Another year another new version of iOS is upon us. iOS 16 has been revealed to the world and if you're an iPhone owner then you probably want to know when you can get it. The first question to ask though is if you can get it?

Apple is extremely good at prolonging the life of its smartphones through new software updates but nothing lasts forever. In the case of iOS 16, we're getting pretty decent support, with phones dating back to 2017 eligible for the new update. The cutoff for this year's release appears to be the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Here's the full list of iOS 16 supported iPhones:

  • iPhone 13
  • iPhone 13 mini
  • iPhone 13 Pro
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max
  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 12 mini
  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • iPhone 11
  • iPhone 11 Pro
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max
  • iPhone XS
  • iPhone XS Max
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone X
  • iPhone 8
  • iPhone 8 Plus
  • iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)

Despite fairly wide coverage, not all features in iOS 16 will be supported by every phone on this list. The new on-device dictation feature, for example, requires an Apple A12 Bionic device as its minimum requirement. So for this, you'll need an iPhone XR and XS and above. Live Text is another that will require the A12 Bionic so everyone below won't get to use it. Sometimes you just need the hardware.

As iOS gets more advanced, though, we can expect this to continue. Realistically you need an iPhone XS, XR, or XS Max and above to get the fullest experience from iOS 16. Lots of other features in iOS 16 are available to all, such as the all-new lock screen, SharePlay via Messages, Wallet improvements, and redesigned core apps such as Home.

iOS 16 is expected to launch later this year but will be preceded by developer and public betas. The first developer beta is available to download now, while the first public beta is expected in July.