When the presumed iPhone 16 lineup is officially announced at the Apple event in just over a week, it will include iOS 18, which Apple already detailed at its developer conference earlier this year. But if you're not planning to upgrade to a newer iPhone model this year, you could be left behind with an operating system that's no longer supported by Apple.
Generally each year, some older iPhone models are removed from Apple's iOS eligibility list. Last year, for instance, the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X were left off the compatibility list. That meant those iPhone owners couldn't update to iOS 17 and missed out on some notable features.
We'll help you find out if your iPhone will support iOS 18, as well as Apple Intelligence. Not sure what's coming with the new update? Here's a summary of the biggest announcements from WWDC, including an overview of iOS 18.
We have good news: If you had an eligible phone last year when you updated to iOS 17, that device should still be compatible with iOS 18, according to Apple. That means you won't have to buy a new phone to check out most of the new software features.
iPhone SE (second generation or later)
iPhone XR
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Put another way, if you have an iPhone from the 2017 model year or earlier (iPhone 8 or iPhone X), you can't upgrade to the latest iOS, but your phone should continue to work — albeit without the latest bells and whistles.
While your older device will still be able to support the latest iOS, chances are that you won't get to try the Apple Intelligence beta yet. Unless you have an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max — the top-end 2023 models — your iPhone isn't eligible. It's a safe bet that the new iPhone 16 models will be fully Apple Intelligence compatible, but we'll have to await the official details at the September 9 event.