June 30, 2023, 11:07 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Apple has a strong track record when it comes to software support for its devices. iPhones receive more frequent and regular OS updates than any other smartphone on the market. Therefore, it sometimes comes as a surprise when Apple decides to discontinue support.
At the WWDC developer conference in June, Apple announced iOS 17, the next version of its operating system for iPhones. The update brings a host of new features, including extensive updates to core functions such as iMessage, FaceTime, and Phone, as well as AirDrop. A completely new journal app is also set to arrive on the iPhone.
However, not all iPhones currently receiving updates from Apple will get iOS 17. TECHBOOK has the list of models that will no longer be supported.
These iPhones will not receive the iOS 17 update
Apple is actively working on iOS 17 and has already released the update as a beta version. TECHBOOK has been testing the new operating system since early June. However, the beta is only available for iPhone XS/XS Max and XR and newer. The basic requirement for the new version is at least an A12 Bionic chip from Apple. This means the following iPhone models with older chips will no longer receive the update:
- iPhone 8/8 Plus
- iPhone X
Last year, Apple unexpectedly discontinued support for the iPhone 7/7 Plus simultaneously with the iPhone 6S/6S Plus. Now, in addition to the iPhone 8/8 Plus, the iPhone X is also unexpectedly affected. While this seems consistent, as both models use the same A11 Bionic chip, the iPhone X was released about two months later in November 2017 and was a kind of anniversary iPhone. Ten years after the launch of the original iPhone, it redefined the smartphone line with its completely new design, nearly bezel-less screen, and the controversial notch. The fact that it will no longer receive iOS updates after just five years and ten months is met with disbelief by many. Especially since the unassuming iPhone 6S received updates for almost two years longer, at seven years and seven months.
However, this does not mean that the aforementioned iPhones will receive no software support at all. While they will no longer get version updates, Apple will continue to provide security patches for several more years.
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iPads that will not receive the iPadOS 17 update
A number of iPad models will also no longer receive the iPadOS 17 update. Joining the iPad Mini 4 and iPad Air 2, which were dropped from the list of supported devices last year, are the following devices:
- iPad Pro 12.9 (1st generation)
- iPad Pro 9.7
- iPad (5th generation)
Notably, this is the first time Apple has removed an iPad Pro from the update list. The iPad Pro 12.9 (1st generation) from 2015 received iOS/iPadOS updates for an impressive eight years.
Sources
- Apple: “iOS 17 Preview” (accessed June 30, 2023)
- Apple: “iPadOS 17 Preview” (accessed June 30, 2023)