Apple’s iPhone 18 release date is September 16 but is your iPhone compatible? Here are the new devices and features you can expect
In just three days, you will be able to download iOS 18 on your eligible iPhone. Apple announced the release date at its iPhone event on Monday, along with the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models, as well as the new Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPods 4 devices (here’s everything Apple revealed at the launch event iPhone 16). If you’re lucky enough to snag one of the new phones on September 20, they’ll already have iOS 18 installed. But if you’re stuck with your old iPhone, you can check out iOS 18 when it becomes available as a free download on September 16. Not all iPhones, however, will be able to run iOS 18, even those that win. I don’t have all the bells and whistles of the new Apple Intelligence features.
That update split is useless now. Typically every year, some older iPhone models are removed from Apple’s iOS compatibility list. Last year, for example, the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X were left out of the compatibility list. That means those iPhone owners couldn’t update to iOS 17 and missed out on some notable features. On the other hand, some older hardware will get some big new features: Consider an upcoming software update that effectively turns AirPods Pro headphones into a hearing aid, complete with a built-in hearing test. (Apple recently received FDA approval to release that feature later this year.)
We will help you find out if your iPhone will support iOS 18, and Apple Intelligence. If you want a full list of everything new in iOS 18, check out Apple’s complete list in PDF form (via MacRumors).
iPhones are compatible with iOS 18
We have good news: If you had a compatible phone last year when you upgraded to iOS 17, that device should still be compatible with iOS 18, according to Apple. That means you won’t have to buy a new phone to test out many of the new software’s features.
Put another way, if you have an iPhone from the 2017 model year or earlier (iPhone 8 or iPhone X), you can’t upgrade to the latest iOS, but your phone should still work — except for the latest and greatest features.
Is your iPhone compatible with Apple Intelligence?
While your older device will still be able to support the latest iOS, chances are you won’t be able to try the Apple Intelligence beta yet next month. Unless you have an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max – the top models of 2023 – or one of the new iPhone 16 models, your iPhone is not eligible.
When will Apple Intelligence features be available?
If your device is compatible with Apple Intelligence, you can start playing with some of those features in October, when they start hitting those new iPhones in the next updates.
Apple Intelligence will be available in English in the US this October. In December, it will be available in local English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Additional language support, including Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish, will be available sometime next year, Apple said.
As previously reported, Apple Intelligence won’t be making its way to EU countries anytime soon. The American tech giant remains locked in a tussle with European regulators over the enforcement details of the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
New iOS 18 features to expect
While Apple Intelligence is the biggest update coming with iOS 18, its features will be rolled out gradually over the next few months. And the most advanced features will not be available in older iPhone models except for the iPhone 15 Pro series. But some features of iOS 18 will hit the handsets listed above. Here are some of the great things you can expect when you download Apple’s new software later this month.
Passwords app: Securely store all your credentials in one place, including passwords and security alerts that you can access directly from the app. (Although this functionality is currently in Settings, moving it to the new app should make it easier to find and access.)
Improved messaging app: The new iMessages experience brings the option to highlight, italicize, underline and highlight your text. You will also be able to add animations to your text messages. The update also brings RCS to iPhones to better support Android compatibility.
Organized photo library: The Photos app is getting a redesign, allowing you to create and pin your own collections to the app — think “wedding photos” or “trip to Aruba.” Removes the sub with the current tab and depends on the grid structure. The updated carousel view that was touched on in WWDC was removed during the beta process.
Personal home screen layout: Finally you’ll get the option to rearrange your apps – for example, you can leave the middle space open to show your home screen image, and instead have your apps alone on the border of the screen. You can also change the appearance of apps by coloring them in any color, as well as making apps bigger.
There are many other fixes and improvements for keystone apps like Maps, Calendar, Safari and more. Check out Cherlynn Low’s picks for the best hidden iOS 18 features and updates to Apple’s operating system, based on betas released earlier this year.
Is there a beta for iOS 18?
There is, and you can download it now – as long as you’re willing to live with the limitations and challenges of beta software. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, we’d suggest you just wait for the real deal to be released in just under a week.
What about macOS Sequoia, iPadOS 18, WatchOS 11 and tvOS 18?
Here’s where you can expect new software updates to come to your other Apple devices.
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macOS Sequoia: September 16
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iPadOS 18: September 16
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WatchOS 11: September 16
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tvOS 18: Apple has not announced an official date for its latest tvOS software update. It’s still in public beta testing at the moment, though it’s nearing the final stages, per MacRumors.
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VisionOS 2: September 16
As for AirPods, Apple has reportedly pushed new firmware to the AirPods Pro earbuds to prepare for additional features coming to that device with iOS 18. (Just be aware that the aforementioned hearing aid functionality may not work with the first wave of updates.) of the FDA.)
Update, September 12, 3:28PM ET: More information about the FDA approval of the AirPods Pro hearing aid functionality.
Update, September 11, 12:13PM ET: Additional new information about the new firmware pushed to AirPods Pro earbuds.
Update, September 10, 9:54AM ET: Added release dates for additional Apple OS software updates.
Update, September 9, 5:00PM ET: More information about the lack of availability of Apple Intelligence in EU countries.
Update, September 9, 3:37PM ET: This story has been updated with the announced release dates for iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence.
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