Siri AI and Apple Intelligence: Do you need to buy a new iPhone, iPad, or Mac?

Macworld

Apple’s WWDC26 keynote was focused on new AI-based features, including Siri AI and Apple Intelligence. The demonstrations during the keynote portray the new AI features as powerful ways for users to be more productive, efficient, and creative.

But in order to unleash all that power, you have to have a device that’s compatible. Because there is varying level of AI implementation here, the compatibility list seems as complicated as the tech created to run these features.

The compatibility list for each device breaks down to the following levels:

xOS 27 compatibility without Apple Intelligence and Siri AI
xOS 27 compatibility including Apple Intelligence and Siri AI
Devices that can run xOS 27 and Apple Intelligence/Siri AI with on-device AI models

The main difference with the on-device AI models is, according to Apple, “helpful features like expressive voices and higher-accuracy dictation.” Here’s a lowdown on the level of AI features Apple will offer in the xOS 27 updates this fall, and the devices that are compatible with them.

iPhone compatibility

Apple

Summary

If you want to be able to run everything–iOS 27, Apple Intelligence, and Apple Intelligence features that use on-device models–you need an iPhone 17 Pro or later, or an iPhone Air.
To be able to run iOS 27 and Apple Intelligence without the on-device model features, you need an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro, or an iPhone Air.
Any other iPhone as far back as the iPhone 11 will run iOS 27 without Apple Intelligence.

iOS 27 is compatible with:

iPhone SE (2nd generation)
iPhone 11 and later
iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max and later
iPhone 12 mini and later
iPhone 14 Plus and later
iPhone 16e and later
iPhone Air

However, Apple Intelligence and Siri AI are not compatible with all the iPhones on the above list. iOS 27 with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI requires:

iPhone 16 and later
iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max and later
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 16e and later
iPhone Air

Apple Intelligence compatibility goes a step further. During the keynote, Apple’s Craig Federighi said, “Our most powerful on-device model and the features it enables, like expressive voices and more advanced dictation, will be coming to our most capable iPhone, iPad, and Mac systems.” The list of iPhones that support on-device Apple Intelligence models is short:

iPhone 17 Pro and later
iPhone Air

iPad compatibility

Apple

Summary

iPadOS 27 without Apple Intelligence is compatible with several iPad models.
iPadOS 27 with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI requires an iPad Air or Pro with an M1 chip or later. It also works on the A17 Pro iPad mini.

iPadOS 27 is compatible with the following:

iPad Pro (M4 and later)
iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (4th generation and later)
iPad Pro 11‑inch (2nd generation and later)
iPad Air 13- and 11-inch (M2 and later)
iPad Air 11-inch (4th generation and later)
iPad (A16)
iPad (9th generation and later)
iPad mini (A17 Pro)
iPad mini (6th generation and later)

iPadOS 27 with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI works on a limited number of iPads. That includes the following:

iPad Pro (M1 and later)
iPad Air (M1 and later)
iPad mini (A17 Pro)

If you are interested in using iPadOS 27 and on-device Apple Intelligence models, you need an M4 iPad or later with at least 12GB of RAM. That includes:

iPad Pro (M4 or later)
iPad Air (M4 or later)

Mac compatibility

Apple

Summary

If you have a Mac with Apple silicon, you can run macOS 27, Apple Intelligence and Siri AI.
To run macOS 27, Apple Intelligence and Siri AI with on-device models, you need a Mac with an M3 chip or faster and 12GB of RAM.
Intel Macs are not compatible.

macOS 27, Apple Intelligence and Siri AI are compatible with:

MacBook Neo (2026)
MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
iMac with Apple silicon (2021 and later)
Mac mini with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
Mac Studio (2022 and later)
Mac Pro with Apple silicon (2023)

Apple will be implementing Apple Intelligence features that use on-device models, which require an M3 chip or faster and 12GB of RAM. These Macs support on-device Apple Intelligence models (12GB RAM required):

MacBook Air (2024 and later)
MacBook Pro (November 2023 and later)
iMac (2023 and later)
Mac mini (2024 and later)
Mac Studio (2025 and later)

Apple Watch compatibility

Apple

First, watchOS 27 with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI requires an iPhone that is compatible with iOS 27 with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI (see “iPhone compatibility” section above). Once that requirement is met, the following Apple Watches are supported: