Apple released iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 today, extending the latest software to older phones while trimming a handful of tablets. iOS 27 will run on every iPhone that can run iOS 26, reaching back to the iPhone 11 and the second‑generation iPhone SE. The update brings a new CPU scheduler that should smooth performance on older hardware.

iPadOS 27 takes a slightly stricter stance, dropping support for the 3rd‑generation iPad Air, 8th‑generation iPad, and 5th‑generation iPad mini, all of which use the older A12 Bionic chip. Supported devices now require an A13 or newer, meaning the new OS will only run on newer iPad Air or iPad Pro models.

Apple claims the new CPU scheduler, already present on newer iPhones, now benefits older devices, offering smoother multitasking and battery life. However, many of the OS’s new features hinge on Apple Intelligence, which demands at least 8 GB of RAM and an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, or an iPhone 16 or newer, or an iPhone Air.

The more demanding local AI models require Apple Silicon and at least 12 GB of RAM, limiting them to the iPhone 17 Pro, the iPhone Air, the recently introduced M4 iPad Air, or the M4/M5 iPad Pro. Developer betas hit the market now, with a public beta due in July and final releases slated for the fall, as usual.