iOS 26: Older iPhones Losing Support?

With WWDC 2025 approaching, the iOS 26 alert has users anticipating Apple’s next big announcement. Expected to bring new features, performance improvements, and design tweaks, one of the most significant developments is always the compatibility list. Older iPhones lose their support with every major update from Apple, and it looks like iOS 26 will keep that trend going. Owners of legacy devices may soon find themselves with phones that they will no longer be able to upgrade.

It’s important to remember that Apple has long been known for providing software updates to older iPhones, often keeping them current for five years or more. But, from time to time, cases arise when the older hardware just cannot carry the ever-rising demands of a new OS system, be it for limitations in performance, security incompatibility, or architectural changes.

iOS 26 and AI

With iOS 26, Apple will possibly bring AI-driven improvements, better multitasking, and system-level security improvements. The improvements will certainly raise processing power and memory requirements, plus neural engine capability, which means older chips like A11 Bionic and some of the A12 ones are most likely being put on the back burner.

Apple has not yet released the official compatibility list. Leak information and historical patterns provide us with a fairly accurate estimate based on what we know. iOS 25 added support for iPhone XS, XR, and later devices, but iOS 26 will likely eliminate: Each of these devices has the A12 Bionic chip. While the A12 Bionic was a notable improvement at that time, the A12’s six-year old architecture is unlikely to support the heavy AI processing expected in iOS 26–and RAM available on these devices, especially iPhone XR and SE 2 (3 GB RAM each), limits their viability for the latest processing capabilities available in newer software.

Apple has gradually been implementing more AI-related technology into its ecosystem, such as on-device voice processing using its Neural Engine, Live Text, and Smart Search. With iOS 26, rumors suggest that we might see drastic advances in Apple Intelligence, which appears to be Apple’s brand name for generative AI and ML-type tools. Apple is already discussing iOS 26 AI features such as on-device ChatGPT-style assistants, enhanced Siri, AI-generated summaries of information, and intelligent recommendations across the entire system. These new AI features are seemingly dependent on the Neural Engine Apple has designed into its A-series processors. Every A-series processor (including A12 Bionic) has a Neural Engine. However, the A12 Bionic has a Neural Engine that is substantially slower and less capable than the one inside an A15 or A16. If you do not have a strong AI core or enough RAM, you are unlikely to experience the full iOS 26 experience, or you may not have access to it at all.

If Apple does drop support for any A12-based iPhone, then millions of users will be left behind with no more features (other than some security patches for a year or two). This adds a split in the iOS ecosystem as older devices would be running an isolated version of iOS 25, and subsequently, newer devices would continue to bring new updates and features to the OS ecosystem. Developers will also be faced with building apps that are either back-compatible or solely optimized for the new OS. This likely increases development costs and the innovation of new apps.

What To Do?

If you have an iPhone XS, X, R, or SE 2, now is likely the time to get ready for your next plan for an upgrade. Here are your options:
Hold tight until Apple makes its actual announcement at WWDC, which is anticipated around June 10, and it releases iOS 26 to the public in its full form in September. If your phone is still operating normally, you can hang out in iOS 25 a little longer.

Apple is trying to get the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 to be the generic iOS 26 devices. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 series could potentially enable the new interface, as well as a cheaper upgrade from your previous device. Apple and third-party resellers have trade-in programs. Selling your old device before any announcements are made on iOS 26, if you don’t need it anymore, could potentially net you a higher resale value.

If a new device is still out of anyone’s price range, a certified refurbished model, like the iPhone 13, is powerful enough for the supported functions of iOS 26 and even future updates for a lower cost.

Apple’s keynote at WWDC is not solely on iOS 26 but also macOS 15, watchOS 12, and visionOS. The keynote will emphasize Apple’s work in integrating its AI across all platforms. Depending on timing, there could be demonstrations of a smarter Siri, and possibly even generative AI’s incorporation into Messages’ specific feature in Notes, and updates to the iOS interface to accommodate new workflows driven by machine learning. In addition, Apple is apparently going to announce “Apple Intelligence,” its own set of generative AIs that would compete with the likes of Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini.

With the launch of iOS 26 comes an inflection point in Apple’s software evolution, as it will go from the norm of designing a smartphone OS to an AI-oriented future. But with progress comes sacrifice. Users on older iPhones may be facing the reality that their phones are nearing their end-of-life in terms of software. While it’s always hard to say goodbye to a serviceable device, Apple’s initiative will help ensure its new OS is as modern, secure, and offers the latest experiences that are available. The iPhone will continue to evolve, and with iOS 26, it marks the beginning of a more intelligent development whose only fittest devices will make it through.