Apple confirmed iOS 27 at WWDC today, and it is bigger than expected. Every iPhone running iOS 26 is getting the update, including the iPhone 11 series that many expected to be dropped. But not every iPhone is getting the same experience. The difference between what you get and what you miss out on has a real impact on what your phone is worth, according to new data.
Read on for more and don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for instant deal updates.
Apple Surprises iPhone 11 Owners With Extended iOS 27 Support
Good news if you own an older iPhone. Apple confirmed at WWDC today that iOS 27 will support every iPhone that currently runs iOS 26, including the iPhone 11 series. My colleague David Phelan covered the announcement in detail here.
The pre-WWDC leaked compatibility list that claimed the iPhone 11 series would be dropped was wrong. The confirmed iOS 27 compatible iPhone list now runs from the iPhone SE 2nd generation and iPhone 11 all the way through to the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air.
With that said, the two-tier AI reality is now officially confirmed by Apple. Siri AI and Apple Intelligence require an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 or 17 model.
Everyone else gets iOS 27 and its performance improvements, which includes apps launching up to 30% faster, AirDrop transfer is 80% faster, iCloud shared albums compatibility with Android and better overall performance for older phones. But, of course, not the new Siri.
There is some bad news for U.K. iPhone owners, though. Despite owning a supported device, iPhone and iPad users in the U.K. and EU will not get Siri AI at iOS 27 launch. Apple has confirmed the feature is delayed in the EU and U.K. due to DMA regulatory requirements. Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro users in the EU and UK are unaffected and will get Siri AI at launch.
Apple Intelligence Is The Real Dividing Line In iOS 27
The more interesting story is what happens to the millions of iPhones that will receive iOS 27 but still miss out on Apple’s most significant features.
iOS 27 introduces a completely rebuilt Siri, now available as a standalone app with a chat interface similar to ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
A new Search or Ask feature, revealed in leaked renders from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, lets users search across their device and the web simultaneously, compose messages, add calendar events, and get AI-powered answers. The new Siri integrates Google’s Gemini AI technology under the hood, and Apple is positioning it as a direct rival to standalone chatbot apps.
The catch is that all of this requires an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, specifically an A17 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM. That means the base iPhone 15, the iPhone 14 Pro, and everything older won’t get the new Siri regardless of whether they can install iOS 27 itself. iPhone 12 through iPhone 15 standard will receive iOS 27 and its performance improvements, but not all of the AI features.
The result is a clear two-tier iPhone experience from September. iPhone 15 Pro and newer get the full package. Everyone else gets a significant but partial update, and that will hit how much those phones are worth.
iOS 27: What Your iPhone Is Currently Worth And Why That Matters
Even with iOS 27 confirmed for older iPhones, it is worth knowing what your device is currently worth if you are considering an upgrade. SellCell, a price comparison site, shared with me the latest resale values for older iPhone models as of June 5th, 2026:
- iPhone SE (2nd gen, 64GB): $39, having lost 90.2% of its $399 launch price
- iPhone 11 (64GB): $88, having lost 87.4% of its $699 launch price
- iPhone 11 Pro (64GB): $122, having lost 87.8% of its $999 launch price
- iPhone 11 Pro Max (64GB): $172, having lost 84.3% of its $1,099 launch price
Flipsy, which aggregates cash offers from online and local buyers, found similar values for the same devices. The iPhone 11 Pro Max comes in at $145, the iPhone 11 Pro at $120, the iPhone 11 at $89 and the iPhone SE 2nd generation at $34.
These phones have already lost most of their value regardless of iOS 27 support. As SellCell notes: “Historically, devices that lose software support face additional resale pressure because buyers know their remaining lifespan is becoming more limited. However, the iPhone 11 lineup and iPhone SE (2020) have already lost between 84% and 90% of their original value, meaning much of that depreciation has already occurred.”
The iOS 27 confirmation softens the immediate resale pressure on these devices. But if you’re an iPhone 11 owner considering upgrading to get Siri AI, the resale values above are what you are working with and they are unlikely to get much better.
The More Important iOS 27 Resale Warning Is For iPhone 15 Owners
Siri AI not making it to some newer iPhones will have an impact on resale prices. The iPhone 15 (128GB) still retains 39.8% of its original value and it’s currently worth $318 against the $799 launch price.
SellCell’s warning is direct: “The bigger resale story may be whether consumers begin placing a premium on Apple Intelligence-capable devices. If they do, newer non-Pro models such as the iPhone 15 could face greater resale pressure than many expect, despite continuing to receive iOS updates, simply because they miss out on Apple’s latest AI-powered Siri experience.
“With the iPhone 15 still retaining nearly 40% of its original value, it has significantly more resale value at risk than older devices that are already nearing the bottom of the depreciation curve.”
Flipsy’s data drives the point home. The iPhone 15 Pro Max currently fetches $492, while the base iPhone 15 sits at $311. That $181 gap between the Pro and standard model is likely to widen after today’s confirmation, when the AI tier difference becomes impossible to ignore for buyers.
If you own a base iPhone 15 and were planning to upgrade, your timing just became crucial. Selling now, before the two-tier reality of iOS 27 becomes widely known, locks in your best price. Wait until September, when the iPhone 18 Pro drops and the AI gap becomes obvious to every buyer, and you might pay a heavy price in lost resale value.
What To Buy Instead To Get All iOS 27 Features
The cheapest entry point into the full iOS 27 experience is a refurbished iPhone 15 Pro, currently available from around $679 at Best Buy and other certified refurbishers. It carries the A17 Pro chip with 8GB of RAM, the minimum spec for full Apple Intelligence, and should receive major iOS updates until at least 2028.
