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iOS18 has now been officially unveiled at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2024), and we're taking a look at what's new, including a more customizable Start screen, an improved Control Center, changes to first-party apps, and integration with Apple Intelligence.
There's a lot to like here, so you might be wondering when and if your iPhone will get the iOS 18 update.
The answer depends on your iPhone model, so see below.
Uncovering the iPhone Models That Can Download iOS 18
As with every iOS release, the iOS 18 update should be available for most, but not all, iPhone models. The minimum requirements are that your iPhone must have an A12 Bionic chip and above. If you have an iPhone with an A11 Bionic chip and older, you're unfortunately out of luck.
To be able to get the update, you’ll need one of the following models:
· iPhone 15
· iPhone 15 Plus
· iPhone 15 Pro
· iPhone 15 Pro Max
· iPhone 14
· iPhone 14 Plus
· iPhone 14 Pro
· iPhone 14 Pro Max
· iPhone 13
· iPhone 13 mini
· iPhone 13 Pro
· iPhone 13 Pro Max
· iPhone 12
· iPhone 12 mini
· iPhone 12 Pro
· iPhone 12 Pro Max
· iPhone 11
· iPhone 11 Pro
· iPhone 11 Pro Max
· iPhone XS
· iPhone XS Max
· iPhone XR
· iPhone SE (2nd generation)
· iPhone SE (3rd generation)
That’s a pretty solid list, and it shouldn’t be surprising that the iPhone X and iPhone 8 are no longer supported since they lost support when the iOS 17 update rolled out last year. However, it’s important to add the caveat that while all these devices will get iOS 18, not all of them will be able to take advantage of Apple Intelligence AI features. You'll need an iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max with an A17 Pro chip, or an iPad and Mac with M1 chips and up.
What’s new with iOS 18?
The Control Center has been completely redesigned for faster access to controls, including the ability to add and rearrange panels. You can also slip on different pages and better access to the media tests and families. It also supports a third party application test. Various changes and improvements in the app. Messages will get RCS support, emails will have better sorting options, maps will offer terrain functionality, and wallets will have a new "Click to Money" feature. Photos were also significantly redesigned, with a new gallery at the top and the option to view after a year or a month.
Apple continues to prioritize privacy in iOS 18. You can hide apps from your home screen and put them behind a hidden app folder that requires authentication to unlock. Finally, Game Mode will now be available on iOS, minimizing background app activity to give you smoother gameplay on your iPhone and better responsiveness with AirPods and wireless game controllers. The iOS 18 update is already available to developers as a beta, and the official version is expected to start rolling out to compatible iPhones this fall.
