Apple is expected to launch its new operating system in June that could introduce artificial intelligence-based features, but not all iPhones will be compatible.
Anyone still using iPhones released before 2018, including the SE series and the 8 Plus model or earlier, will not have access to iOS 18.
Older iPhones will not be supported due to outdated hardware chips that have a slower processor and less memory that cannot support high-power features.
This year’s operating system will be Apple’s “biggest” update yet and could partner with Google’s AI Gemini, which would create images and write essays based on simple prompts on the iPhone for the first time.
iPhone 8 and older models will not be compatible with the iOS 18 software update
iOS 18 update will add AI-powered features to Siri and the Messages app
Apple is expected to unveil iOS 18 at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which will be held from June 10 to 14.
WWDC will begin with a keynote that typically introduces the new operating system for iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, and TV.
And owners of the newly launched Vision Pro could also get an upgrade.
But most users tune in to the iPhone operating system update, and AI is predicted to take center stage.
However, older smartphones do not have the appropriate processors for the update or others that will debut in a few months.
The smart devices will need Apple’s in-house A12 Bionic chip to be compatible with the iOS 18 update that was introduced when the company launched its iPhone XR and iPhone XS models in 2018.
iPhones with the A11 Bionic chip (iPhone
Apple usually discontinues iPhone models that can’t keep up with the new iOS release, but this year it will keep the series seven and eight.
If your iPhone is not a 11-15 series or second- and third-generation SE, XR, XS, and XS Max model, you can expect to lose access to iOS 18 and all future software updates.
Apple’s AI features are expected to improve Siri, allowing it to give more precise responses, while the Messages app will “answer questions and complete sentences automatically,” according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
“I’m told that the new operating system is viewed within the company as one of the biggest, if not the biggest, iOS updates in the company’s history,” Gurman wrote in his Switched on Newsletter.
“With that knowledge, Apple’s developer conference in June should be very exciting.”
Apple’s sales fell when the iPhone 15 was launched in September last year, with some calling it “the biggest failure” in the company’s history.
Artificial intelligence is the crux of Apple’s iOS 18 update as it struggles to catch up with other apps like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard chatbot.
“Bottom line: Apple is far behind in AI and it’s a major risk for a company that considers itself the leading innovator in consumer technology,” Gurman wrote.
The new update is set to allow users to create auto-generated playlists and recommended song lists following last year’s iOS 17, which introduced collaborative playlists like those offered on Spotify.
The upcoming operating system is also expected to add a custom routing feature to Apple Maps that will allow users to enter self-selected addresses instead of only having access to Apple’s preselected options, according to MacRumors.
The home screen will also reportedly get a makeover, giving users more customizable options and control over how they want to arrange app icons.
The iPadOS 18 update will also only support iPads released after 2018, including the 8th generation iPad, the 3rd generation iPad Pro and iPad Air, and the 5th generation iPad mini.
The update comes as Apple’s newest iPhone 15 model saw a major drop in sales in the weeks after its launch in September and was called “the biggest flop in Apple’s history.”
Users complained about the material changing color, their phone overheating, having a software bug, and lack of durability, as some users said they could break the device with their bare hands.
Beta testing for iOS 18 will likely launch in July, with a general release date expected in September 2024.