- A list of iPhones supporting iOS 19 – which might be called iOS 26 – has leaked
- The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max may miss out
- Apple will unveil the software next week
Apple is scheduled to tell us all about its grand plans for iOS 19 – which may be rebranded as iOS 26 – next week, and a new rumor suggests that this year’s software update is going to leave some iPhone models behind.
According to a “very reliable” source in contact with MacRumors, the oldest handsets that will support iOS 19 are the iPhone 11 models and the iPhone SE 2. Those phones launched in September 2019 and April 2020 respectively.
In terms of phones that can run iOS 18 but apparently won’t be able to run its successor, we’re saying goodbye to the iPhone XR, the iPhone XS, and the iPhone XS Max. Those three iPhones were all announced by Apple in September 2018.
Bear in mind that none of this is confirmed by Apple yet. It’s also worth noting that even if those older phones miss out on iOS 26, they may still get security updates for some time – the iPhone 8 most recently got an update in March 2025, for example.
Here’s what’s coming
Besides the rebrand from iOS 19 to iOS 26, we’ve heard quite a few rumors about the next software update for the iPhone. The interface is apparently going to be given quite an overhaul, which has actually been hinted at in Apple’s own WWDC 2025 invites.
A slew of new features are expected to make an appearance across Messages, Music, and Notes, including automatic translations for messages in a foreign language, and animated album art for your playlists that shows up on the lock screen.
There have also been leaks about a dedicated gaming hub that runs across iPhones and other Apple devices, as well as the introduction of more AI voice assistants that work with iOS – including, perhaps, Google Gemini.
All will be revealed next Monday, June 9, at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC): the annual software showcase for iOS, macOS, iPadOS, and more. We’ll be covering the event and all the announcements live, and if you want to follow along then check out our guide on how to watch the event.
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