The iPhone 16 reveal wasn’t the most exciting thing Apple has ever done, but if you’re using an older model, now might be the time to upgrade. As usual, a new version of iOS is debuting alongside the latest iPhone, and that means some of Apple’s past devices will be left in the dust. Unfortunately, this time around, things are a bit more complicated than usual when it comes to which iPhones get the new iOS.
Should I upgrade to an iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro?
If you’re using an older model and wondering if you should upgrade to an iPhone 16, there’s some good and bad news. The good news is that no iPhones are being added to Apple’s long-term support or legacy device list this year. You’ll be able to install iOS 18 on the following devices:
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd Gen)
- 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 SE (3rd Gen)
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
The bad news is that not all phones can access the full breadth of iOS 18’s features. The new Apple Intelligence features require an A17 Pro SoC or above, which means only the following phones will have access to them:
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
So, if you want to enjoy features like AI writing tools, Image Playground, Genmoji, ChatGPT integration, and updated Mail and Siri functionality, you’ll need to upgrade to at least an iPhone 15 Pro.
