iOS 26 is the most controversial iPhone update in years. This includes resistance to the liquid glass design, but there are also plenty of reports of performance issues. That’s what makes iOS 27 such an important update—Apple needs to fix bugs and maybe even find a way to deal with those who aren’t happy with the operating system’s new look.
Early reports suggest that Apple has focused on fixing iOS 26 issues in its next big update. But which models will get iOS 27? And who will be left in the cold? Here’s what we know now.
iOS 26 Bugs: A Bigger Problem Than Liquid Glass
Finding criticism of the latest iOS version on social media is not a problem. Searching for “iOS 26” in the threads immediately brings up “iOS 26 is crap and I’m getting more frustrated with the bugs every day”. Complaints from many iPhone users focus on lags, crashes, slowness on older iPhones, bad keyboard behavior and battery drain.
Interest in iOS updates is normal, but the amount and intensity of negative comments about iOS 26 — especially regarding design and performance — has been greater and more sustained than what we typically see with an Apple update. And it’s reflected in the lower-than-usual adoption of the new version, with many people sticking with iOS 18.
Those feeling frustrated should be happy to know that Apple is aware of the issue and is reportedly making great efforts to address it.
“Apple will focus on improving software performance with iOS 27,” the report said Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman in the latest Turn on bulletin. “That means fixing bugs, removing old code, and fine-tuning the interface.”
Gurman has reliable sources inside Apple, so his predictions are generally accurate. And this is something he said earlier: the main focus of iOS 27 is to fix bugs.
Will your iPhone support iOS 27? Here’s what we know.
Anyone unhappy with iOS 26 will surely be looking forward to iOS 27 once they understand that it will (hopefully) fix their issues. This leaves iPhone users wondering if their phone will be able to install the next big update.
Apple has yet to release an official compatibility list, so for now predictions rely on typical five- to six-year support periods and expected hardware requirements rather than confirmed details. Devices from around the iPhone 12 generation and up are generally considered the most likely to qualify, while older models may be left out if performance demands increase.
That said, phones going back to 2020 are a sure bet to get iOS 27, and that likely includes the iPhone SE 3. But the iPhone 11 lineup is moot. The status of the iPhone SE 2 is also unknown, as it uses the same A13 chip as the iPhone 11 series.
That said, it might not be too optimistic to hope that iOS 27 will be rolled out to every phone running iOS 26, given that this version brought so many bugs.
Apple is expected to clarify everything when iOS 27 is unveiled at WWDC 2026 in June, with the finished version likely to arrive in September.
The liquid glass question
While some people certainly see Liquid Glass as a mistake, it’s a real Apple design thing for iOS 26, and there’s no credible indication yet that Cupertino plans to dramatically overhaul or abandon it in iOS 27. That’s despite the recent departure of Alan Dye, Apple’s former head of interface design, who is seen as a champion of Liquid Glass.
That said, Apple is widely expected to continue to refine the design, not dig in its heels and leave it untouched. Various iOS 26 updates have already adjusted transparency levels and visual effects in response to complaints, and similar “tweaking” is expected in iOS 27.
Bottom line, the prevailing expectation is evolution, not replacement, with Apple smoothing out the rough edges of Liquid Glass while keeping the overall aesthetic intact.