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Apple Commits to at Least Five Years of iPhone Security Updates

Motorola68000 said:
The problem with this 'commitment' is it does not mean that iPhones will have full facilities, i.e. AI for example, where it suggests that even phones way under 5 years will find they can not utilise functions otherwise available.

Effectively it might support software upgrades, but not necessarily full upgrades across the 5 year range, so by recent comments about AI, it would make that 5 year support somewhat erroneous.
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This is how it has always worked. Older iOS devices tend to not support everything newer iOS devices support when they're updated, due to older and weaker hardware. It's nothing new, and to be expected, as weaker hardware has worse performance. This is especially true with the Neural Engine and GPU, considering the NE and GPU in older SoCs are significantly weaker than what is included on the A17 Pro.
 
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winxmac said:
iPhone 4 [A4] - iOS 4 to iOS 7
iPhone 4s [A5] - iOS 5 to iOS 9
iPhone 5 [A6] - iOS 6 to iOS 10
iPhone 5c [A6] - iOS 7 to iOS 10
iPhone 5s [A7] - iOS 7 to iOS 12
iPhone 6 [A8] - iOS 8 to iOS 12
iPhone 6s/SE 2016 [A9] - iOS 9 to iOS 15
iPhone 7 [A10 Fusion] - iOS 10 to iOS 15
iPhone 8/X [A11 Bionic] - iOS 11 to iOS 16
iPhone XR/XS [A12 Bionic] - iOS 12 to iOS 17
iPhone 11/11 Pro/SE 2020 [A13 Bionic] - iOS 13 to iOS 17

The last two feels most likely to happen but WWDC 2024 will determine whether I'm wrong or right...
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That’s OS upgrades. They still issue out security updates to older phones long after that phone has stopped receiving the newest OS. For example, iOS 15 just got a security update last month, impacting phones as old as the 6S you have logged there. The whole 5 year guarantee is kinda pointless when we’ve been seeing them for far longer through their history.
 
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Works for me. As long as my phone works, and gets security updates, I'm keeping it. Funny, I have a 2020 SE, and looks like 2025 will see a new one. Then I'll buy it.
 
This would probably be even longer if we the consumers stopped trading in one or two year-old iPhones for the newest, barely-improved models.
 
Plenty of Android devices I've owned got small, few or late updates.
They have a bad reputation for short support.

And anything low or mid range usually worked so slow after an update or two they became useless anyway.
iOS has always updated older devices and left them running and useful.
 
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Motorola68000 said:
The problem with this 'commitment' is it does not mean that iPhones will have full facilities, i.e. AI for example, where it suggests that even phones way under 5 years will find they can not utilise functions otherwise available.

Effectively it might support software upgrades, but not necessarily full upgrades across the 5 year range, so by recent comments about AI, it would make that 5 year support somewhat erroneous.
Click to expand...
The commitment is for SECURITY UPDATES not all new features.

You can't advance hardware and memory and expect 5 year old phones to cope.
They would have to cater to the base level hardware from 5 (or 7) years prior.
 
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allenvanhellen said:
This would probably be even longer if we the consumers stopped trading in one or two year-old iPhones for the newest, barely-improved models.
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2 years is a long time in tech.
3 year old phones usually see a huge increase in speed, camera tech and OS features.

Telcos like you to trade in a one year old phone. They resell it for maximum value and keep you locked into a contract on their network.
 
wbeasley said:
2 years is a long time in tech.
3 year old phones usually see a huge increase in speed, camera tech and OS features.

Telcos like you to trade in a one year old phone. They resell it for maximum value and keep you locked into a contract on their network.
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You’re not thinking different. The worst case scenario you present is… the worst. The bar ought to be MUCH higher. Too much defeatism, not enough idealism and discipline.
 
Apple knows people will be using old iPhones for more than five years. Would hope they would still patch major exploits after five years anyway. It'll be millions of children using old iPhone 14 and 14 Pros in 2030+.
 
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allenvanhellen said:
You’re not thinking different. The worst case scenario you present is… the worst. The bar ought to be MUCH higher. Too much defeatism, not enough idealism and discipline.
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welcome to Consumerism.

If not defeatist to see what the real world does. Most people used to buy a new phone every two years because the batteries lost capacity. They've fixed that largely. And with expensive phones, more people hang onto them three years than they used to.

It's a small group who can afford a new phone every year. Some do. I worked with a guy who traded his in every year.
Most people hang onto them longer and gift them to family or friends if still usable. Some get a credit but often you weigh that up and go "nah I'll give it to someone".

The positive is that Apple tech is usually in working condition for longer.
And people still are happy to be given an Apple device. And it works well enough for them.
I have a draw full of Android and Windows devices that I wouldnt inflict on anyone.
 
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SoldOnApple said:
Apple knows people will be using old iPhones for more than five years. Would hope they would still patch major exploits after five years anyway. It'll be millions of children using old iPhone 14 and 14 Pros in 2030+.
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kids usually want the latest more than their parents who know the value vs cost equation since they earn money to pay for them. ;)
 
Imory said:
That’s a step in the right direction, but certainly disappointing given the additional two years provided by their competitors. I see no reason why Apple doesn’t provide the same length of support as their Macs which is essentially 7 years.

You can certainly do better here Apple.
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when has apple ever not had this. they were the first to offer long term up dates long before the competition
 
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MilaM said:
Strange move by Apple to only guarantee the five-year minimum. Would be interesting to know what the rationale is behind this.

Long term software support is probably the most important reason why I buy and recommend Apple devices.
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I don’t think there is any good reason for Apple to commit to a long period of support than they absolutely need to. As it is, Apple likely agreed to this because their iOS devices typically receive at least 5 years of OS updates already, so it doesn’t cost them anything.
 
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This is actually *less* of a commitment than Google for the Pixel, which is very surprising. 7 years should be a minimum. The iPhone 5s got 7 years of software support, and roughly two more in occassional security updates.

But support has been decreasing over years. iPhone 6 got a year less of support, and so did the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8.

Apple's hoping we don't notice.
 
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