Apple’s upcoming iOS 18 won’t be compatible with certain iPhones… is yours on the list?

Apple is expected to release its new operating system in June, which could introduce AI-powered features, but not all iPhones will be compatible.

Anyone still using iPhones released before 2018, including the SE series and the 8 Plus model or earlier, will not have access to iOS 18.

Older iPhones will not be compatible due to outdated hardware chips with a slower processor and less memory that cannot support powerful features.

This year’s operating system will be Apple’s “biggest” update yet and could work with Google’s AI Gemini, which for the first time would create images and write essays based on simple prompts on the iPhone.

The iOS 18 update adds AI-powered features to Siri and the Messages app

Apple is expected to unveil iOS 18 at the upcoming World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC), taking place from June 10 to 14.

WWDC kicks off with a keynote speech that usually unveils the new operating system for the iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and TV.

And owners of the newly released Vision Pro may also get an update.

But users are mostly tuning in for the iPhone operating system update – and AI is predicted to take center stage.

However, older smartphones do not have the right processors for the update or others that will debut in a few months.

Smart devices require Apple’s internal A12 Bionic chip to be compatible with the iOS 18 update that was introduced when the company released its iPhone XR and iPhone XS models in 2018.

iPhone with the A11 Bionic chip (iPhone X, 8 and 8 Plus) and the A10 Fusion chips (iPhone 7 and 7 Plus) will also not be able to support the update effectively.

Apple typically discontinues iPhone models that can’t keep up with the new iOS rollout, but this year it’s keeping the seven and eight series.

If your iPhone isn’t a Series 11 through 15 model or the second and third generations SE, XR, XS, and XS Max, you can expect to lose access to iOS 18 and all future software updates.

Apple’s AI features are expected to improve Siri, allowing it to provide more accurate answers, while the Message app “answers questions and auto-completes sentences,” according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

“I’m told the new operating system is being viewed within the company as one of the biggest iOS updates – if not the biggest – in the company’s history,” Gurman wrote in his To turn on newsletter.

“With that knowledge, Apple’s developer conference in June should be quite exciting.”

Apple’s sales fell when the iPhone 15 was released last September, with some calling it “the biggest flop” in the company’s history.

Artificial intelligence is at the heart of Apple’s iOS 18 update as it aims to overtake other apps like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard chatbot.

“Long story short, Apple is way behind in AI and it’s a big risk for a company that considers itself the top innovator in consumer technology,” Gurman wrote.

The new update aims to let users create automatically generated playlists and recommended song lists, following on from last year’s iOS 17, which introduced collaborative playlists like those found on Spotify.

The upcoming operating system is also expected to add a custom route feature to Apple Maps that will allow users to choose their own directions instead of just having access to Apple’s pre-selected options, according to MacRumors.

The home screen will also reportedly get a refresh, giving users more customizable options and control over how they want to arrange app icons.

The iPadOS 18 update also only supports iPads released after 2018, including the eighth-generation iPad, third-generation iPad Pro and iPad Air, and fifth-generation iPad mini.

The update comes as Apple’s latest iPhone 15 model suffered a major sales slump in the weeks following its release in September and was dubbed “the biggest flop in Apple history.”

Users complained that the material changed color, overheated their phone, had a software bug, and lacked durability, as some users said they could crack the device with their bare hands.

The iOS 18 beta test will likely roll out in July, with an expected general release date of September 2024.