the iPhone 12 and later models, including the iPhone SE (3rd generation), but will not be supported on any of the iPhone 11, Xr, or Xs lineup.
Haptic Music Accessibility
Another accessibility feature coming to iOS 18 is Music Haptics, which uses the iPhone’s Taptic Engine to tap in time with the music that’s playing, so hearing-impaired users can still enjoy the beats. It’s available on all iPhone 12 models and later, but again, if you own one of the iPhone 11, Xr, Xs, or SE models, you won’t be able to use this feature.
iPhones that have iOS 17 but won’t get iOS 18
Apple does an amazing job of keeping older iPhones on the latest software and that continues with iOS 18. If your current iPhone has iOS 17, it will also get iOS 18, it’s that simple. Obviously, as you can see from the section above, you may not get all the cool new features, but there will still be plenty to discover in the latest update.
To see what Apple has in store, take a look at our iOS 18 vs iOS 17 comparison guide.
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