Your iPhone Will Likely Get the iOS 27 Update

Apple's iOS 27 update will support all iPhones currently running iOS 26, but some older iPads will be left behind.

Apple announced that its upcoming iOS 27 operating system will run on all iPhone models that currently support iOS 26. This means every device from the iPhone 11 and the second-generation iPhone SE onward will receive the update. This decision provides welcome stability for users with older hardware. The news is less positive for some iPad owners. The corresponding iPadOS 27 update will not support every model that can run the current version. Apple is dropping support for the 3rd-generation iPad Air and the 8th-generation standard iPad, meaning those devices will no longer receive major OS or feature updates.

For IT, security, and development teams, the broad iPhone compatibility simplifies planning for the year ahead. It ensures a larger fleet of corporate and personal devices will remain secure and capable of running the latest applications without requiring immediate hardware replacement. This continuity reduces near-term costs and operational overhead. For developers, it maintains a large, consistent user base on a modern OS. The discontinued support for specific iPad models, however, requires action. Teams must now identify these devices within their organizations to plan for replacement or to manage the security risks of using an unsupported operating system.

This strategy reinforces Apple's reputation for long-term device support, a key market differentiator. Businesses should begin auditing their device inventory to flag the affected iPad models. While the final OS versions are typically released in the fall, developer and public betas will provide an early opportunity for teams to test application compatibility. Monitoring these pre-release versions for performance issues on older supported hardware is a crucial step to ensure a smooth and predictable rollout across the organization.