Apple may be about to cut millions of iPhone users off from iOS 27.
According to Apple leaker Momentary Digital, Apple is expected to drop the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, and iPhone SE (2020) from its iOS 27 support list. If that happens, those devices would remain usable on iOS 26 but miss whatever new features Apple unveils at WWDC 2026, including updates that may depend on newer hardware.
With Apple set to reveal iOS 27 in June, the question is no longer just what’s coming… but who may be left behind.
Details from the cutoff
If this rumor is true, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. In September 2025, Apple added the iPhone 11 Pro Max to its Vintage list, followed months later by the iPhone 11 Pro. Both iPhone models are unique because they were the first iPhones to feature the famous three-camera system, which is still widely used in the iPhone Pro and Pro Max models.
The addition of these two models to its Vintage list signaled an impending end of Apple’s grace period, despite both models receiving the iOS 26 update.
Now, a recent report from Momentary Digital on the Chinese social platform Weibo claims that all iPhones supporting iOS 26 will get iOS 27, except for iPhone 11, 11 Pro, Pro Max, and iPhone SE (2020).
As per this 2025 report from Affinco, the iPhone 11 base model held a global market share of 5.01%. Combined with its other models, including the iPhone SE (2020), that number could, even in 2026, run into millions of active users. That means that if by the launch of iOS 27, this rumor is true, these users will either have to upgrade or continue using a phone stuck at iOS 26.
What’s up with iOS 27
From June 8-12, Apple will hold WWDC 2026, where iOS 27, along with other upgrades, will likely be announced. Until then, users of the four models mentioned can still get follow-up updates in iOS 26, with hopes that Apple skips their models.
However, that seems highly unlikely.
The iPhone 11 models, for instance, will be seven years old this year, while the second-generation iPhone SE, released in 2020, will be six years old. Based on Apple’s timelines, it looks like a perfect time to fully retire these devices.
A similar report from MacRumors notes that any Apple Intelligence feature introduced with iOS 27 will only work on the iPhone 15 Pro or later models. Although this will exclude some iOS 26-eligible models from getting every feature from the upgrade, it is not new to Apple users.
Bottom line
If you use any of the four devices, now is a good time to upgrade.
You can still choose to wait for the final confirmation in June. For many Apple users, June will also be a confirmation period, as iOS 27 has seen a lot of news. From foldable iPhones to a Siri revamp and a quiet focus on stability and performance, we expect to see some of Apple’s newest, coolest features in June and September, when its new hardware launches.
On a final note, most Apple devices receive between six and seven years of OS support. This means that by next year, a new set of Apple products will reach the end of their lifecycle. That, however, doesn’t guarantee Apple will cut software updates next year.
Also read: If Tim Cook eventually steps down, Apple hardware chief John Ternus is emerging as one of the clearest internal candidates to take over.
