Apple introduced a ton of recent options and modifications throughout its merchandise through the firm’s huge WWDC 2025 occasion. iOS 26, particularly, is chock filled with updates, with an extended listing of iPhones that help the latest replace. Nonetheless, a few of these new options will solely run on newer iPhones. Even when your iPhone can replace to iOS 26, you is perhaps lacking out on the total expertise.
A lot of the options on this listing are powered by Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of generative AI options. Because it occurs, Apple Intelligence requires an iPhone 15 Professional or newer to work. That features, in fact, iPhone 15 Professional Max, but additionally iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Professional, and 16 Professional Max. If you do not have a kind of six telephones, you may’t use any Apple Intelligence options—each the prevailing ones launched all through the iOS 18 period, in addition to any of the brand new options in iOS 26. It is a bit complicated, since there are plenty of iPhones that may run iOS 26 that aren’t these iPhones—principally iPhone 11 and newer—however that is the best way Apple desires it, sadly.
This is what you are lacking out on if you do not have a more recent iPhone:
Reside Translation
Apple’s Reside Translation options for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe appear nice. Reside Translation makes use of AI to translate each textual content and audio in actual time throughout varied apps and providers. So, you may see translations seem subsequent to messages despatched in a language you may’t learn, or hear translations when on a name with somebody who speaks a language you do not perceive.
Visible Intelligence
Visible Intelligence itself is not new this 12 months. The Apple Intelligence characteristic debuted with iOS 18.2, and lets Apple’s AI analyze something in your digicam feed. The characteristic began as an iPhone 16 unique, however Apple did deliver it to 15 Professional and 15 Professional Max fashions as effectively.
With iOS 26, Visible Intelligence is now capable of analyze the contents of your iPhone’s display screen as effectively, by way of screenshots. Along with pointing your digicam at one thing for Visible Intelligence to investigate, you may take a screenshot, and the AI will be capable of course of its contents.
Lens cleansing alert
It is all the time a bummer while you spend the day taking pictures in your cellphone, solely to note while you’re dwelling that these pictures got here out smudgy—all as a result of your digicam was soiled.
iOS 26 has a (presumably AI-powered) characteristic to repair that. Apple did not announce this one, however beta testers found that when the digicam is soiled, the new Digicam app now warns you to wash the lens earlier than taking a photograph.
Genmoji and Picture Playground
Genmoji and Picture Playground are getting updates with iOS 26—the AI options rolled out final 12 months, permitting you to generate emojis and pictures with text-based prompts.
This 12 months, Apple is including the flexibility to combine collectively completely different Genmoji and emoji to create model new icons, which introduces an Emoji Kitchen-like characteristic to the iPhone. As well as, Picture Playground now enables you to add ChatGPT kinds, like anime, oil portray, and watercolor, to your generations.
AI-integrated Shortcuts
Shortcuts has been out there on all iPhones since iOS 12, however with iOS 26, Apple is integrating AI options to the automation software. These shortcuts will allow you to summarize textual content, generate photos, or make the most of Apple Intelligence fashions to energy your shortcuts.
What do you suppose thus far?
In case your iPhone cannot entry AI instruments in any respect, you most likely will not really feel the absence of those upgrades a lot anyway.
Messages options
Messages is getting some helpful new options this 12 months. Two key options are polls and backgrounds: You can make polls in your family and friends to reply, and select from a set number of backgrounds in your chats. Different chat apps have had these options for years, in fact, nevertheless it’s cool they’re lastly within the Messages app—and each are suitable with all iPhones working iOS 26.
That mentioned, every characteristic has AI integrations that can solely work on iPhone 15 Professional and newer. First, polls: Along with selecting your individual ballot questions, newer iPhone house owners will even see AI-generated ballot strategies. (I am not totally positive why you’d need this, nevertheless it’s there.) In my view, Backgrounds’ AI characteristic is extra helpful, since you should utilize Apple Intelligence to generate a background in your chats. I would want to decide on my very own picture to set as a background, however this a minimum of opens up the background potentialities.
Reminders
In case you have considered one of these iPhones suitable with Apple Intelligence, you will discover iOS 26 suggests new reminders primarily based on the contents of your messages and emails. When you’re chatting together with your roommate about needing to purchase extra espresso, for instance, you may see a instructed reminder so as to add it to your grocery listing.
Plus, iOS 26 will categorize process lists for you utilizing Apple Intelligence. There is a new “Auto-Categorize” setting, full with an Apple Intelligence emblem, if you wish to outsource that process to Apple’s AI.
Apple Pockets
On iPhone 15 Professional and newer, iOS 26 will use AI to routinely pull information out of your emails to point out you recent order monitoring in Pockets. The app already has non-AI help for order monitoring, nevertheless it’s not significantly utilized by shops and retailers.
Lock Display screen
iOS 26 has precisely one non-AI characteristic that is not supported on all suitable gadgets: The Lock Display screen has a brand new 3D impact that routinely adjusts the scale and place of the time relying on the the picture you select, prioritizing the topic of the picture. It is neat, and solely works on iPhone 12 or newer. In case you have an iPhone 11, you are out of luck.
