Apple 18 release date is September 16 but is your iPhone compatible? Here are the relevant tools and new features you can expect

Apple at its iPhone event Monday presented the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models, as well as the new Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPods 4 devices (see everything that Apple revealed at the iPhone 16 launch event). When those phones hit the shelves on September 20, they’ll already have iOS 18 installed, so an update won’t be needed out of the box. Everyone with an older iPhone will be able to check out iOS 18 when it becomes available as a free download on September 16. But not every iPhone will be able to run iOS 18, even those that will not have all the bells. and a whistle of the new Apple Intelligence features.

That stratification of development is nothing now. Generally every year, some older iPhone models are removed from Apple’s iOS eligibility list. Last year, for example, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X were left off the list of deals. That meant iPhone owners couldn’t upgrade to iOS 17 and missed out on some notable features.

We will help you determine if your iPhone will support iOS 18, as well as Apple Intelligence. If you want a complete list of all the new iOS 18, check out Apple’s full list in PDF form (via MacRumors).

iPhones are compatible with iOS 18

We have good news: If you had a compatible phone last year when you updated to iOS 17, that device should still be compatible with iOS 18, according to Apple. That means you won’t have to buy a new phone to check out most of the new software features.

Put another way, if you have an iPhone from 2017 or earlier (iPhone 8 or iPhone X), you can’t upgrade to the latest iOS, but your phone should continue to work. – although it doesn’t have the latest and greatest features.

Is your iPhone compatible with Apple Intelligence?

While your old device will still be able to support the latest iOS, chances are you won’t be able to test the Apple Intelligence beta next month. Unless you have an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max — the top-of-the-line 2023 models — or one of the newer iPhone 16 models, your iPhone isn’t eligible.

When will Apple Intelligence features be available?

If your device is compatible with Apple Intelligence, you can start playing with some of those features in October, when they start hitting new iPhones in subsequent updates.

Apple Intelligence will be available in English in the US in October. In December, it will be available in local English to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Additional language support, including Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish, will be available next year, Apple says.

As previously reported, Apple Intelligence will not arrive in EU countries anytime soon. The US tech giant is locked in a battle with European regulators over the implementation details of the EU’s Digital Markets Act.

New iOS 18 apps you can expect

While Apple Intelligence is the biggest update coming with iOS 18, its features will be released gradually over the next few months. And the most advanced features cannot be found in older iPhone models except for the iPhone 15 Pro series. But some features of iOS 18 will hit the handsets listed above. Here are some of the highlights you can expect when you download Apple’s new software later this month.

Password manager: Keep all your information in one secure place, including passwords and security alerts that you can access directly from the app. (While this functionality is still available in Settings, moving it to a new device should make it easier to find and access.)

Updated Messaging app: The new iMessages experience brings the option to bold, italicize, underline and forward your text. You will also be able to add animations to your text messages. The update also brings RCS to iPhones to better support Android compatibility.

Organized photo gallery: The Photos app is getting a redesign, allowing you to customize and pin your collections to the app — think “wedding photos” or “trip to Aruba.” Removes the current tabbed section and relies on the grid layout. The improved carousel view that was introduced at WWDC was removed during the beta process.

Custom home screen layout: Finally you’ll get the option to rearrange your apps – for example, you can leave the center open to show a photo of the home screen, and only have your apps on the edge of the screen. You can also change the appearance of the tools by painting them any color, as well as making the tools bigger.

There are many other tweaks and improvements to the flagship apps like Maps, Calendar, Safari and more. Check out Cherlynn Low’s picks for the most hidden iOS 18 features and improvements to Apple’s sibling system, based on betas released earlier this year.

Is there a beta for iOS 18?

There is, and you can download it now – as long as you’re willing to live with the ins and outs of beta software. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, we recommend waiting for the real deal to be released in just a week.

What about MacOS Sequoia, iPadOS 18, WatchOS 11 and tvOS 18?

This is where you can expect new software updates to come for other Apple devices.

• Sequoia for MacOS: September 16

• iPadOS 18: September 16

• WatchOS 11: September 16

• tvOS 18: Apple has yet to announce an official date for its latest tvOS software update. It’s still in public beta testing at the moment, though it’s nearing the final stages, according to MacRumors.

• visionOS 2: September 16

As for AirPods, Apple has reportedly pushed new firmware to the AirPods Pro earbuds in preparation for other features coming to the device with iOS 18. (The hearing aid is due later this year, and will come after clearing the FDA and other government agencies.)

Update, September 11, 12:13PM ET: Added new information about the new firmware pushed to the AirPods Pro earbuds.

Update, September 10, 9:54AM ET: Release dates are included for other Apple OS devices.

Update, September 9, 5:00PM ET: More information about the lack of availability of Apple Intelligence in EU countries.

Update, September 9, 3:37PM ET: This story has been updated with the announced release dates of iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence.