These iPhone Models Won’t Be Compatible With New iOS 18 Update

Every year, Apple refreshes its phone offerings with new iPhone models and a new iteration of its accompanying iOS operating system. With the increasing technical requirements of iOS, older iPhones are left behind every year, and the forthcoming release of iOS 18 is no different. 

Apple will likely roll out iOS 18 in June at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. According to The New York Post, iPhones released before 2018, including the iPhone SE and the iPhone 8 Plus and earlier, won’t be able to upgrade to iOS 18. This has to do with the software requiring more sophisticated hardware, and the outdated chips won’t be able to handle some of the new features.

The upcoming iOS update is being touted as a major shift for Apple, as the tech giant is rumored to be introducing AI-powered features in iOS 18. It will likely be heavily featured at WWDC, where Apple typically debuts its new operating systems for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. With Vision Pro now a part of the Apple family, it’s possible the company can share some news around the “spatial computing” headset as well. 

All you need for your iPhone to upgrade to iOS 18 is Apple’s A12 Bionic chip, which was first introduced in the iPhone XR and iPhone XS in 2018. The models since then, including iPhone 11 through 15 and the second and third generation SE, XR, XS, and XS Max, all come with this technology built in. Users of iPhones with the A11 Bionic chip, which comes in the iPhone X, 8, and 8 Plus, and the A10 Fusion chip in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, will be left out of the party. 

WWDC kicks off June 10 and ends June 14.