iOS 18 eligibility revealed with stable release

iOS 18's status has just updated from release candidate to fully official stable update. As such, its update screen should have appeared on all eligible iPhones worldwide.

On that note, the oldest iPhones to support iOS 18 will be the iPhone XS Max, XS and XR from 2018, meaning that the X - the model that introduced the current flat screen design and that may have inspired the camera hump update in the new 16 and 16 Plus - has been cut off from the latest version of its software for the first time.

On the other hand, the second-gen iPhone SE (or SE 2020, now starting at just $123 on Amazon in Renewed condition) is capable of installing the update, as are the iPhone 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 lines. However, it would not be equal to iOS 18's new Apple Intelligence features even if their roll-out were not in fact postponed until October 2024.

In the meantime, iOS 18 users can distract themselves with its non-AI updates, which include the new homescreen widget and app-tinting features; smart categorization in the Mail and Photos app; expanded formatting and text effects in Messages; and the new, theoretically repair-friendly Parts & Service History section of the General > About menu.