We're still using iOS 18 on older devices, including iPhone SE models, and are holding off on updating an iPhone 14 Pro and an iPhone SE (3rd generation) to iOS 27. Will Apple release any more iOS 18 updates for devices that haven't moved to newer versions, or is iOS 18 effectively finished for these models?
3 Answers
iOS 18 is the final, or sunset, version for the XR and XS generation, so Apple may continue signing security updates for those models for a while. It generally won’t be offered to an iPhone 14, since that phone is supported by the newer iOS releases.
The most recent release mentioned was iOS 18.7.10 in August, apparently limited to the iPhone XS and XR. Another update is possible if a serious security issue is discovered, but there’s no guarantee of a regular release.
iOS 18 is effectively at the end of its support cycle. The remaining supported devices are generally the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, which may still receive occasional security fixes. Newer models such as the iPhone 14 are expected to use the newer iOS versions instead.
That’s disappointing, but it makes sense if the newer phones are expected to move to the latest iOS version.