- iOS 18 is tipped to be compatible with the same models as iOS 17
- That would mean support for iPhones from the XR onwards
- Major software update is expected to be announced in June
With iOS 18 expected to be one of the biggest updates in iPhone history, the obvious follow-up question is: which models will support it? Well, we now have a good idea thanks to a new rumor from a credible source.
A now deleted message on X (formerly Twitter) from MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris says iOS 18 will be compatible with models from the iPhone XR onwards. The XR was released in 2018 and features an A12 bionic chip, leading to rumors that the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will also be compatible.
If true, it means the compatibility list for iOS 18 matches the one for last year’s iOS 17 update. And that would be good news, since Apple usually drops support for older devices with each new version of iOS. For example, iOS 17 ended support for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.
iOS 18 and iPadOS 18: Rumored Compatibility
iOS 18
iPhone XR, XS and XS Max or later
iPadOS 18
iPad Pro (2018 or later)
iPad Air (2019 or later)
iPad mini (2019 or later)
iPad (2020 or later)
The latter three phones all ran on the A11 Bionic chip, but it appears the A12 has a longer shelf life for software updates. If the rumor is true, Apple has given the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max six years of software updates (and counting).
However, the news could be less positive for owners of older iPads. According to the same MacRumors source, iPadOS 18 could drop support for iPads running the A10X and A10 Fusion chips.
If so, these incompatible models include the iPad Pros launched in 2017 (including the iPad Pro 10.5 2017 and iPad Pro 12.9 2017), plus the standard iPad 9.7 (2018) and iPad 10.2 (2019). iPadOS 18 will likely arrive at WWDC 2024, which typically takes place in June every year, although we have yet to get a confirmed date for the event.
Which phones will have AI features?
While it’s good news that Apple may not be dropping software support for older models in iOS 18, that doesn’t mean the iPhone XR will get exactly the same experience as the iPhone 15.
As we’ve seen before, older iPhones can hit a performance ceiling when running the latest versions of iOS, even if they technically support all the latest features. And since some of the biggest iOS 18 changes are expected to be AI-powered, some new tricks may still be limited to more recent models (in reality).
According to Bloomberg’s Mark GurmanApple’s senior management has called its next operating system “ambitious and compelling” with some “key new features and designs.”
What kind of functions? Reliable tasty Revegnus has suggested that Apple is using its own LLM (major language model) to “completely revamp Siri into the ultimate virtual assistant,” while Messages, Apple Music and Pages are also expected to get major AI upgrades.
The question is how many of these new features will run on-device or via the cloud. Given Apple’s privacy-focused stance, it seems likely that the company will err towards the former, but we’ll probably find out in June. For now, at least, your iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or iPhone XS Max will last another year, it seems.