iOS 27 will be compatible from iPhone 11, but Siri AI will not come to iPhone and iPad in the EU due to the DMA until further notice

Apple has confirmed that, although its new iteration of the iOS 27 operating system will be able to run on older smartphones such as the iPhone 11, the new Siri AI features will not reach users in the European Union until further notice, due to the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Those from Cupertino presented the renewed version of their Siri AI assistant this Monday during the WWDC 26 conference which, driven by the new generation of Apple Intelligence, comes with more intelligent capabilities and a more integrated experience in the operating systems of their devices.

Along with this, Apple also unveiled the new iterations of the iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, whatchOS 27 and visionOS 27 operating systems, which will be officially made available to users in the fall.

However, the company has detailed some nuances regarding the arrival of its new operating system updates. In the case of iOS 27, Apple has stressed that it will be released for its oldest smartphones since the iPhone 11, as well as the second generation of the iPhone SE.

This means that operating system performance improvements, such as the ability to launch apps 30 percent faster, or speed up AirDrop transfers by up to 80 percent, will also be available on older iPhones.

For its part, Apple has also clarified that iPadOS 27 is compatible with devices from iPad mini 6th generation and later, iPad 9th generation and later, iPad A16, 11-inch iPad Air with M2, M3 and M4 chips, 13-inch iPad Air and 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro with M4 chip.

Regarding watchOS 27, the company has focused on the newest devices, having compatibility with the Apple Watch SE 3, Series 9, 10 and 11, and with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and 3. Therefore, the first original Apple Watch Ultra and the SE 2 model, launched in 2022, are left without an update.

Finally, macOS 27 Golden Gate will be compatible with MacBook Neo, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro devices, all of them with an Apple Silicon processor. This follows the previously confirmed roadmap that MacOS 26 was the last support for computers powered by Intel processors.

SIRI AI IS NOT COMING TO IOS 27 AND IPADOS 27 FOR THE EU

Apple has also made it clear that with the official release of iOS, whatchOS, and iPadOS 27 in the fall, Siri AI will not be available to users in the European Union. As explained by the technology company, this is due to the Digital Markets Law since the new version of the assistant is still not compatible with its requirements.

As those from Cupertino have clarified in a statement on their blog, in recent months, EU regulatory bodies “have not accepted any of the solutions proposed by Apple to bring Siri AI to the EU, despite safely offering compatibility with other virtual assistants.”

Therefore, for the moment, Siri AI powered by Apple Intelligence will not be available on the iPhones, Apple Watch and iPads of European citizens, although Apple’s goal is to “continue working with EU regulators” to find a way to make it possible to launch Siri AI in the EU, as stated by Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi.

However, it has also added that the lack of willingness to “constructively participate in solutions that preserve privacy and security” means that the company is currently unable to offer a planned date for the availability of Siri AI on iOS and iPadOS in the EU.

In other words, it is unknown when EU users will be able to access the new dedicated Siri app, the expanded visual intelligence experience, the Siri mode in the iOS camera, or the Siri features in watchOS 27, as they require an iPhone paired with Siri AI.

Likewise, developers located in the EU will also not be able to test or use the new Siri AI features for their apps dedicated to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and watchOS 27.

Despite all this, it must be taken into account that Siri AI will be available on devices with macOS 27 Golden Gate and visionOS 27 operating systems in the EU.

WHY SIRI AI WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE

Apple says it has designed Siri AI with privacy in mind, integrating its capabilities into the company’s platforms through on-device processing and Private Cloud Computing, which keeps data processing private.

However, the technology company assures that, under the requirements of the DMA, to launch Siri AI in the EU, they would also have to allow any virtual assistant “to have direct access to users’ private data”, as well as the ability to control other installed ‘apps’, “without the essential protections necessary to protect users and their data.”

This is because, to provide equal opportunity, the DMA would require Apple to grant any AI system “virtually unlimited access to the device”, as Apple has noted, including reading and sending messages, making purchases and accessing files, without the privacy that Siri AI does guarantee.

As a possible solution, the company has indicated that it designed Trusted System Agent, “an intermediary that would allow virtual assistants to securely access the same features and functions as Siri AI for devices in the EU.” In addition, it also proposed a plan to implement Siri AI with a gradual 18-month rollout in the EU. However, the European Commission rejected these proposals.

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