Will Your iPhone or Mac Get This Autumn's Updates?

Every August the same question lands in my inbox: will my iPhone get the new update? So here's the full picture for this year, taken straight from Apple's own compatibility lists, along with what I'd do before September arrives.

iOS 27

Good news first. No iPhone loses support this year. iOS 27 runs on the same devices as iOS 26:

• iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max

• iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max

• iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max

• iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max

• iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max

• iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max and 16e

• iPhone 17, 17e, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air

• iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)

If you're on an iPhone XS, XR or older, you'll stay on the version you have. Your phone will keep working, but it's a sign it's time to start thinking about a replacement.

macOS 27 Golden Gate

This is the one to pay attention to. macOS 27 is Apple silicon only. If your Mac has an Intel chip, it won't get it.

The compatible list is every Mac with an Apple chip:

• MacBook Neo

• MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)

• MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)

• iMac with Apple silicon (2021 and later)

• Mac mini with Apple silicon (2020 and later)

• Mac Studio (2022 and later)

• Mac Pro with Apple silicon (2023)

Not sure which chip you have? Click the Apple menu in the top left, choose About This Mac, and look at the Chip line. If it says Apple M1, M2, M3, M4 or M5, you're fine. If it says Intel, you're staying on macOS 26 Tahoe.

That isn't a disaster. Apple usually keeps providing security updates for the two previous versions of macOS, so an Intel Mac on Tahoe should keep getting security fixes for a while yet. But it does mean no new features, and over the next couple of years more apps will start asking for a newer system.

watchOS 27

Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later. You'll also need an iPhone 11 or later, or an iPhone SE 2nd generation or later, running iOS 27.

Apple Intelligence and Siri AI need newer hardware

Getting the update and getting every feature are two different things. The AI features, including the new Siri AI, need one of these:

• iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 or later

• iPad mini with A17 Pro, or any iPad with an M1 chip or later

• MacBook Neo, or any Mac with an M1 chip or later

• Apple Watch Series 9 or later, SE 3, or Ultra 2 or later, paired with one of the iPhones above

So an iPhone 14 will run iOS 27 happily, but it won't get Siri AI. That's worth knowing before you update and wonder where the new Siri went.

Two more details from Apple's small print. Siri AI launches as a beta, in English first. And some of the cloud-based features have daily usage limits, with Apple saying expanded access will be available for a fee in the future. I'll write more on that once it's live.

What to do before September

• Back up. iCloud Backup on iPhone, Time Machine or iCloud on Mac. Do this before any major update, every time.

• Free up space. Major updates need several gigabytes free. Settings, General, iPhone Storage will show you what's taking up room.

• Update your apps. Developers push compatibility fixes in the weeks around a new release.

• Don't rush. If you rely on your device for work, there's no harm in waiting a week or two for the first point update.

If you'd like me to check your devices, get them backed up and ready, that's a quick remote session. Book one here or send me a message.