Malcolm Owen
While most iPhones that currently support iOS 18 will be able to use iOS 26, the iPhone XS, XS Max, and iPhone XR are probably going to get cut from the compatibility list.
When Apple releases a new operating system, the change can sometimes leave older models of hardware out in the cold. For the upcoming introduction of what is believed to be iOS 26, this could mean the loss of three items from the roster.
A list of compatible devices posted to X by a private account that got everything right in 2024 claims that the next iOS operating system update will not be supported by the iPhone XS, the iPhone XS Max, and the iPhone XR.
Though the models won't be able to run the latest update, they will still get security updates from Apple.
While the account is private, the leaker has a reasonably good track record when it comes to iOS-based rumors. The list also mirrors the same claim from April 1, which also leaves out the iPhone XS and iPhone XR models.
If accurate, and we believe that it is, this is the list of device families that will work with iOS 26:
Charles Martin
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
Marko Zivkovic
William Gallagher
3 Comments
And if you’ve had the same phone for 7+ years surely you don’t care about the latest OS anyway. But cue the Apple is Doomed etc naysayers.
One of the reasons I got my kid an SE2 rather than an XR. The SE2 was cheaper but had a newer processor and it was inevitable this would happen at some point. I prefer Face ID myself but longevity is important too.
I upgraded from the XS about a week ago, in part because I believed I'd lose compatibility with iOS 26. The old phone still works great, but sometimes you've gotta splurge, right? ;)