iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Compatibility: Most iPhones Supported, Some Older iPads Dropped
Apple's iOS 27 will support all iPhones currently running iOS 26, dating back to the iPhone 11 and second-generation iPhone SE, while iPadOS 27 drops support for three older iPad models using the A12 Bionic chip. Apple also says older supported devices will benefit from a backported CPU scheduler improvement that was previously exclusive to newer hardware. However, many of the headline new features remain locked to Apple Intelligence-capable devices with at least 8GB of RAM.
Apple's upcoming iOS 27 update maintains full backward compatibility with all devices that could run iOS 26, extending support to the iPhone 11 and second-generation iPhone SE. iPadOS 27 is slightly less inclusive, dropping the 3rd-generation iPad Air, 8th-generation iPad, and 5th-generation iPad mini — all of which rely on the older A12 Bionic chip. Going forward, supported iPad devices must use an A13 chip or newer. Apple has indicated that older supported devices should experience performance gains due to a backported CPU scheduler update that was previously available only on newer iPhones. Despite broad hardware compatibility, many of the most prominent new features tied to iOS 27 require Apple Intelligence support, which demands at least 8GB of RAM. On iPhone, that means an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, any iPhone 16 model, or the iPhone Air. iPad users need an iPad Air or iPad Pro with an M1 chip or later to access those features.
What's missing
The article does not specify a release date for iOS 27 or iPadOS 27, nor does it detail which specific new features are gated behind Apple Intelligence versus available to all supported devices.
How coverage differed
Only one source was provided for this story, Ars Technica, which presented the information in a straightforward, factual manner without notable framing bias. No contrasting editorial perspectives are available from this single source.
What different sources said
- Ars TechnicaCenter
iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 don't drop support for any iPhones—and just a few iPads
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