Apple is set to enhance the functionality of its smartphones with the launch of iOS 18. It promises a significant leap forward in AI integration, communication enhancements like RCS, text effects, emoji reactions, and a more robust password manager. Additionally, users can look forward to improved customization options.
In a move that will delight many Apple enthusiasts, iOS 18 will be available to all iPhone models currently running iOS 17, extending support to devices as old as the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max from 2018. These models will celebrate their sixth anniversary this September. While the original iPhone SE was phased out with iOS 16, the second and third generations of the iPhone SE, released in 2020 and 2022 respectively, remain eligible for the update.
The full compatibility list for iOS 18 includes:
- iPhone 15 series (iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max)
- iPhone 14 series (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max)
- iPhone 13 series (iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max)
- iPhone 12 series (iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max)
- iPhone 11 series (iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max)
- iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR
- iPhone SE (2022 and 2020 models)
However, Apple’s new feature, Apple Intelligence, remains in beta even after the full release of iOS 18 and will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. These models have the advanced A17 Pro chipset, which supports the feature. The A17 Pro chipset’s Neural Engine can deliver up to 35 TOPS, significantly outperforming the A16 Bionic’s 17 TOPS.
While Apple plans to offload some AI tasks to its Private Cloud Compute, others will rely on the devices’ local processing capabilities, indicating a substantial performance threshold for using Apple Intelligence features.
