While iOS 27 will run on older iPhones, new Apple Intelligence features are another matter
Apple will release iOS 27 for iPhone 11 and above, but to get the new Siri AI you'll need something much more recent
Quick Summary
Apple's most powerful on-device AI features will not work on devices older than the iPhone 17 Pro. Even the iPhone 17 won't be capable of running them locally.
However, many of the Apple Intelligence features will work, just through Private Cloud Compute instead.
During its WWDC 26 keynote, Apple revealed that iOS 27 will work on pretty much every iPhone released in the last seven years – from the iPhone 11 and up.
However, it has now also been confirmed that the vast majority of them won't be getting all the new features. In fact, only a small handful will support the most powerful on-device Apple Intelligence and Siri AI capabilities.
That's because, as 9to5Mac explains, the more advanced features will require at least 12GB of RAM to operate, while most older iPhone models have a maximum of 8GB. Of those currently available, only the iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air fit that particular bill. Even the iPhone 17 is not powerful enough.
The same is true with other Apple devices. You'll need an iPad running on at least M4 silicon and with 12GB of RAM, or a Mac on M3 with 12GB.
The better news is that most of the new features will work on other models too, although they will require data connections and are likely to return slower results, as they'll need to use Apple's remote Private Cloud Compute services to process commands.
We don't know yet which models those will be, and whether all iPhones will support the remote services. However, it is likely many of the more creative features, such as the enhanced Image Playground, will be included in that category.
When will the new Apple Intelligence and Siri AI launch?
Siri AI will arrive with the full release of iOS 27 – likely in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models and new, foldable iPhone Ultra.
It will be restricted to supported iPhones set to English language as default.
Unfortunately, that won't include any devices in the EU. Apple has decided to withhold Siri AI support from users in the European Union on privacy and security grounds, as it gets to grips with the ramifications of the EU's Digital Markets Act.
Many of the Apple Intelligence features unveiled during WWDC will be more widely available across multiple countries.
A developer beta of iOS 27 is available to download now, but it is highly inadvisable to do so unless you know what you're doing. The software can be bug-ridden and missing some other important phone features.
A public beta will follow in July.
