Apple won't cut a single iPhone from iOS 27 support — a break from the usual annual trimming.
iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 maintain software update eligibility for every iPhone currently on the supported list. Apple has historically used major releases to shed older hardware, quietly dropping a generation or two of iPhones per cycle. This year, iPhones get a reprieve. A handful of iPad models are cut — the tablet side of Apple's lineup tends to age out faster — but the iPhone roster stays intact.
For owners of anything from a few years back, this is worth noting beyond the feature list. Another year of iOS coverage means continued security patches, whatever headline additions iOS 27 brings, and no hardware pressure from the software side. Apple's compatibility decisions have long functioned as soft upgrade nudges; skipping that lever for iPhones is a meaningful deviation from the playbook.
The charitable read: Apple's silicon efficiency has extended the viable lifespan of older iPhones to the point where cuts would look arbitrary. The less charitable read: iPhone upgrade rates are soft, and keeping older models in the fold costs Apple little while buying goodwill ahead of a major product cycle.