iOS 27 runs on iPhone 12 and later, according to Apple’s iOS 27 page, and arrives as a free update on Monday, September 14. That is a broad list, but the headline features are not evenly spread: full Apple Intelligence, including the Siri AI beta, is limited to iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 or later.
So the real question for most owners is not whether the update installs, but which tier of iOS 27 they get. Here is the full compatibility list drawn from Apple’s page, the Apple Intelligence cut-off, and what each group can expect on September 14.
Every iPhone that gets iOS 27
Apple states the floor as iPhone 12 and later. Working forward from that, the compatible models are:
Don’t miss the best of The Mac Observer
Set us as a preferred source and our Apple reporting ranks higher in your Google Search results and Discover feed — one tap, no account changes.
- 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 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, iPhone 16e
- iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17e, iPhone Air
- iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which ship with iOS 27 installed on September 18
- iPhone Duo, which ships in October with iOS 27.1, according to Apple’s Duo pages
Apple’s page does not address the iPhone SE separately, and it does not name a model that loses support this year. If you are on an iPhone 11 or earlier, Apple’s stated floor puts you outside the list.
Which iPhones get full Apple Intelligence on iOS 27
Apple’s iOS 27 page draws the Apple Intelligence line at iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 or later. That group gets Siri AI in beta, Siri mode in Camera, Image Playground with photorealistic images, and the rest of the Apple Intelligence set. The table lays out the two tiers.
| Model | Runs iOS 27 | Full Apple Intelligence and Siri AI beta |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 12 series | Yes | No |
| iPhone 13 series | Yes | No |
| iPhone 14 series | Yes | No |
| iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus | Yes | No |
| iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone 16 series, including 16e | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone 17 series, iPhone 17e, iPhone Air | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max | Yes, preinstalled | Yes |
| iPhone Duo | Yes, iOS 27.1 preinstalled | Yes |
Apple Intelligence runs on-device and with Private Cloud Compute, per Apple’s press release, and Siri AI launches in English with French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish following in October. Apple has also said Siri AI is not available on iPhone in the European Union under the Digital Markets Act, with no timeline, and that new Apple Intelligence features in China are pending approval.
What an iPhone 12, 13 or 14 gets from iOS 27
Older models are not shut out of the update, only the Apple Intelligence layer. Apple’s iOS 27 page lists features it does not mark as Apple Intelligence-dependent, including:
- Safari automatic tab organization by topic, and Notify Me for price changes and restocks
- Improved search ranking in Mail
- Perimenopause and menopause support in Cycle Tracking in Health
- Home app activity notifications and 4K recording support
- Accessibility additions such as Magnifier tools and auto-generated video subtitles
- GymKit on iPhone, AirPods Custom EQ, improved iCloud Shared Albums and enhanced Flyover in Maps
Apple has not published a feature-by-feature compatibility matrix, so some of these may still carry hardware limits when the release notes appear. Where Apple has not said, we have not guessed.
Should you update or upgrade
If your phone is on the Apple Intelligence list, iOS 27 on September 14 is the whole story and the Siri AI beta is free. If it is an iPhone 12, 13, 14 or standard 15, the update is still worth installing for Safari, Home and Health, but Siri AI needs new hardware.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and pre-orders open September 12; our iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro comparison covers what the new chip adds over last year. For the update itself, the iOS 27 release date guide has the timing. Apple has not stated a release hour; it usually ships iOS updates around 10 a.m. Pacific.
