8 iOS 26 features exclusive to new iPhones

The iOS 26 update is being called the most significant in recent years: all compatible models will receive the new Liquid Glass design, but most of the innovations rely on the computing power of the A17 Pro. Therefore, only owners of iPhone 15 Pro or newer devices will be able to take advantage of the full range of features.

The website Novyny.LIVE tells us which features will only be available on the new iPhone.

Apple is betting on AI — most of the innovations are based on it. However, these features will not run without sufficient performance, so older models will not have them.

Visual intelligence in screenshots

The system analyses the screenshot and suggests actions: for example, buy a product, add a date to the calendar, or view the details of the object in the photo. The feature relies on deep image recognition and runs in the background.

Live translation in Messages, FaceTime, and calls

Correspondence or voice conversations are translated in real time. Text translations appear immediately in the chat, and during a call, you can even hear the translation spoken aloud.

AI actions in Commands

New blocks have been added to the Shortcuts app: image creation, text summaries, and other scenarios that leverage Apple Intelligence directly within automations.

Tips and organization in Reminders

Intelligence suggests tasks based on emails or messages and automatically groups list items by category to simplify planning.

Improved order tracking in Wallet

iOS 16 automatically finds data from emails and adds purchase information to the Wallet app, without the seller's involvement and manual entry of information.

Updated Genmoji and Image Playground

Users can mix emojis, change facial features, or apply artistic styles (anime, watercolor, etc.) when generating images.

Tips for surveys in iMessage

When you create a new poll, the system will prompt you to formulate questions and answer options, helping you launch the poll faster.

Generating backgrounds in Messages

In addition to standard images, you can now apply AI-generated backgrounds tailored to the theme of a specific chat.

The only new feature that will be available to older models is the 3D effect on the lock screen. It will work with iPhone 12 and newer models. For the rest of the features, the iPhone 15 Pro remains the minimum "ticket" to the world of Apple Intelligence: without it, the system will be beautiful, but without magic.

As a reminder, the iOS 26 update finally allows users to choose the duration of the "snooze" in the alarm clock. Instead of the mandatory 9 minutes, a range from 1 to 15 is now available.

We also wrote that Apple presented an updated approach to iOS numbering during WWDC 2025. Now the version corresponds to the year of primary use, and iOS 26 itself will be available in the autumn.