Apple Requires Day-One Updates for iPhone 18 Pro and Watch Series 12 Before Sept. 18 Launch
Updated
Updated · MacRumors · Sep 17
Apple Requires Day-One Updates for iPhone 18 Pro and Watch Series 12 Before Sept. 18 Launch
3 articles · Updated · MacRumors · Sep 17
Summary
iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 buyers will be prompted to update software during setup when the devices arrive Friday.
The requirement stems from shipping builds lagging the public launch versions: the phones carry iOS 27 builds 24A427 or 24A8428, versus launch build 24A437, while the watches ship with watchOS 27 build 24R359 instead of 24R364.
AirPods 5 are also expected to need a day-one firmware refresh, though that update should install over the air rather than during initial setup.
Apple recently released AirPods firmware 9A350 to enable iOS 27 features, underscoring that several new products are reaching customers with software finalized at the last minute.