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iOS 14 & iPadOS 14: the rumored list of compatible iPhones and iPads

By Joshua Swingle

Updated: Jul 06, 2021, 9:15 AM

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iOS 14 & iPadOS 14: the rumored list of compatible iPhones and iPads

Unlike manufacturers of rival Android devices, Apple tends to provide at least four years of software updates for iPhone and iPad models. Quite often, however, support is extended beyond this timeline and a new rumor suggests iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 will continue that tradition.

Every iPhone with iOS 13 will support iOS 14

French site iPhonesoft has obtained some early information from an allegedly reliable source which indicates Apple is planning to support devices released as far back as 2015 with iOS 14. In fact, every iPhone that was compatible with iOS 13 will reportedly support iOS 14 as well.

iPhone 13 release date, price, features, and specs

iPhonesoft has a pretty decent track record when it comes to predicting iOS version support, although it’s not perfect. Last year, for example, it revealed that both the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 were being dropped with iOS 13, but erroneously claimed support for the iPhone SE wasn’t planned.

If today’s information is accurate, though, that means the full list of devices compatible with iOS 14 will look as follows:

iPhone 11 Pro Max – Launched September 2019
iPhone 11 Pro – Launched September 2019
iPhone 11 – Launched September 2019
iPhone XR – Launched October 2018
iPhone XS Max – Launched September 2018
iPhone XS – Launched September 2018
iPhone X – Launched November 2017
iPhone 8 Plus – Launched September 2017
iPhone 8 – Launched September 2017
iPhone 7 Plus – Launched September 2016
iPhone 7 – Launched September 2016
iPhone SE – Launched March 2016
iPhone 6s Plus – Launched September 2015
iPhone 6s – Launched September 2015
iPod Touch (7th generation) – Launched May 2019

Support for both the iPhone 6s and iPhone SE is perhaps the biggest surprise considering their age, but iPhonesoft does warn that there’s still plenty of time for support to be dropped before iOS 14’s announcement at WWDC in June if Apple encounters any major issues as development enters the final stages.

One thing that’s certain, however, is that the company’s 2020 iPhones will support the software. That means the iPhone 9, which is scheduled to debut in late March, is going to be upgradable to iOS 14 in September.

The iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Plus, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max, on the other hand, should ship with the upcoming software straight out of the box.

Only two iPad models will drop support for iPadOS 14

As for the slightly less extensive iPad lineup, it appears Apple is preparing to drop support for the iPad Mini 4, which launched back in September 2015 with the iPhone 6’s Apple A8 chipset inside, and the larger iPad Air 2, which debuted in October 2014 with the more powerful Apple A8X.

The list of iPads that will support iPadOS 14 should, therefore, look as follows:

12.9-inch & 11-inch iPad Pro – Launched October 2018
12.9-inch & 10.5-inch iPad Pro – Launched June 2017
12.9-inch & 9.7-inch iPad Pro – Launched September 2015 & March 2016, respectively
iPad (7th generation) – Launched September 2019
iPad (6th generation) – Launched March 2018
iPad (5th generation) – Launched March 2017
iPad mini (5th generation) – Launched March 2019
iPad Air (3rd generation) – Launched March 2019

Of course, Apple is also expected to introduce iPadOS 14 support for its upcoming iPad Pro refresh, which is on track to arrive in late March alongside the iPhone 9.

Rumor has it the company is also preparing a premium 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 5G network support and a mini-LED display. This is expected to debut in either September or October, which means it’ll probably ship with the new software pre-installed.