A credible Apple leaker on Weibo claims iOS 27 will drop the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, and the 2nd generation iPhone SE entirely. If the claim holds when Apple confirms the list at WWDC on June 8, millions of people will be staying on iOS 26 permanently, whether they know it yet or not.
TL;DR: Instant Digital, a Weibo leaker with a reasonable track record on Apple compatibility lists, posted that iOS 27 will require at minimum an iPhone 12 or iPhone SE 3rd generation. The four models cut off share the A13 Bionic chip and between 3GB and 4GB of RAM. Apple confirms the official list at WWDC on June 8. Affected devices will still receive security updates for at least one to two years but will not receive new iOS features after iOS 26.
Who is making this claim and why it is credible
Instant Digital, the Weibo-based leaker behind the claim, has a track record that makes this worth treating seriously. Past accurate calls include the yellow iPhone 14 color and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Titanium Milanese Loop.
These are not flashy predictions. They are the kind of quiet, supply chain-adjacent details that come from someone with real proximity to Apple’s production pipeline.
The claim itself is technically coherent. The iPhone 11 series runs on the A13 Bionic, released in 2019. The iPhone SE 2nd generation uses the same chip. Apple dropped the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR from iOS 26 last year.
Those were 2018 models. The A13-based devices from 2019 following the same pattern one cycle later is not a surprise.
| Device | Chip | iOS 27 support (per leak) | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 11 | A13 Bionic | No | Stay on iOS 26 or upgrade before September |
| iPhone 11 Pro | A13 Bionic | No | Stay on iOS 26 or upgrade before September |
| iPhone 11 Pro Max | A13 Bionic | No | Stay on iOS 26 or upgrade before September |
| iPhone SE 2nd gen | A13 Bionic | No | Stay on iOS 26 or upgrade before September |
| iPhone 12 | A14 Bionic | Yes | No action needed |
| iPhone SE 3rd gen | A15 Bionic | Yes | No action needed |
What being dropped from iOS actually means
Being cut from an iOS update is not the same as the phone stopping working. The iPhone 11 will still make calls, run apps, and do everything it does today after iOS 27 releases in September. The difference is what you lose going forward.
Security updates are the critical piece. Apple typically provides security patches for devices on the previous iOS version for one to two years after a new major release.
So iPhone 11 owners on iOS 26 should expect security coverage through roughly 2027 or 2028. The phone does not become a liability the day iOS 27 ships.
What does change is access to new features. Apple Intelligence in iOS 27, the redesigned Siri app, the new Extensions system for third-party AI, the Visual Intelligence upgrades, none of those will come to iOS 26.
If you are holding an iPhone 11 specifically because you are waiting for a compelling reason to upgrade, this is it.
The real upgrade question: what to buy
If you are on an iPhone 11 and the iOS 27 drop confirms your upgrade decision, the question is which phone to buy and when. Buying now before the iPhone 18 launch in September locks you into a current generation device.
Waiting gets you an iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max with the A20 chip, C2 modem, variable aperture camera, and 24MP front camera, but you pay full launch price.
The middle path is the iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max, which will drop significantly in price the moment the iPhone 18 launches. The Pro and Pro Max from 2025 are strong phones that run iOS 27 without any compromises.
They have the A18 Pro chip, 5x optical zoom, and full Apple Intelligence support. For most people coming off an iPhone 11, the iPhone 17 Pro bought in late September 2026 is the rational value choice.
The iPhone SE 4th generation, expected in early 2027, is the other option if budget is the priority. That device will run iOS 27, include Apple Intelligence basics, and cost significantly less than any Pro model. The trade-off is waiting six to nine months.
Wait for June 8 before you decide
Instant Digital is credible, but the official list comes at WWDC on June 8. Apple has surprised people before by extending support one extra year, usually when a device has the hardware to handle the new OS and there is no compelling reason to force a cutoff.
The A13 Bionic is seven years old in 2026. The engineering case for cutting it is real. But it is worth waiting eleven days before making a purchasing decision based on a Weibo post, even a reliable one.
