Apple is expected to release its new operating system in June that could introduce AI-powered features – but not all iPhones will be compatible.
Anyone still using iPhones released before 2018, including the series SE and the 8 Plus model or earlier, won’t have access to iOS 18.
Older iPhones won’t be compatible because of outdated hardware chips that have a slower processor and less memory that can’t support high-powered features.
This year’s operating system is set to be Apple’s ‘biggest’ update yet that could partner with Google’s AI Gemini, which would create images and write essays based on simple prompts on the iPhone for the first time.
iPhone 8 models and earlier won’t be compatible with the iOS 18 software update
The iOS 18 update will add AI-powered features to Siri and the Messages app
Apple is expected to unveil iOS 18 at its upcoming World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) which is set for June 10 through 14.
WWDC will kick things 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 might also get an update.
But users mostly tune in for the iPhone operating system update – and AI is predicted to take centre stage.
However, older smartphones do not have the right processors for the update or others that will debut in a few months.
Smart devices will need Apple’s in-house A12 Bionic chip to be compatible with the iOS 18 update which 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) also won’t be able to effectively support the update.
iOS 18 non-compatible iPhones
iPhone 5s
iPhone 6
iPhone 6 Plus
iPhone 7
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 8
iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone SE 1st Gen
iOS 18 compatible iPhones
iPhone XR
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone SE 2nd and 3rd Gen
iPhone 11, Pro, Max
iPhone 12, Mini, Pro, Pro Max
iPhone 13, Mini, Pro, Pro Max
iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Max
iPhone 15, Plus, Pro, Pro Max
Apple typically discontinues iPhone models that can’t keep up with the new iOS rollout, but this year is keeping the seven and eight series.
If your iPhone isn’t a series 11 through 15 model or the second and third generation SE, XR, XS and XS Max, you can expect to lose access to the iOS 18 and all future software updates.
Apple’s AI features are expected to improve Siri, enabling it to give more accurate responses while the Message app will ‘field questions and auto-complete sentences,’ according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
‘I’m told that the new operating system is seen within the company as one of the biggest iOS updates — if not the biggest — in the company’s history,’ Gurman wrote in his Power On newsletter.
‘With that knowledge, Apple’s developers conference in June should be pretty exciting.’
Apple sales dropped when the iPhone 15 was released in September of last year, with some calling it ‘the biggest flop’ in the company’s history.
Artificial intelligence is the crux of Apple’s iOS 18 update as it strives to catch up to other apps like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard chatbot.
‘Long story short: Apple is way behind in AI and it’s a major risk for a company that considers itself the top innovator in consumer technology,’ Gurman wrote.
The new update is primed to let users create auto-generated playlists and lists of recommended songs following last year’s iOS 17 which introduced collaborative playlists like the ones offered on Spotify.
The upcoming operating system is also expected to add a custom routes feature to Apple Maps that will let users put in self-selected directions rather than only having access to Apple’s pre-selected options, according to MacRumors.
The home screen will also reportedly get a revamp, giving users more customizable options and control over how they want to organize app icons.
The iPadOS 18 update will also only support iPads released after 2018 including the iPad eighth generation, third gen of the iPad Pro and iPad Air and the fifth-gen of the iPad mini.
The update comes as Apple’s newest iPhone 15 model experienced a major slump in sales in the weeks following its September release and was called ‘the biggest flop in Apple’s history.’
Users complained the material changed colour, their phone was overheating, it had a software bug and its durability was lacking, as some users said they could crack the device with their bare hands.
The beta test for iOS 18 will likely be rolled out in July with a general release date expected in September 2024.