Apple即将推出的iOS 27更新预计于2026年发布，旨在提高旧款装置（可追溯至2019年的iPhone 11）的性能和响应速度。测试显示，iPhone 11 Pro Max上的应用程式启动速度将提升高达30%，iPhone 16 Plus上的AirDrop传输速度将提升高达80%，而在iPhone 15上拍摄照片后，照片库的载入速度将提升高达70%。这些改进还包括更快的PDF储存和网路切换，这主要得益于CPU排程器的优化，将先进的演算法引入旧款机型。
根据研究机构IDC的副总裁 Francisco Jeronimo 的说法，支援旧款装置是iOS与Android之间的一大重要区别。虽然Android装置通常在两到三年后就会失去升级支援和转售价值，但iOS用户能从Apple通常提供六到七年的支援中受益，从而保留其装置的价值。这种长期支援模式鼓励消费者购买Apple Watch和AirPods等互补的Apple产品，并提高了Apple服务的订阅率，该服务在2026年4月达到了创纪录的310亿美元（$31 billion）营收。
然而，一个主要的限制是旧款iPhone将无法支援iOS 27中的关键新功能。所有的Apple Intelligence功能，包括全新的Siri AI体验，仅适用于iPhone 15 Pro或更新的机型。因此，寻求先进AI功能或增强型语音助手功能的用户最终将需要升级其硬体，尽管他们的旧装置将继续获得基础的性能提升。
Apple's upcoming iOS 27 update, set for release in 2026, aims to improve the performance and responsiveness of older devices dating back to the 2019 iPhone 11. Testing indicates that app launches will be up to 30 percent faster on the iPhone 11 Pro Max, AirDrop transfers up to 80 percent faster on the iPhone 16 Plus, and photo library loading speeds up to 70 percent faster on the iPhone 15 after capturing a photo. These enhancements, which also include faster PDF saving and network switching, are largely driven by optimizing the CPU scheduler to bring advanced algorithms down to older models.
According to Francisco Jeronimo, vice president at research firm IDC, supporting older devices is a significant differentiator between iOS and Android. While Android devices often lose upgrade support and resale value after two to three years, iOS users benefit from Apple's typical six to seven years of support, preserving their device's value. This long-term support model encourages consumers to purchase complementary Apple products like Apple Watch and AirPods, and increases subscription rates for Apple's services, which reached a record revenue of $31 billion in April 2026.
However, a major caveat is that older iPhones will not support key new features in iOS 27. The Apple Intelligence capabilities, including the redesigned Siri AI experience, are restricted to the iPhone 15 Pro and newer models. Consequently, users seeking advanced AI features or enhanced voice assistant capabilities will ultimately need to upgrade their hardware, even though their older devices will continue to receive baseline performance improvements.