Roughly three weeks after Apple unveiled iOS 27 at WWDC26, the tech community continues to praise the new operating system's performance. Despite minor quirks and slightly higher battery drain, iOS 27 is widely seen as a more responsive and polished update compared to iOS 26.5. However, the same cannot be said for iPadOS 27. While iOS 27 supports every device that ran iOS 26, iPadOS 27 leaves behind five iPad models powered by the A12 and A12X chips. This decision leaves a bitter taste for many owners, especially since iPadOS 26 is far from an ideal resting place for devices that still have plenty of life left.
Which iPads are excluded from iPadOS 27
The devices that will not receive the iPadOS 27 upgrade are those equipped with the A12 or A12X processor. Specifically, they include the 11-inch iPad Pro (2018), 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2018), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad (8th generation), and iPad mini (5th generation). All models launched between 2018 and 2020, aged between 6 and 8 years. Apple has provided an exceptionally long software support lifespan, but leaving these devices on iPadOS 26 means locking them into an operating system that, by many accounts, is not the optimal experience. The stability and fluidity of iPadOS 27 would have been a boon for these still capable tablets.
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Two possible ways Apple could address the issue
Apple could take two paths to help owners of older iPads. The first and simplest is to allow downgrading from iPadOS 26 to a previous, more performant OS version. Currently, Apple stops signing older firmware shortly after a new release, making rollbacks impossible. However, the company still issues security updates for iOS 18: just last month, iOS 18.7.9 was released, bringing many of the same security patches found in iPadOS 26.5. Why not allow A12 device owners to revert to a more solid foundation, perhaps even iOS 18? It would not pose a security risk, as Apple itself continues to support that branch. Granted, the average user is unlikely to bother, but offering the option to those who want it would be a respectful gesture toward the installed base.
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The second, more radical and less likely approach is to re-add support for A12 devices in iPadOS 27, possibly with limited features. This would not be entirely unprecedented: in 2022, when Stage Manager debuted in iPadOS 16, Apple initially required an M1 chip. After public outcry, during the beta cycle it extended support to the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro models, albeit with reduced capabilities compared to M1 devices. The same could happen with iPadOS 27's new windowing system. If performance proves inadequate with 4GB of RAM and the A12 GPU, Apple could limit animations or the number of apps that can run side by side. Users would likely accept a compromise rather than being stuck on iPadOS 26.
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The final decision rests with Cupertino. In the meantime, owners of these five iPads face a choice: keep a now-frozen OS or upgrade to a newer model. This decision, in light of the sharp price increases on Mac and iPad announced in recent weeks, could weigh heavily on wallets. For more on Apple's recent pricing strategy, read this article. Also, the broader topic of legacy device support is increasingly relevant in the tech landscape: for an overview of how Apple manages product longevity, check the Wikipedia page on iPadOS.
The community awaits an answer from Apple. Silence, as often, speaks louder than words. And owners of those older iPad Pro and Air models deserve not to be forgotten.
Source: https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/27/these-five-ipad-models-wont-run-ipados-27-but-deserve-better
