iOS 18: which iPhones will be available on the new Apple system

The updated operating system for Apple gadgets iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, presented the day before, will have many new features. However, many iPhone owners are wondering whether it will be compatible with their gadget.

ArsTechnica has published a list of devices that will be able to install the new version. With the exception of the sixth-generation iPad tablets released in 2018, all updates will run on the same hardware as iOS 17 and iPadOS 17.

For Apple smartphones, this includes all models starting with the iPhone XR/XS. The list will also include the second-generation iPhone SE. The new operating system will be available on the seventh-generation iPad and later, the third-generation iPad Air and later, and the fifth-generation iPad mini and later. The update can also be installed on all 11-inch iPad Pro and 12.9-inch iPad Pro of the third generation and later.

Analysts were interested in the fact that the seventh-generation iPad meets the requirements of the new operating system, while the sixth-generation iPad does not. This is despite the fact that both use the same Apple A10 processor. The difference lies in the RAM. The seventh-generation tablets have 3 GB of RAM instead of 2 GB. This is the same as the third-generation iPad Air and the fifth-generation iPad mini. Thus, this difference of one gigabyte is crucial for the new features of iPadOS 18.

It is also worth considering that despite the rather large list of gadgets that support iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, the main functions of Apple's artificial intelligence Apple Intelligence will not be available for all of them. The worst situation is with the iPhone, which supports Apple Intelligence only on the iPhone 15 Pro and its A17 Pro chip. While the regular iPhone 15 will not have access to these features. Similarly, older phones will be deprived of them. As for the iPad, these features will appear on the iPad Air or Pro with the M1 chip or later.

Not only Apple Intelligence will require the latest models. For example, the Smart Script handwriting enhancement will only be available for iPads with an Apple M-series or A14 chip, which excludes several older models with A10, A12, and A13 chips. As for iOS, iPhone 12 or later is required for real-time audio transcription, Eye Tracking accessibility features, and Vocal Shortcuts accessibility features.

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