As Apple approaches the unveiling of its next operating system, iOS 27, speculation has emerged that older devices including the iPhone 11 series will be excluded in large numbers from support.

On April 20, IT media outlet NineToFiveMac, citing IT source Instant Digital, reported a list of models officially supported by iOS 27.

The list showed four models that currently support iOS 26 are missing from the next update: iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 and iPhone SE second generation. If the leaked information is confirmed as true, iOS 27's minimum requirements would be raised to the iPhone 12 series and iPhone SE third generation or later. Users of older devices would no longer be able to use major feature updates going forward, except for security patches.

This move is seen as stemming from hardware performance limits amid increasingly demanding software requirements. If the support cutoff becomes reality, it would mark a second straight year of generational turnover following the exclusion of the iPhone XS series during last year's iOS 26 update. Industry experts analysed that as artificial intelligence-based features become central to the operating system, inadequate processing power of older chipsets has become a decisive factor accelerating the end of support.

In fact, key new features in iOS 27 are understood to be designed on the premise of tight integration with Apple Intelligence. Still, those features are expected to run only on the latest models, starting with the iPhone 15 Pro, suggesting gaps in usable features even among models capable of installing the OS.

As a result, users of standard iPhone models from the iPhone 12 through the iPhone 15 may be able to upgrade the operating system but are likely to be excluded from core Apple Intelligence features. This approach, applying service scope differently depending on device specifications even within the same OS version, has become a common strategy Apple has recently adopted across its ecosystem.

Major changes are also expected in design. The next version is set to introduce Liquid Glass, a new design language that evolves from the existing flat design to offer a three-dimensional visual experience, and Siri is also slated to be revamped with a more advanced conversational interface.

Apple's shrinking list of supported devices and feature differentiation policy could ultimately act as a strong signal pushing users to replace hardware. In particular, as AI performance becomes a new yardstick determining a device's lifespan, demand for upgrades to fully enjoy all features, beyond simply maintaining the operating system, is expected to rise more steeply than ever.

Apple plans to use a keynote speech at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 8 to release iOS 27's detailed specifications and the official list of supported devices, and to share its next-generation vision with users worldwide.