Apple Stops Signing iOS 10.2.1 and iOS 10.3

[linrey]

Before moving from iOS 10.2.x to 10.3.1 on my iPhone 6 this morning, I consulted the inter webs for advice. It seemed that all I needed was a backup, and all would be well. It now appears that the gulf between 10.3 and 10.2 is unbridgeable, and I won't be able to restore from this morning's backup. Is that really the situation at hand?

I think I'll stay at 10.3.x on my iPad Mini though since I have two 32-bit apps that are irreplaceable and I'd rather just freeze it where it is. I'm familiar with inevitable obsolescence though - my trusty and much-loved Mac Pro 1,1 is humming along beside me, performing nicely as a media server and DVD ripper. Actually "humming" is the wrong word - it's absolutely totally quiet. God I love that machine!

 

[Tycho24]

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

Google should fight back by forcing all the people w/ 1-3 year old Android phones to get all the latest updates, security features and bells & whistles!!!
Teach Apple a thing or two.

Oh, wait......

 

[jdayellow]

Luckily downgraded to 10.2.1 on my iPhone just a few days ago. Now just waiting for jb

 

[C DM]

Before moving from iOS 10.2.x to 10.3.1 on my iPhone 6 this morning, I consulted the inter webs for advice. It seemed that all I needed was a backup, and all would be well. It now appears that the gulf between 10.3 and 10.2 is unbridgeable, and I won't be able to restore from this morning's backup. Is that really the situation at hand?

I think I'll stay at 10.3.x on my iPad Mini though since I have two 32-bit apps that are irreplaceable and I'd rather just freeze it where it is. I'm familiar with inevitable obsolescence though - my trusty and much-loved Mac Pro 1,1 is humming along beside me, performing nicely as a media server and DVD ripper. Actually "humming" is the wrong word - it's absolutely totally quiet. God I love that machine!

Well, with earlier versions of iOS no longer being signed, downgrading isn't an option.

 

[JosephAW]

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

Yes I have done that via hotspot but some paid apps are over 1gb in size. And with updates they are just as large. I'm not paying $20 to download app updates every time an update comes out My phone has wifi at work and I can install them but can no longer transfer them.

 

[RamGuy]

I'm sorry, but what are you people talking about? How does the fact that Apple stops signing 10.2.1 and 10.3 "force" people into upgrading their iOS devices? Unless you for some reason have to restore your phone, there is nothing forcing you to do anything. The only thing this does is not allowing people to restore their phones into older versions of iOS and nothing more.

If you are still sitting on your iPhone 5 running iOS 6.0 there is no one forcing you to update. It's not like your phone magically locks down and tells you; "Oy! Your running iOS X.X.X that is no longer signed or supported by Apple, please update your phone before you can use it again".


People tend to complain and construct the stupidest non-existing scenarios for everything these days.

 

[zorinlynx]

"Oy! Your running iOS X.X.X that is no longer signed or supported by Apple, please update your phone before you can use it again".

That "OY!!" made me read that line in Robin Williams' "Genie" voice. And it sounded so glorious in my head.

I miss him.

 

[AZMecha]

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.

Its because of the 911 calling issue, it has to go...

 

[drbock]

I'm sorry, but what are you people talking about? How does the fact that Apple stops signing 10.2.1 and 10.3 "force" people into upgrading their iOS devices? Unless you for some reason have to restore your phone, there is nothing forcing you to do anything. The only thing this does is not allowing people to restore their phones into older versions of iOS and nothing more.

If you are still sitting on your iPhone 5 running iOS 6.0 there is no one forcing you to update. It's not like your phone magically locks down and tells you; "Oy! Your running iOS X.X.X that is no longer signed or supported by Apple, please update your phone before you can use it again".


People tend to complain and construct the stupidest non-existing scenarios for everything these days.

Why does Apple stop signing older versions??

 

[C DM]

Why does Apple stop signing older versions??

For various reasons mentioned in this thread.

 

[H2SO4]

Google should fight back by forcing all the people w/ 1-3 year old Android phones to get all the latest updates, security features and bells & whistles!!!
Teach Apple a thing or two.

Oh, wait......

Was going to reply to your later, (pretty good), post but seems it been removed. Telling people that adoption rate is high is something that Tim uses it as marketing tool, but he’s disingenuous about the way he goes about it. Seems to be the way execs the world over do things.
I don't like it.
(I think), the later versions are more popular in large part because;

• Once upgraded you can't downgrade.
• He regularly makes the point and uses the shady marketing technique mentioned above.
• You got bombarded with pop ups which gets VERY annoying.

If being on the latest OS is so important why don't they be consistent and make Mac OS updates require signing?

 

[Manatlt]

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.

You have NO internet in your location? Not even 3G/4G/LTE data signal? What's the point of owning an iPhone then? Or an iPad?

 

[JosephAW]

You have NO internet in your location? Not even 3G/4G/LTE data signal? What's the point of owning an iPhone then? Or an iPad?

We only have cellular data. No landlines, cable, wirelessdsl.
I suppose we could buy satilite internet but they limit the bandwidth and it is expensive. Right now for emergency downloads we use cellular hotspot. My plan is $20/mo for 2gb. That's nothing and can be used up in a few hours watching Apple TV or YouTube.
Looking forward to the day when our electric company can provide internet. My friends in Europe had this for years.
Here's a trick I've figured out. Try to watch Netflix on an Apple TV that isn't connected to the internet but just your intranet without using your hotspot data.

 

[Tycho24]

We only have cellular data.
<snip>
Here's a trick I've figured out. Try to watch Netflix on an Apple TV that isn't connected to the internet but just your intranet without using your hotspot data.

No offense, but what you're saying doesn't make sense.
You think that you are somehow streaming video on Netflix, without being connected to the Internet??
That's insane.
That's like saying:"first I shut off the breaker at my house to kill power, THEN I microwave things... so I won't run my electricity bill up".
What you describe is simply an impossibility. There's a chance you're using the Netflix "download & watch later" feature, I suppose & are just confused about that fact.
If that's so- then you didn't "save any internet"; you just already consumed that data earlier.
Again- if your intranet does NOT have internet connectivity, you are not somehow "tricking" the internet into streaming you Netflix, without using data. The video streamed is, by definition, data.

 

[JosephAW]

No offense, but what you're saying doesn't make sense.
You think that you are somehow streaming video on Netflix, without being connected to the Internet??
That's insane.
That's like saying:"first I shut off the breaker at my house to kill power, THEN I microwave things... so I won't run my electricity bill up".
What you describe is simply an impossibility. There's a chance you're using the Netflix "download & watch later" feature, I suppose & are just confused about that fact.
If that's so- then you didn't "save any internet"; you just already consumed that data earlier.
Again- if your intranet does NOT have internet connectivity, you are not somehow "tricking" the internet into streaming you Netflix, without using data. The video streamed is, by definition, data.

Not using any downloader, hack or watch later feature but using the official downloadable netflix app from the App Store. My cellular data is unlimited data but the hotspot is limited. That's why I said it's a trick to watch on my apple tv using my cellular unlimited data plan.

 

[Manatlt]

Not using any downloader, hack or watch later feature but using the official downloadable netflix app from the App Store. My cellular data is unlimited data but the hotspot is limited. That's why I said it's a trick to watch on my apple tv using my cellular unlimited data plan.

So if you have unlimited data...and you can use hotspot (even if it's limited)...

....then you can still go to iTunes on PC/Mac and download your purchased apps from there.

 

[Tycho24]

Not using any downloader, hack or watch later feature but using the official downloadable netflix app from the App Store. My cellular data is unlimited data but the hotspot is limited. That's why I said it's a trick to watch on my apple tv using my cellular unlimited data plan.

Hahahaha, ok!
Dear God; I thought you were claiming that you watched it sans internet. Lol.