iOS 27 is now rolling out to compatible iPhones, and a quick glance at the official list tells you that there are a lot of them this year. The thing is, getting the most out of iOS 27 is a lot more than just being able to run the software, and the things you get from iOS 27 will all depend on what kind of hardware your iPhone has on offer.
iOS 27 itself works on devices as old as the iPhone 11, which was first released in 2019. The software has the same requirements as iOS 26, so if your phone runs that you should be able to install the latest iOS update without issue. Unfortunately, some of those older devices have to go without Apple Intelligence, while AI-friendly iPhones still won't gain access to everything the new Siri AI has to offer.
Here's a rundown on the requirements you need to run iOS 27 and all the different tiers of AI Apple now has to offer.
iOS 27
iOS 27 is available on a crazy 33 different iPhone models, dating as far back as the iPhone 11 and coming all the way up to the newly announced iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Better still, Apple is delivering the update to 30 of those devices today (September 14), letting you upgrade immediately. There are none of the delays of slow-burning rollouts that you'd normally get with Android phones. The only three exceptions are the newest iPhone models, which come running iOS 27 right out of the box.
The list of iOS 27 compatible phones is as follows:
- iPhone 18 Pro
- iPhone 18 Pro Max
- iPhone Duo
- iPhone 17
- iPhone Air
- iPhone 17 Pro
- iPhone 17 Pro Max
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (both 2020 and 2022 models)
Apple Intelligence
Those older iPhones may be able to support iOS 27, but that doesn't mean they are able to use Apple's AI suite — also known as Apple Intelligence. Apple likes to push all AI processing on devices where possible, and that means strict memory requirements. This means any phone that doesn't have at least 8GB of RAM can not run Apple's AI.
So far 15 phones can run Apple Intelligence, starting with iPhone 15 Pro:
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 17
- iPhone 17 Pro
- iPhone 17 Pro Max
- iPhone Air
- iPhone 17e
- iPhone 18 Pro
- iPhone 18 Pro Max
- iPhone Duo
All of those phones are capable of running Siri AI, as are iPads and MacBooks with an Apple M-series chip. However they aren't all able to access everything Siri AI has to offer.
Siri AI
The bulk of Siri AI's features are standard Apple Intelligence features. That means they're available to all iPhones with at least 8GB of RAM. However two of the promised Siri AI features run on Apple's "most powerful on-device model", known as AFM Core Advanced. This model needs at least 12GB of RAM to operate.
The specific features are Siri's Expressive Voices and the advanced dictation system. Currently only six iPhones have the hardware necessary to power them:
- iPhone 17 Pro
- iPhone 17 Pro Max
- iPhone 17 Air
- iPhone 18 Pro
- iPhone 18 Pro Max
- iPhone Duo
Other Apple devices that run the AFM Core Advanced include iPad Pro (2024 or later), iPad Air (2026 or later), MacBook Pro (2023 or later) and MacBook Air (2024 or later).
Siri AI isn't available on iPhones and iPads in the EU and China, over regulatory hurdles. While Apple hasn't spoken about the delay in a Chinese launch, it has made it repeatedly claimed that the European Union's Digital Markets Act is holding upSiri AI's launch in the region — evidently due to regulators not accepting "any of Apple’s proposed solutions to bring Siri AI to the EU while safely supporting other virtual assistants."
Like many Apple spats with the EU, it all comes down to the topic of safety and privacy. Apple believes having its rules in place promotes a safer environment, while the European Commission has reportedly disputed those claims.
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