This article is also proof that people forgot what happened the last time an iPhone was supported for "too long". If I'm not mistaken, Apple is being actively sued somewhere in the world right now for the 4s and iOS 9...
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Apple Faces User Backlash After Dropping Support for iPhone 7 From iOS 16
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That’s only two maybe three major OS updates and four years of security updates. You do realize that the iPhone 7 shipped with iOS 10, which meant it got 5 years of major OS updates with the (admittedly, unconfirmed) potential for security updates past that. The phone people are complaining about had longer support without any guarantee than the example you’re using will likely get.
And the Pixel 6 will be available for sale, what, a year? (This year to be replaced by the 7 and the 6a, if Google follows its previous pattern.) That’s only a little over two years of guaranteed major OS upgrades if you buy one now. If you bought an iPhone 7 in September 2019, you’d have gotten the same length of support for a device that had already been on market for nearly two years at that point.
Even without a guarantee, Apple provides longer support than Google does with a guarantee, and yet people complain.
Edit: And the fact that Apple keeps older phones supported for longer is part of the reason why Apple can’t realistically guarantee ongoing support for x number of years. Google sticks mostly to the flagship end of the market and has that luxury because of all the cheap no-name Android phones barely suitable for use as a phone. Google sells a flagship phone for a year and then sells a price reduced variant for about a year after that. Apple is the only maker of iOS phones and has to cover every price point in the ecosystem, from the low end to the flagship. So, as the former high end model falls down the line each year, it’s harder and harder to determine how much longer it’ll receive support.
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If you downloaded iOS 9 on an iPhone 4s, you may be entitled to a refund check
Apple reaches class-action settlement over ‘decreased performance.’
www.macworld.com
The iPhone 7, pretty old by computer standards, will still function as it does today. They are not bricking your phone. They are just not giving you more features going forward. This seems more like FOMO than a valid complaint. Notice that the tweets embedded in this story mostly have less than ten "likes" apiece. This is not a huge deal. It's too bad that MacRumors needed to pump up some controversy.
Support has a cost. If you want extended support engage Apple with $ to get that support.
I think what the other member meant was, that Google give a specific timeline for support cutoff for the Pixel.
Apple never officially do this for any of their products. So everytime a device is dropped beyond the typical pattern, people will feel iffy.
Wouldn't it be nice if Apple actually put out an official software support timeline of their products? That way, people buying an Apple product beyond its launch date can be better informed of their buying decision. I mean look at Apple still selling Apple Watch S3 today, even though it won't be updated to WatchOS9.
I do realize Apple providers longer OS support but that's not my issue. It's about putting it in writing, instead of leaving it vague and potentially facing backlash if the number/years of OS updates doesn't match what customers thought they'd get.
Again, if other companies can put it in writing I don't see why Apple can't.
Isnt this the same kind of tired argument you always use to dismiss any complaint about apple from anywhere?
As I recall, back in the day, you used the same logic to dismiss the complaints about the butterfly keyboard.
Maybe Apple should offer that option, like how Microsoft does, offering paid-support for older versions of their software if a company needs it.
As long as people get security updates, I don't understand why they feel forced to upgrade if they don't want to. Apple typically supports an iOS version with security updates for 2 additional years.
Proceed to complain about not been able to get the latest and greatest by saying: Not everyone needs the greatest and latest.
I edited my post before I saw your reply. I believe my edit addresses that concern, but basically Apple’s hardware longevity (the iPhone 7 was on sale until at least late 2019, possibly into 2020 in price sensitive developing markets) prevents those kinds of support guarantees, while Google only sells three or four makes of phones: a current flagship that they sell for right about a year (and a Pro branded variant of the same), a price reduced version of the previous year’s flagship often released about 6 months after the flagship’s release that also only sells for about 12 to 18 months. Basically Apple would have to change the support guarantee each year the phone’s on market, eventually whittling it down to one or two years guarantee. (And I’m not sure if Apple plans the hardware requirements for their OS releases that far out, they’ve certainly been known to drop hardware after OS development but before developer/public beta release, like the PPC Mac OS X 10.6 beta that leaked.)
It is absolutely ridiculous to share these tweets, some with with single digit likes, from completely random accounts, as if they are indicative of some sort of widespread public feeling. The tweets themselves are some of the most childish, ignorant things I’ve read in the past couple days. Really?
”Apple is forcing iPhone 7 users to upgrade”
Right there we should all stop listening.
”Apple is forcing iPhone 7 users to upgrade”
Right there we should all stop listening.
Looks like you quoted my post while I was editing it to address that concern. Can you look at the edit and see if my edit addresses that concern?
People complaining about 6 years of support?
Also, it’s not like the iPhone 7 will stop working… you can still use it.
Also, it’s not like the iPhone 7 will stop working… you can still use it.
Not only that, but support for iOS15 won't stop when iOS16 releases. Ok they aren't getting new features, but they can still use their devices in a secure way
And I'm concerned about yours. It doesn't sound to me like you know much of what you're talking about. I've been developing since the 90s in areas from games, to plugins for 3D animation software, to business applications.
Clearly.
Finally someone who understands it. Yes, there might a technical requirement for some feature, but Apple has done special updates in the past, why not now?
