Every year, Apple removes a handful of older iPhones from its latest software update. iOS 26 cuts the iPhone XS generation, meaning anyone on those devices was left behind when the liquid glass redesign arrived last September. According for a new leakiOS 27 is set to do the same thing for the iPhone 11 lineup.
weibo leaker Instant Digital Posted iOS 27 is claimed to be the full list of supported devices, and four models currently running on iOS 26 are missing from it. They are the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max and the second generation iPhone SE. According to the leak, installing iOS 27 will require at least an iPhone 12. iPhone SE users will need a third-generation model or later. Apple has not confirmed this yet. Instant Digital’s track record is good but imperfect, so consider these as credible rumors rather than confirmed fact.
What is iOS 27 actually expected to bring
The drop comes ahead of WWDC on June 8, where Apple is expected to officially unveil iOS 27. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the update takes a “Snow Leopard” approach. The focus is reportedly on stability, bug fixes, and performance rather than major new features. Apple engineers are clearly studying the OS and looking to cut bloat and eliminate bugs. So even iPhone 12 and 13 users who are on the iOS 27 supported devices list should see real-world improvements compared to iOS 26.
There’s a fair debate about whether it makes sense to skip the iPhone 11 during a stability-focused release. Previous Snow Leopard-style iOS updates such as iOS 12 and iOS 14 retained all of their existing supported devices. Some readers have drawn attention to the contradiction. Still, Apple removed many phones from iOS 26 as well, so this pattern is not unprecedented.
Worth noting: Even if your iPhone 12, 13, or 14 makes the cut, Apple Intelligence features in iOS 27 reportedly still require an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. So the supported device list tells only part of the story for most people. The full picture will come at WWDC in June.
