Apple Stops Signing iOS 10.2.1 and iOS 10.3

[MacRumors]

Following the release of iOS 10.3.1 on April 3, Apple has stopped signing iOS 10.2.1 and iOS 10.3, earlier versions of iOS that were previously available to consumers before the latest update was released.

Customers who have upgraded to iOS 10.3.1 will no longer be able to downgrade their devices to iOS 10.2.1 or iOS 10.3.

Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to stay up to date.

iOS 10.3.1 is now the only version of iOS 10 that can be installed on iOS devices by the general public, but developers and public beta testers can also download iOS 10.3.2, a future update that is currently being beta tested.

Article Link: Apple Stops Signing iOS 10.2.1 and iOS 10.3

 

[ghostface147]

10.3.....that was rather quick.

 

[Mizouse]

Ugh I just updated last night from 10.1.1 to 10.3.1 hopefully no issues.

 

[Scottsoapbox]

Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to stay up to date.

Stopping signing the last version after 1 week is ridiculous. It should be in the 3-12 month range and/or some reasonable number of point updates.

I'm all for encouraging updates, but Apple has gotten downright hostile about being on THE latest version between this and the update nag screens that try to trick people into updating.

 

[H2SO4]

Stopping signing the last version after 1 week is ridiculous. It should be in the 3-12 month range and/or some reasonable number of point updates.

I'm all for encouraging updates, but Apple has gotten downright hostile about being on THE latest version between this and the update nag screens that try to trick people into updating.

It sounds really good at the keynotes when Tim compares adoption rates to Android.

 

[anthonyjr]

Stopping signing the last version after 1 week is ridiculous. It should be in the 3-12 month range and/or some reasonable number of point updates.

I'm all for encouraging updates, but Apple has gotten downright hostile about being on THE latest version between this and the update nag screens that try to trick people into updating.

Because the newest update patched some major security issues, I could definitely understand why Apple has decided to stop signing the original 10.3. I don't see a reason to keep adding to the liability. I'd rather it be this way.

 

[Ries]

Stopping signing the last version after 1 week is ridiculous. It should be in the 3-12 month range and/or some reasonable number of point updates.

I'm all for encouraging updates, but Apple has gotten downright hostile about being on THE latest version between this and the update nag screens that try to trick people into updating.

Fixes a wifi flaw allowing malicious people to send code to your phone and execute it, you don't want to be running 10.3.

 

[miniyou64]

Because the newest update patched some major security issues, I could definitely understand why Apple has decided to stop signing the original 10.3. I don't see a reason to keep adding to the liability. I'd rather it be this way.

How about for developers that need to test things onolder OSes. Not you, but this continuous push of software and block from going back is very short sighted by Apple.

 

[C DM]

How about for developers that need to test things onolder OSes. Not you, but this continuous push of software and block from going back is very short sighted by Apple.

If they do need that then they would need to make sure they have devices on the versions they need/want. This process of signing for iOS has been in place for quite a few years now, it's nothing new or unexpected or anything like that.

 

[Scottsoapbox]

Because the newest update patched some major security issues, I could definitely understand why Apple has decided to stop signing the original 10.3. I don't see a reason to keep adding to the liability. I'd rather it be this way.

You say that like it is only this release that this has happened. It has been EVERY release for easily the last two years.

 

[Avenged110]

I'm still waiting to be able to restore devices that no longer receive updates to whatever version of iOS they can support. Apple has no valid argument against it.

 

[logicstudiouser]

I'm still waiting to be able to restore devices that no longer receive updates to whatever version of iOS they can support. Apple has no argument against it.

Actually they do, money.
As older devices are upgraded to new iOS versions, they slow down, forcing users to upgrade their device. Try running an iPhone 5 in iOS 10 vs iOS 6. They don't want you to downgrade to have a smooth experience with your current device, they want you to spend more money on their devices.

 

[sracer]

Actually they do, money.
As older devices are upgraded to new iOS versions, they slow down, forcing users to upgrade their device. Try running an iPhone 5 in iOS 10 vs iOS 6. They don't want you to downgrade to have a smooth experience with your current device, they want you to spend more money on their devices.

From a customer's perspective that is NOT a valid argument.

 

[C DM]

I'm still waiting to be able to restore devices that no longer receive updates to whatever version of iOS they can support. Apple has no valid argument against it.

The argument of better security still applies. Sure, it's not the "best" security since they can't get the latest updates, but being on the last available update for the device is still "better" security than being on any previous update for that device that doesn't have the additional security fixes that are from later updates.

 

[sracer]

The argument of better security still applies. Sure, it's not the "best" security since they can't get the latest updates, but being on the last available update for the device is still "better" security than being on any previous update for that device that doesn't have the additional security fixes that are from later updates.

Shouldn't the customer decide if they want that?

 

[Paradoxally]

From a customer's perspective that is NOT a valid argument.

Apple says screw your consumer perspective, you'll keep buying the damn things every X years anyway.
[doublepost=1491863622][/doublepost]

Shouldn't the customer decide if they want that?

No. Customers usually have little to no experience with the inner workings of iOS. Apple wants them on the latest iOS so they can move forward quickly and ensure that developers aren't pretty much forced to deal with insane amounts of fragmentation.

 

[C DM]

Shouldn't the customer decide if they want that?

Well, the post I was responding to mentioned "Apple has no valid argument against it.", which is the part I was addressing.

Sure, with pretty much anything you can say it would be great if the customer would decide for themselves, but that's certainly not how iOS has ever really been designed in many ways, and something that has been known for a long time now. A lot of things can be different about it all, but that's neither here nor there really.

 

[44267547]

Because the newest update patched some major security issues, I could definitely understand why Apple has decided to stop signing the original 10.3. I don't see a reason to keep adding to the liability. I'd rather it be this way.

Never thought of like this and I think your likely correct. And being how stringent Apple is with security protection, it makes complete sense for them to move swiftly on this.

 

[B4U]

Actually they do, money.
As older devices are upgraded to new iOS versions, they slow down, forcing users to upgrade their device. Try running an iPhone 5 in iOS 10 vs iOS 6. They don't want you to downgrade to have a smooth experience with your current device, they want you to spend more money on their devices.

That is why I gave them the middle finger when they said I need to "downgrade" my 6s to iOS 10 to fix the battery hardware issue.

 

[JackieInCo]

I had originally upgraded my 6S+ and 5S to 10.3 and one of my three watches to to 10.2. I realized that upgrading broke Adguard Pro which I use to block ads in apps so after two days, I went back down to 10.2.1. I then discovered I could no longer use that watch with any of my iPhones. Since it was two weeks old, BestBuy allowed me to exchange it fully understanding why I wanted to do the exchange because the watch could no longer be used any of my four iPhones. It was either exchange or refund, they gladly gave the exchange.

I'm staying on 10.2.1 on two of my iPhones, one of the other two is on 9.0.2, the other on 9.2 and both are jailbroken.

 

[Avenged110]

Actually they do, money.
As older devices are upgraded to new iOS versions, they slow down, forcing users to upgrade their device. Try running an iPhone 5 in iOS 10 vs iOS 6. They don't want you to downgrade to have a smooth experience with your current device, they want you to spend more money on their devices.

Probably true. But while likely not common, there are a lot of people (myself included) who take that as a challenge to make existing devices last as long as possible. I'm still using an iPhone 5 on iOS 6 and I have backups just in case. I already had a baseband fail on one.

 

[JosephAW]

We're still waiting for apple to restore the ability to transfer app purchases from phone to computer again.
We lost that after iOS 8. We have NO internet at our location so there is no way to transfer apps we purchased recently. And if the app is pulled it's gone forever.
Ran into this problem when upgrading from my iPhone 6 to a 7plus.
Did a backup and restore and some of my apps did t transfer because they are no longer for sale. Fortunately I purchased these apps under iOS 8 and did have a copy. But their store refused to install the same apps when upgrading. Had to sync the apps from iTunes.

 

[zorinlynx]

We're still waiting for apple to restore the ability to transfer app purchases from phone to computer again.
We lost that after iOS 8. We have NO internet at our location so there is no way to transfer apps we purchased recently. And if the app is pulled it's gone forever.
Ran into this problem when upgrading from my iPhone 6 to a 7plus.
Did a backup and restore and some of my apps did t transfer because they are no longer for sale. Fortunately I purchased these apps under iOS 8 and did have a copy. But their store refused to install the same apps when upgrading. Had to sync the apps from iTunes.

If there's an app you really love, just download it on the computer. Syncing can still happen from computer to iOS device.

 

[coolfactor]

Shouldn't the customer decide if they want that?

But when you have problems, who do you blame? Apple should not need to support older OS versions just for people to hold onto the past.

I speak from experience... I used an iPhone 3G past when iPhone 4S was out, and an iPhone 4 until the 7 was out. Yes, the phone got slower, and I knew I wasn't able to take advantage of every feature that was available because of the older hardware. It was my choice to stick with it, and it was my choice to let it go. I'm just grateful that I had something exceptional to move to (iPhone SE).

 

[stiligFox]

Something to keep in mind is that 10.3 changes the file system from HFS+ to APFS, so downgrading is a worse idea than it usually was.