Apple wants older iPhones to run better.
That’s why on Monday, Apple announced that one of its major efficiency improvements will be coming to iPhones as old as the iPhone 11 lineup.
When iOS 27 arrives this fall, older iPhones will have access to an advanced CPU scheduler, a system already available on newer models that helps manage a phone’s workload.
Stacey Ford, Apple’s vice president of OS program management, said the addition “will make older iPhones feel even more responsive.”
“Even when you’re doing a ton of things at once requiring a whole lot of compute, the CPU scheduler ensures the right work is executed at precisely the right time,” Ford said.
As part of the news, Apple also confirmed that the forthcoming iOS 27 will be available on the iPhone 11, which was first released in September 2019.
“This continues our industry-leading support and means iOS 27 is available to more users than any iOS release ever,” Ford said.
A number of Apple-focused accounts on social media celebrated the news while also lamenting that many owners of older Apple Watch models would be left out for watchOS 27, such as the Apple Watch Series 9, first sold in 2023.
Google’s Pixel 4 and 4 XL, and Samsung’s Galaxy S10, as noted by Android Authority, both released around the same time as the iPhone 11, received just 3 years of platform updates. With Monday’s news, the iPhone 11 is set to receive seven years of major updates.
That doesn’t mean older iPhones will get all the bells and whistles of the new iOS, especially the revamped Siri, which finally brings more robust AI-enabled features to Apple’s virtual assistant.
Apple said that to access those improvements, customers will need an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, or an iPhone 16 or later. And to take advantage of the most advanced Apple Intelligence features, including a new Siri voice experience, an iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, or later models will be required.
