When choosing to install a new update for an older iPhone, users will see two options appear: iOS 26 and iOS 18.7.
While iOS 26 is considered the most anticipated update, bringing many improvements in interface and performance, along with advanced AI features, iOS 18.7 does not have many major changes in design or features.
iOS 26 brings many features and improvements to iPhone users.
Even without major changes, iOS 18.7 is still considered very important as it is an incremental update of iOS 18 for older iPhone devices that are not eligible to upgrade to iOS 26. It is recommended that users update to iOS 18.7 as soon as it is announced because this update fixes many serious security vulnerabilities.
In Apple's statement, one of the vulnerabilities that iOS 18.7 can fix is allowing malicious applications to monitor keystrokes without user consent, thereby stealing sensitive information such as login information and banking data.
As for iOS 26, the update brings a new user interface called Liquid Glass with a transparent and smooth design that feels more modern. Apple describes it as “the most comprehensive software design update ever.” The new interface not only changes the way buttons and sliders are displayed, but also improves the Camera and Photos apps.
iOS 18.7 is provided to fix security issues.
iOS 26 also adds a number of useful features to Apple’s core apps. For example, the Phone app now has a “Hold to Assist” feature in case a call is placed on hold, and call screening helps users identify spam calls. In the Messages app, users can translate languages in real time and change chat backgrounds.
Notably, iOS 26 upgrades the Apple Intelligence toolkit to OpenAI's latest GPT-5 model, bringing enhanced inference capabilities and improved performance. However, iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max users will not be able to upgrade to iOS 26, so iOS 18.7 is the only solution.
Understanding more about iOS 18.7 and iOS 26, iPhone users should consider carefully and update to enjoy new features and better security from Apple.