Apple is known to support its older iPhones and iPads for a long period of time. With iOS 12, the company is supporting the iPhone 5s which it had first released in 2013.
However, just because the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and higher are getting the iOS 12 update, it does not mean they will get access to all the new features that Apple is going to debut with the latest release of the OS. Due to hardware limitations, Apple will not be bringing certain iOS 12 features to its older devices and keep them exclusive to the iPhone XS series.
iPhones Supported in iOS 12
Before we talk further about what iOS features are not making their way to older devices, it is important to go through the list of devices compatible with the devices:
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 5s
The most impressive part about iOS 12 is that it is compatible with all the devices which are currently running iOS 11. Even better, the major improvement that the OS brings to the table — performance improvements — is available for all older iPhones and iPads as well.
iOS 12 Features Not Coming to Older iPhones
#1. Depth Control
This new iOS 12 feature is going to be exclusive to Apple’s iPhone XS lineup. On these new iPhones, users can control the depth effect of a portrait photo after taking a shot. This is something that is not possible on older iPhones like the iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus due to the lack of the A12 Bionic chip.
#2. Siri Suggestions for Shortcuts
While the Siri Shortcuts app is going to be available for all iPhones and iPads running iOS 12, certain features of the app won’t make it to the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus. More specifically, the AI-based Siri Suggestions for the Shortcuts app will not be available for these devices. This means that the Shortcuts app won’t be able to automatically suggest Shortcuts for you depending on your use.
#3. Memoji
Due to the lack of the required hardware, Memoji in iOS 12 is not going to be available for all iPhones starting from the iPhone 5s. The only exception here is the iPhone X which features a TrueDepth camera at the front for Memoji.
#4. Camera Effects
Taking a cue from Instagram and Snapchat, Apple has added filters, stickers, and text effects to the camera app in Messages and FaceTime. This will allow users to add effects to their photos before sharing it with their friends or family. This feature, however, is only going to be available on the iPhone 6s and higher, the 6th gen. iPad, and the 2nd generation 10.5-inch and 12.0-inch iPad Pro.
This time around, Apple has managed to bring most of the new features in iOS 12 to all its older iPhones as well. Remember that any iOS 11 feature which did not make it to older iPhones will continue to be unavailable for them. This includes features like Portrait Lighting, Navigation Gestures, Animoji, and Apple Pay Cash.
