Here Are All the iPhone Models That Can Run iOS 18

As expected, Apple took the wraps off iOS 18 during today’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) Keynote, showcasing a whole new slew of “Apple Intelligence” AI features that will make Siri much smarter, along with a more customizable Home Screen, some nice enhancements to Control Center, a redesigned Photos app, and some cool new messaging features.

However, with every major iOS update comes one important question: Will my iPhone be able to take advantage of all the latest things that Apple has to offer?

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The good news is that Apple has left no iPhone behind this time, at least for basic compatibility with iOS 18. Whether you’ll get all the latest features is another matter. Let’s take a closer look at where Apple is drawing the lines this year.

Which iPhone Models Can Run iOS 18?

The list of compatible iPhone models for iOS 18 is the same as for iOS 17. That means if your iPhone is running iOS 17, you’ll get good to go when iOS 18 comes along. You can even try out the developer beta preview now, but we really don’t recommend that unless you’re feeling particularly brave. You’re much better waiting for the public beta that should come along in a few weeks unless you like living on the edge and dealing with instability and poor battery life.

Specifically, every iPhone released since 2018 is compatible with iOS 18 (some nice numerical synergy there). That’s the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, and all newer models, including the second and third-generation iPhone SE.

Will Older iPhones Miss Out on Some Features?

Sadly, not every iPhone that can be updated to iOS 18 will get everything that Apple’s new operating system has to offer. As with past years, Apple is drawing the line at older models where the Apple silicon chips inside aren’t up to the task.

However, the company is drawing a bigger and bolder line than usual this year. Its new Apple Intelligence AI features, which will improve Siri and provide generative AI for summarizing notes and emails and creating photos and emojis, are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models and later. Even last year’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are being left out, as these features require an A17 Pro chip as a minimum — and likely also the 8GB of RAM found only in those models — to handle the on-device AI processing.

Aside from Apple Intelligence, most of the new features in iOS 18 should be supported on the iPhone 12 and newer models. That model was also the minimum requirement for more advanced features in iOS 17 last year, such as FaceTime Gestures and enhanced autocorrection, presumably because these required the A14 Bionic with its 16-core Neural Engine.

This year’s iOS 18 features that will require the A14 chip are Live Audio Transcription within notes and the new Eye Tracking and Music Haptics Accessibility features.

iOS 18 is also introducing a new “Hands-Free Unlock” feature for Home Keys that will let you unlock your front door without taking your iPhone out of your pocket or bag. This requires an Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip to detect proximity to the lock, which means an iPhone 11 or newer is needed as the older models simply lack the necessary hardware. Of course, you’ll also need a compatible lock.

The new Enhance Dialogue feature, which will help you hear spoken audio in movies and TV shows, will also require an iPhone 11 or later, presumably due to the heavier machine learning and computational audio requirements.