Update your old iPhone and enjoy up to 80% faster performance for free, Apple promises

iPhone pictured with the new default background for iOS 27

With its latest version of iOS, Apple has promised a swathe of improvements under the bonnet to bolster performance on its oldest devices

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APPLE PRESS OFFICE

Aaron Brown

By Aaron Brown, 


Published: 08/06/2026

- 21:26

Updated: 08/06/2026

- 22:16
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Apple is making some big claims about performance

  • Apple has overhauled the underlying code in its software
  • This should result in bolstered performance on existing devices
  • Apple says your apps should open 30% faster after the update
  • Sending photos and videos via AirDrop can be up to 80% speedier
  • iOS 27 is available for developers to road-test today
  • If your iPhone is compatible with iOS 26, it will support iOS 27
  • Apple typically releases iOS 27 worldwide in September

Apple is promising to dramatically boost the performance of the iPhone that's already in your pocket.

While you'd typically expect the latest software updates to bring a swathe of demanding new features and design elements that cause older devices to break into a cold sweat, the Californian company has taken the opposite approach with its latest operating systems. Apple has revealed that "nothing was off-limits" when rewriting large swathes of the underlying code that powers the roughly 2.5 billion devices worldwide running its software.

Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, appears on-stage at WWDC 2026

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GETTY IMAGES

This industrial spring-cleaning has bolstered performance. Apps will launch up to 30% faster than on the same iPhone running iOS 26, which was released in September last year, Apple claims.

It's ditched the pause after hitting the shutter button in the Camera app before that new photo appears in your Photos app. According to Apple, new snaps appear up to 70% faster in iOS 27. Want to send one of those new photos to a friend? AirDrop will transfer up to 80% faster than on iOS 26.

These speed gains aren't just felt in iOS, but across the lineup of Apple devices. For example, iPad owners can expect 5x faster file transfers when running iPadOS 27, the Californian company claims.

Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, said the best operating systems are "built on sweating the details". And that's exactly what the teams at Apple HQ have spent the last year doing.

iOS 27 will be available as a free update for any iPhone that's capable of running iOS 26. In other words, if you're running the most up-to-date version of the operating system today, you're guaranteed another year of free updates from Apple.

iPhone 11, which first launched over seven years ago, is the oldest device that'll be able to update to iOS 27. Engineers at Apple specifically tailored iOS 27 for older devices, bringing a range of performance improvements to the CPU Scheduler that were previously exclusive to newer hardware.

Apple will release beta versions of its new operating systems for developers. This allows enough time for teams to test some of the new features, provide feedback to Apple, and make sure everything works as expected.

If everything goes to plan, Apple will release its new software upgraded to billions of devices in September. Here is the complete list of iPhone models that can be updated to iOS 27.

  • iPhone 17e
  • iPhone 17
  • iPhone Air
  • iPhone 17 Pro
  • iPhone 17 Pro Max
  • iPhone 16e
  • iPhone 16
  • iPhone 16 Plus
  • iPhone 16 Pro
  • iPhone 16 Pro Max
  • iPhone 15
  • iPhone 15 Plus
  • iPhone 15 Pro
  • iPhone 15 Pro Max
  • iPhone 14
  • iPhone 14 Plus
  • iPhone 14 Pro
  • iPhone 14 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13 Pro
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13
  • iPhone 13 mini
  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 12 mini
  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • iPhone 11
  • iPhone 11 Pro
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max
  • iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)



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