How much longer will the iPhone 5 hang on?

[Retired Cat]

iOS 8 does not support iPhone 4. Ars Technica indicated that the 4S felt a bit sluggish on iOS 8.

If the current pattern holds, iOS 8 will be the last major update for the 4S, and iOS 9 next year will be the last for the iPhone 5.

I just hope Apple doesn't decide to go 64-bit only next year…

 

[icowboys]

It'll last as long as these 6's. Same 1GB of ram. It even has more room since its 32bit.

 

[unagimiyagi]

The iPhone 5 is still extremely fast. It feels faster than most Android phones.

 

[mtneer]

It will hold on just as fast as it is now, as long as you don't upgrade iOS! It's not like you will get all the fancy schmancy features anyways..

 

[Retired Cat]

How much longer will the iPhone 5 hang on?

It will hold on just as fast as it is now, as long as you don't upgrade iOS! It's not like you will get all the fancy schmancy features anyways..

The problem is that Apple stops issuing updates to older versions of iOS. This can leave older phones with serious security flaws if they aren't running the newest iOS major release.

 

[sunking101]

The problem is that Apple stops issuing updates to older versions of iOS. This can leave older phones with serious security flaws.

There have been several unpatched security issues for years ;-)
Nobody will stop them. Anyway, how long do you want the i5 to go on for? It is two years old now and will be supported for a further two years.

 

[Retired Cat]

There have been several unpatched security issues for years ;-)

Nobody will stop them. Anyway, how long do you want the i5 to go on for? It is two years old now and will be supported for a further two years.

I'm not sure how long a phone should last. Before my iPhone, I had a flip phone that I used for about four years. That flip phone still works.

I doubt Apple will say, but I would like to know when they will drop 32-bit support.

 

[eyoungren]

There are plenty of people using an original iPhone out there.

There are plenty of iPhone 3GS's still being used. One of my friends has my sister's old 3GS as his primary phone. iOS 6.1.6 max (an iOS I'd like to be back on I might add).

The iPhone 4/4s are the undead iPhones. This series will not die. 2011 came and went and they are still here and still being used by many people as primary phones. Apple killed off the iPhone 5 in favor of the 4s.

Everyone's needs and uses for an iPhone are different. Not everyone needs an iPhone to run the latest version of iOS and not everyone is concerned about security patches or vulnerabilities.

My own iPhone 5 is still going, two years after launch day and is my primary phone. Unfortunately for me, it's running iOS 7 (it was a replacement for my iOS 6 iPhone 5) so I'm stuck on this god-awful version of iOS.

 

[rdy0329]

I might take a guess and say iOS X will be the last update for the 5 by RAM alone. Its quite fast and fluid still and 5c is based off the 5 so it makes sense to support both for an extended period.

Though the roadmap is unclear. iOS 10 should be an overhaul, I hope! (Not iOS 7 redesign btw).

 

[sunking101]

I might take a guess and say iOS X will be the last update for the 5 by RAM alone. Its quite fast and fluid still and 5c is based off the 5 so it makes sense to support both for an extended period.

Though the roadmap is unclear. iOS 10 should be an overhaul, I hope! (Not iOS 7 redesign btw).

Same RAM in the iPhone 6 and 6+...