Apple Limits New Siri AI Features to Newer Devices With iOS 27

Apple’s next generation of Siri AI is set to bring more advanced capabilities to newer hardware, while older devices will not receive the full experience under iOS 27.

Apple is taking a hardware-specific approach to its latest Siri artificial intelligence features with iOS 27, limiting the most advanced capabilities to devices with newer processors and Apple silicon.

The move means that owning an iPhone, iPad or Mac capable of running iOS 27 or its corresponding operating-system updates will not necessarily guarantee access to every new Siri AI feature. Apple is tying some of the more demanding capabilities to the processing power available on newer hardware.

According to the device requirements provided for the rollout, the broader Siri AI experience will support the iPhone 15 Pro and newer iPhone models, iPads powered by Apple’s M1 chip or later, and Macs using Apple silicon. Supported Apple Watch models and all Vision Pro models are also included in the compatibility list.

Which Apple devices support the new Siri AI?

Apple’s updated Siri AI features are designed to run on a relatively recent generation of hardware.

The reported compatibility list includes:

Device category	Reported support
iPhone	iPhone 15 Pro and newer
iPad	M1 iPad and later
Mac	Apple silicon Macs
Apple Watch	Selected supported models
Vision Pro	All models

This approach reflects the increasing computing requirements of generative AI and other on-device intelligence features. Newer processors can handle more complex workloads while maintaining the performance and battery-efficiency targets Apple sets for its devices.

Some Siri AI features require even newer hardware

Not all Siri AI capabilities will be available across the entire supported device range.

According to the supplied rollout information, features such as voice customisation and faster AI performance require more recent hardware, including the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro or newer, M4 iPads, M3 Macs and Vision Pro with the M5 chip.

That creates multiple levels of Siri AI support rather than a single experience across Apple’s product lineup.

For users with an eligible iPhone 15 Pro or M1 iPad, the basic AI-powered Siri experience may be available, while some performance-focused or customisation features will remain exclusive to newer devices.

Why Apple is separating Siri AI by hardware

AI-powered assistants require substantially more processing resources than traditional voice-assistant functions.

Siri’s conventional features can rely on relatively modest computing workloads, while newer AI capabilities can involve larger models, more complex contextual processing and greater demands on memory and system performance.

Apple has increasingly emphasised on-device processing as part of its approach to privacy and performance. As a result, the hardware inside each device can directly affect whether a particular AI feature can run locally and at an acceptable speed.

The hardware restrictions also give Apple a way to introduce more advanced AI capabilities without attempting to support identical functionality on every compatible device.

Siri AI availability will vary by region

The rollout is also expected to differ by market.

The supplied information says the initial launch excludes the European Union and China, meaning users in those regions may not receive the new Siri AI capabilities at the same time as users elsewhere.

Regional restrictions are not unusual for major technology releases. Regulatory requirements, privacy rules, platform policies and differences in local services can influence when AI features become available.

For users outside the initially supported markets, Apple’s release schedule and subsequent regulatory approvals will determine when the new Siri experience arrives.

English comes first, with more languages planned

Language support will also be limited during the initial rollout.

The first release is expected to focus on English, while additional languages are planned for October.

For a global company such as Apple, expanding an AI assistant to new languages can require substantial testing. Siri needs to handle differences in vocabulary, pronunciation, context and regional usage while maintaining consistent responses and safety standards.

The phased language rollout therefore means that some users may have compatible hardware but still need to wait for support in their preferred language.

What iOS 27 means for older Apple devices

The new Siri strategy highlights an increasingly important issue for Apple customers: software compatibility and feature compatibility are no longer necessarily the same thing.

An older device may receive an operating-system update and continue to receive security fixes while still missing some of the newest AI-powered functions.

This pattern is becoming more common across the technology industry as artificial intelligence features depend increasingly on dedicated or high-performance computing resources.

For consumers considering an upgrade, the key question is therefore not only whether a device can install iOS 27 or another current Apple operating system, but also which AI functions that hardware can actually run.

Apple’s Siri strategy reflects the wider AI hardware race

Apple’s decision to divide Siri AI availability by hardware comes at a time when smartphone and computer manufacturers are increasingly promoting on-device artificial intelligence as a major product feature.

The shift gives processors a more visible role in everyday software. Features that once depended primarily on the operating system can now be constrained by the neural-processing and memory capabilities of a particular generation of hardware.

That could make AI support an increasingly important factor when consumers compare new Apple devices.

For existing users, however, the result is more complicated. A device can remain fully functional and supported while still being unable to access the company’s newest AI capabilities.

What users should know before upgrading

The iOS 27 Siri rollout suggests that Apple is treating AI capabilities as a combination of software, hardware and regional availability.

Users should therefore check three things before expecting the full Siri AI experience: whether their device meets Apple’s hardware requirements, whether the specific feature is supported on that model and whether the feature has launched in their country and language.

As Apple expands Siri AI to additional markets and languages, the list of supported devices and capabilities may also evolve.

The biggest change with iOS 27 is that Siri’s future will depend not just on Apple’s software update, but on the hardware underneath it.

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