These are all the devices compatible with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18

Apple's new iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates are mostly good news for users of older Apple devices—with the exception of a handful of iPads, the new updates will run on most of the same hardware that can run iOS 17 and iPadOS 17.

For iPhones, that will cover everything from the iPhone XR/XS and newer, including the 2nd-gen iPhone SE; the 7th-gen iPad and newer; the 3rd-gen iPad Air and newer; the 5th-gen iPad mini and newer; all 11-inch iPad Pros; and the 3rd-gen 12.9-inch iPad Pro and later. Here are the full support lists:

The iPad drops support for most models with an Apple A10 or A10X processor, including the sixth-generation iPad, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and the second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

It's a bit odd that the 7th-gen iPad makes the cutoff while the 6th-gen model and both of those iPad Pro models do not, given that all are powered by either the Apple A10 or A10X processor. The iPad Pros also include 4GB of RAM, where the 7th-gen iPad only has 3GB. Apple's cutoffs for software support are occasionally based on the age of the product instead of the product's specs; all of the dropped iPads came out in 2017 or early 2018, which the 7th-gen iPad was introduced in 2019. Still, it's too bad that hardware that is clearly capable of running the OS isn't officially supported.

While this support list is fairly generous, Apple's headlining "Apple Intelligence" AI features will be restricted to newer devices on the list. The situation is worst for the iPhone, which only supports Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 15 Pro and its A17 Pro chip—the regular iPhone 15 isn't getting these features, and older phones will miss out on them as well. On the iPad, you'll need an iPad Air or Pro with an M1 chip or newer.

Aside from Apple Intelligence, the company lists a few other features that require a newer device to work. The Smart Script handwriting enhancement feature requires an iPad with Apple M-series chip or an A14, cutting out a handful of older models with A10, A12, and A13-series chips. On the iOS side, live audio transcription, the Eye Tracking accessibility feature, and the Vocal Shortcuts accessibility feature require an iPhone 12 or newer.

This story was updated on July 11, 2024; it initially stated that iPadOS 18 only dropped support for the 6th-gen iPad. It also drops support for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro.