If you’re buying or receiving delivery of an iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, an Apple Watch Series 12, or an Apple Watch Ultra 4 today, you will need to install a software update right out of the box.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max ship with iOS 27 version numbers 24A427 or 24A8428. Since the launch version of iOS 27 is version 24A437, so your new iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max will require a software update during the setup process.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 have watchOS 27 with a version number of 24R359 installed, but the launch version of watchOS 27 is 24R364, so you’ll see an update for both.
As noted by MacRumors, the AirPods 5 are also expected to have a day one firmware update, though that will happen in the background over the air. Apple recently released 9A350 AirPods firmware to provide support for iOS 27 features.
Firmware update 9A348 features a Custom EQ, allowing users to personalize how their AirPods sound to match their listening preferences. Users can access a new Equalizer control in AirPods settings to adjust the low, mid, and high frequency response on AirPods 4 and later, AirPods Pro 2 and later, and AirPods Max 2.
With GymKit on iPhone, users can connect their iPhone to compatible cardio gym equipment like treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes, and sync their heart rate data from AirPods Pro 3.
While there isn’t any way to manually update the firmware of the earbuds, the new software will be installed over the air while the AirPods are connected via Bluetooth to an iOS device.
If you place the AirPods in their case, connect them to a power source, and then pair them to an iPhone or iPad, they should update after a short period of time.