Apple Faces User Backlash After Dropping Support for iPhone 7 From iOS 16

[turbineseaplane]

iPhone 7 will be 6 years old this year. So not too bad as it got at least 5 years of iOS. But understandable that many would still be upset.

Apple seems to be cutting down on features on multiple slightly older devices which is not great at all. One example would be the 2020 iPad Pro. This iPad is just the previous generation. Missing out on Stage Manager for the 2020 model. This will definitely be upsetting and irritating for many users.

Apple really want people to upgrade to the newer devices.

I agree.
The Apple policy on longevity of support does feel like it's starting to change across devices a bit of late

 

[bodonnell202]

and if that 6 year old phone is still a fully functioning 6 year old phone then the manufacturer should still support it. if a company stops providing software/driver support for their electronic devices which will prevent the device from being able to fully function then that manufacturer should be forced to accept the ewaste of that device.

There are millions upon millions of iphone 7's in the world that will now end up as a glorified ipod. Owners will be trashing their iphone 7's into bins whilst Apple will be washing their hands of it saying 'no longer our problem'.

Again this crazy talk like the iPhone 7 will suddenly become useless when iOS 16 comes out. People who were using it for phone calls, text messages, social media and etc... will be able to continue to do that, and based on what they did with iOS 12 for the 5s, 6, 6+ and Air I suspect the 7 will receive another 2 years of security updates, yet people on here are acting like in in September the iPhone 7 will be bricked.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I think Apple needs to do a better job of managing customer expectations and one way to do that is put something in writing regarding guaranteed minimum length of OS support, similar to what other companies do.

100% agree, especially since they were selling those iPhone 7's brand new to customers still in just 2019.

It is quite likely it would have changed at least some purchase decisions if there'd been much more up front clarity on actual support timelines.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Again this crazy talk like the iPhone 7 will suddenly become useless when iOS 16 comes out.

You are right, it won't

The issue is just that it starts the clock on the loss of some third party software support and makes the true cut off come sooner. Many App devs and financial institutions use these opportunities to raise min iOS requirements, often for not particularly great reasons.

But you are correct in that it's not an immediate issue.

 

[jav6454]

iPadOS isn’t a 1-to-1 comparison to iOS. iPadOS is forked just enough to run on separate development teams and timelines (app Library, widget implementation, etc). I don’t see how a difference in iPadOS 16 (which from a feature standpoint is unfortunately different with what it is usually lagging on from its yearly numbered iOS variant) support this year is any different than any other year.

The features implemented in iOS16 this year required certain hardware the dropped models this year didn’t possess. As iPadOS16 doesn’t have these features, it doesn’t have this problem.

Apple should not be expected to continue to have to deploy multiple versions of major updates for devices that lack key hardware for current features. We already have enough issues with bugs from version to version (sometimes minor, sometimes not so much 🤬). We don’t need to dump even more legacy support on the current problem.

So has iOS several times forked. Not all features of the next generation iOS make it to previous generations due to hardware compatibility. So that argument again, out the door.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Interesting backlash, more so given that the issue is most likely RAM requirements.

It's related to the disparity and the rather paltry iPad devices with nearly the exact same specs as 6s/7 models ..... that are getting iPadOS 16

Many would like to get iOS 16 if possible and have them simply disable/omit anything that's too taxing, which is fair.
Software is great at being that flexible -- one of its many advantages.

 

[ziggy29]

I agree.
The Apple policy on longevity of support does feel like it's starting to change across devices a bit of late

It used to be that Moore's Law was going full speed and software developers didn't need to intentionally obsolete 3-5 year old hardware -- it would be painfully slow and possibly not even capable of running new software at any speed because of advances at breakneck speed. Hardware advances were fast enough that these 3-5 year old machines would be all but useless for new system software as it caught up to hardware.

But it feels to me that Moore's Law has slowed down quite a lot in the last decade, meaning that older hardware is still relatively capable relative to the newer hardware, and for a few more years. And because of that, many people aren't refreshing every 3 years, and that hits Apple's bottom line. So these days, hardware advances aren't demanding shorter refresh intervals any more, and their answer is to intentionally "break" the ability of older equipment to run new system software.

 

[turbineseaplane]

@ziggy29

Completely with you.

I try to not be terribly cynical about what Apple's intentions and actual behaviors might be, and I suspect they don't sit in a room and "Dr. Evil style" talk about cutting people off...

...but rather I think they just sort of wink/nudge don't worry so much about arbitrary cut offs and what/who might be impacted... Just sort of a "eh whatever", sweep it under the rug approach.

My big thing here really is the concept of selling "old" hardware as "brand new" so long, as they did with the iP7. That's just unethical if you aren't going to commit to similar support lengths.

By doing that, they are only hitting lower price points by selling old hardware as new and not giving those buyers the same device life/longevity. It's basically a pretty crummy offering from Apple at lower price points if that is going to be the behavior.

I'd honestly much rather they do the work to provide brand new models at lower price points --- trim the features how you must -- if that's going to be how they go about things.

 

[MajorFubar]

But it feels to me that Moore's Law has slowed down quite a lot in the last decade, meaning that older hardware is still relatively capable relative to the newer hardware, and for a few more years. And because of that, many people aren't refreshing every 3 years, and that hits Apple's bottom line. So these days, hardware advances aren't demanding shorter refresh intervals any more, and their answer is to intentionally "break" the ability of older equipment to run new system software.

^^^ exactly this. They stopped charging for OS updates , so how else are they going to pay the bills if they don't find a way of making you buy new gear.

 

[NT1440]

“User backlash”

I’m gonna wager 98% of people using a 7 day to day:

1: Don’t visit tech forums
2: Have no idea what WWDC is
3: Have no idea what iOS is besides “this is the phone I use, it’s an iPhone”

This “backlash” is coming from tech people, and they have VALID points, but let’s cut the crap that we tech-oriented people are normal.

I just helped a friend with her iPhone, she was adamant that she “just updated last week”….as I updated her phone from 15.2 to 15.5.

Regular people don’t follow tech news.

 

[turbineseaplane]

@NT1440

I'm not sure who's claiming this is only about tech people.

I have older relatives, both on 7 class devices, both on auto-update (they are always on latest).
It just sucks that a hard cutoff will now come sooner for them, over time yet still, as Apps raise the min iOS bar.

It sucks because, as you hinted at, they are indeed not tech people and wouldn't need to buy any new iPhones for years and years -- other than if things start not working quite right due to being behind the latest iOS here at some point.

Non tech inclined folks - or just budget oriented folks - who could indeed live for a long time with older/slower devices are the perfect example of who I wish Apple would just keep reasonably supporting. They are indeed less likely to care about things that might have to be omitted in order to keep them on the baseline latest iOS (like "neural engine lockscreen" and "emoji dictation search")

 

[bodonnell202]

That's not necessarily relevant here. People who buy Android phones know going in that OS updates will only be around 2 to 4 years (depending on device) but people buying iPhones have come to expect more and if/when it is less than expected (e.g., iPhone 7 getting a year less OS support than 6s), it's reasonable to express disappointment.

If Ruth's Chris Steak House cut back on their quality or service, customers would have a right to complain as it doesn't really matter if it's still better than Outback. They had a certain (higher) expectation.

They did the exact same thing with the 5s and the 6, with people being amazed that the 5s was getting 6 years of software updates, then Apple turned around and didn't support either the 5s or the 6/6+ with iOS 13, which meant the iPhone 6/6+ only received 5 years of software updates despite the 5s getting 6 years. Apple provides no guarantees on how long devices will receive software updates, but it's still known that they provide software updates for longer than any Android manufacturers.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Apple provides no guarantees on how long devices will receive software updates

They map out their iPhone plans many years in advance (i've heard as many as 5-6 on hardware design)
The expectation should be raised on them to commit to what the latest iOS support length will be.

This is particularly important if Apple are going to be in the business of consistently selling "old" hardware as "brand new" for years and years to hit lower price points.

 

[NT1440]

@NT1440

I'm not sure who's claiming this is only about tech people.

I have older relatives, both on 7 class devices, both on auto-update (they are always on latest).
It just sucks that a hard cutoff will now come sooner for them, over time yet still, as Apps raise the min iOS bar.

It sucks because, as you hinted at, they are indeed not tech people and wouldn't need to buy any new iPhones for years and years -- other than if things start not working quite right due to being behind the latest iOS here at some point.

Non tech inclined folks - or just budget oriented folks - who could indeed live for a long time with older/slower devices are the perfect example of who I wish Apple would just keep reasonably supporting. They are indeed less likely to care about things that might have to be omitted in order to keep them on the baseline latest iOS (like "neural engine lockscreen" and "emoji dictation search")

I was referencing the clickbait title about “backlash”.

The points about dropping support are all valid, but the only possible backlash at this point in time can be from Tech people who are actually aware of this news.

As an aside, my mom is currently on my old 6s. I just swapped the battery in it, but I think this is the year we get an SE for her.

 

[Realityck]

I'm not sure who's claiming this is only about tech people.

I have older relatives, both on 7 class devices, both on auto-update (they are always on latest).
It just sucks that a hard cutoff will now come sooner for them, over time yet still, as Apps raise the min iOS bar.

It sucks because, as you hinted at, they are indeed not tech people and wouldn't need to buy any new iPhones for years and years -- other than if things start not working quite right due to being behind the latest iOS here at some point.

Ok let’s go with things start to not work. Given an additional two years from now, if they are still using iOS 15 with a few security updates what would likely stop working? Does your elder relatives need a replacement by then anyway (normal wear and tear, batteries)? At what point is retaining the same phone doing them any good aside from lowering expenses? Maybe sometime in the future you have the same odds the iPhone fails, then they can buy a newer phone that will carry them for so many more years. Is this a terrible situation for them at all?

 

[turbineseaplane]

I was referencing the clickbait title about “backlash”.

The points about dropping support are all valid, but the only possible backlash at this point in time can be from Tech people who are actually aware of this news.

I didn't go through all the tweet reactions that the article is based upon, but for sure right now that is the majority of the reaction.

That's expected, as this was announced at a developer conference and is mostly being talked about on forums and tech platforms, right now at least.

It's fair to map it foward though.
It will become known to less tech savvy folks come the Fall and moving on.

 

[bodonnell202]

You are right, it won't

The issue is just that it starts the clock on the loss of some third party software support and makes the true cut off come sooner. Many App devs and financial institutions use these opportunities to raise min iOS requirements, often for not particularly great reasons.

But you are correct in that it's not an immediate issue.

Sure, you're right in that around September 2023 some apps may stop working with iOS 15 (as most apps will continue to support the previous iOS version at a minimum) and people still using a 7 will need to decide if those apps are important enough to warrant upgrading their device. I do get what you are saying but I also understand in the business world a balance has to be struck - of course encouraging people to upgrade older devices is at least part of Apple's the strategy here. Realistically Apple already has the reputation of providing software updates to their mobile devices for much longer than their competitors so they have no incentive to extend it further.

 

[turbineseaplane]

@bodonnell202

Yep - agreed - we are on the same page it sounds like.

Apple needs to be more careful about how long they are selling older devices as new.
They were selling that iP7 for way too long still.

 

[Oscar_440]

Astonishing…

Amazon launches AR-powered virtual shoe try-on in its iOS app

Brands include New Balance, Adidas, Reebok, and more.

www.theverge.com

The iPhone 7 is capable of virtually show you how fits you a shoe but according to Apple not able to run the ios16’s LockScreen 🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

It’s relevant

When Apple keeps selling something as brand new, the customer rightfully has expectations of what that means about longevity.

It’s not up to customers to worry about internal technical details and what that might infer for long term support, usage and longevity concerns.

Apple is supposed to be the tech company that very specifically doesn’t create that issue for consumers.

They absolutely are not. Apple‘s main goal, as in every corporation, is to make as much money as possible.
When they were still selling the iPhone 7 in 2019, they were not selling it as a flagship.
They were not advertising it.
They were not pushing people to purchase it.
They were selling it simply as their cheapest option.
If any customer walked into a store and saw the iPhone 7 alongside the iPhone 8, 8+, XR, XS and XS Max and purchased it thinking that it would be supported for just as long as all of those other phones they were selling, they were dramatically misguided.
If someone is dropping hundreds of dollars on the phone, or on anything really, they should maybe research it before they purchase.
It’s not Apple’s fault you bought a three-year-old phone and expected it to get 5 to 7 years of support.
Now if we were talking about the iPod touch, which was only discontinued a month ago, or the Apple Watch Series 3, which is still being sold yet losing support, this would be a completely different conversation. Apple most definitely screwed those customers, and they have plenty of reason to be upset.

 

[turbineseaplane]

If any customer walked into a store and saw the iPhone 7 alongside the iPhone 8, 8+, XR, XS and XS Max and purchased it thinking that it would be supported for just as long as all of those other phones they were selling, they were dramatically misguided.

Misguided by who?

If someone is dropping hundreds of dollars on the phone, or on anything really, they should maybe research it before they purchase.

That's just not how most normal consumers are -- it's also something general Apple consumers enjoy not normally needing to worry about (getting sold something old and with less life in it...by Apple directly)

They were not advertising it.
They were not pushing people to purchase it.
They were selling it simply as their cheapest option.

It doesn't matter if they marketed it or pushed it on people.

Selling it at all, as a brand new option at a certain price point, infers normal support longevity by virtue of being blessed by Apple as an offering in their stores.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Users have been saying, I even said it, that if there are parts of the OS that aren't supported, it's understandable. However, the parts that are should be released as the processor clearly supports them.

And as several people already noted, something like the lock screen updates are not easy to simply *remove* for certain devices.
Disableling small app by app features, like the stuff that’s restricted to the A12 in Maps, isnt a big deal.
Completely changing how a fundamental area of the system works, like the lock screen or the Home Screen, isn’t that simple, and has plenty of possibility of complications arising.
Apple would have to maintain two completely separate versions of the operating system, one with the new lock screen and one with the old Lock Screen. And if something breaks on the one with the old lock screen then it can’t just be fixed on its own.
It would just create plenty of complications, and it would really only affect one model of iPhone. It’s a lot easier just to cut support for that one. So that’s exactly what they did.
Now they could have delayed the lock screen features until next year, but clearly they didn’t want to do that.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Try explaining that to an average person who just saw a shiny iPhone at an entry point price at Apple Store and has no idea that the device they are being offered is actually a few years old. Apple doesn’t market their phones based on the year released

if this customer went into the Apple Store, they saw the iPhone “7” next to the iPhone “8”, “8+”, “XR, “XS” and “XS Max”.
I don’t think regular consumers need a big sticker to tell them that “seven” is worse than “eight”.
Just like today, you walk into the Apple Store and you see the iPhone 11 next to the iPhone 12 next to the iPhone 13.
If A customer doesn’t realize that the 11 is less than/older than the 12 and same from the 12 to 13, that’s their problem.

 

[Student of Life]

Misguided by who?



That's just not how most normal consumers are -- it's also something general Apple consumers enjoy not normally needing to worry about (getting sold something old and with less life in it...by Apple directly)




It doesn't matter if they marketed it or pushed it on people.

Selling it at all, as a brand new option at a certain price point, infers normal support longevity by virtue of being blessed by Apple as an offering in their stores.

When you walk in to the Apple Store and ask, they will tell you, oh this was last years model etc, then dont say its the brand new model. I know your trying hard because somehow you feel you where wronged here. Look the phone has been out for half a decade. At this point it's not even a good faith argument. 6 years, what you do honestly expect? Heck look at the completion for comparison, in that same time span a flagship Samsung phone would have lost support a year or two top in. You would have to buy 3 brand new phones to keep getting the latest software as a comparison.

If anyone should be mad here its the people with intel computers, that cut off was brutal. But to complain about a 6 year phone not getting the latest software is honestly not arguing in good faith.

 

[sdfox7]

Agree, and mostly agree. Some of these phones are pricier than some of the still supported Macs. Lol. I think the other thing people forget is Apple was still selling these NEW at the end of 2019. The iPads being updated to it with some lesser hardware and some same hardware, a phone that was sold new until September 10, 2019..... 2.75ish years to this announcement of dropping support, and the fact they are in fact running and limiting features in the iOS side and on the Mac side for these newer OSes. The trashcan Mac Pro stopped being sold new December 10, 2019. I think it puts them in a worse spot than they have put themselves into for a long long time. They've shot themselves in the foot this time and are on VERY thin ice with what they've done with this round of updates. I expect very large lawsuits to be filed.

I agree. And this is why Mac will always have a small portion of the market. I love my Macs, iPhone and iPad but they are very expensive and it’s unreasonable to expect people to buy them every 5 years (the 2017 MacBook Air has dropped support for Ventura.) When you consider Windows lifecycle support, Apple’s is laughable.

“Apple is environmentally responsible.” Apple also dumps the support on their products after 5 years. The two are mutually exclusive.