iOS 15 Rumored to Drop Support for iPhone 6s and 2016 iPhone SE

[MacRumors]

Apple's upcoming iOS 15 operating system, which we expect to see unveiled in June, is rumored to be dropping support for a few of Apple's older iPhones.

According to French site iPhoneSoft, iOS 15 will not be able to be installed on the iPhone 6s, the iPhone 6s Plus, or the 2016 iPhone SE, all of which have an A9 chip.

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus were introduced in 2015 and are now more than five years old, so it is not a surprise that the smartphones are not expected to be able to run iOS 15. If the rumors are true, these iPhones will not be able to be updated past iOS 14.

iOS 15 will run on the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and all newer iPhones that have been released, making it compatible with devices that have an A10 chip or newer. The seventh-generation iPod touch has an A10 chip, so it should be able to run iOS 15.

As for the iPad, iPadOS 15 could perhaps drop support for the iPad mini 4 (2015), iPad Air 2 (2014), and iPad 5 (2017), equipped with A8, A8X, and A9 chips, respectively. All newer iPads are expected to support the update.

This is the second time that we've heard that iOS 15 will not be available on the iPhone 6s and the iPhone SE, as Israeli site The Verifier said the same thing back in November.

Article Link: iOS 15 Rumored to Drop Support for iPhone 6s and 2016 iPhone SE

 

[jz0309]

Not really surprising... by the time of release, 6 years of upgrades is not bad...

 

[Jon80]

I’m sure many won’t believe me, but i’m blown away by the speed and stability of my iPad 5 A9 chip on iOS 14. It feels no different to my iPhone XS, with the exception of reloading apps more with the limited ram.

 

[Havalo]

6S and SE is susceptible to COVID-19, better upgrade.

 

[JCCL]

6S and SE is susceptible to COVID-19, better upgrade.

What?

 

[yellow8]

In a few years, I won't have to bother developing apps for the iPhone SE small screen.
Will make my life easier! But for now, I certainly won't drop support!

 

[Geepaw]

Apple is a great company and has provided five long years of support!!!! I love my phone and I hope you do as well.

 

[TheSkywalker77]

And people are still going to say Apple has planned obsolescence and is forcing you to upgrade after 5 years of software updates. Just continue using your android phone that’ll get 2, maybe 3 years of updates.

 

[hybrid_x]

I got my iPhone SE four years ago in March, so it's had a good run. Still a rock solid phone that has taken almost everything I've thrown at it.

That said, the cameras are pretty average, and if I'm going to upgrade, I'm probably going to treat myself to the 12 Pro instead of the standard model. It's either that or a DSLR, but as I remember reading years ago, the camera that takes the best photos is the one you actually have with you. A DSLR would no doubt sit in a bag at home most of the time.

 

[mtnmac26]

sounds like A9 will be dropped - curious about A9X iPad Pro support? 🤔

 

[dsquared81]

If this were to happen and iOS15 is already released, would we still be able to update an SE to ios14? Mine is still on ios11.

 

[Red Oak]

Amazing how long Apple supports their devices vs. Android. Over time, that will result in material market share gains. I have friends who were on Android for 10 years who recently switched. Never thought I'd see that

 

[b13o0r12e3]

5 years of support for phones is great, but my prehistoric G4 still works awesome thanks to the heroes at TenFourFox! How's that for longevity, IE?

 

[cygy2k]

And people are still going to say Apple has planned obsolescence and is forcing you to upgrade after 5 years of software updates. Just continue using your android phone that’ll get 2, maybe 3 years of updates.

Amazes me how people think Apple should provide updates for eternity. I don't know of any competitor that provides support and updates for half as long as Apple, let alone on a budget device like the SE.

Besides, the device still works perfectly fine, you just won't get new features or upgrades. This whole planned obsolescence thing is BS from people that don't understand progress and technology.

 

[sw1tcher]

I’m sure many won’t believe me, but i’m blown away by the speed and stability of my iPad 5 A9 chip on iOS 14.

I upgraded to iOS 14.3 over the weekend and it's running fine on my 1st gen iPhone SE (A9 chip too). The only slightly annoying issue is it is now slower at picking up Wi-Fi signals and auto joining them. Not a big issue as it's used mainly as a back-up device for listening to audio while running or at home. Other than that, so far so good. Added bonus is no more annoying "a new iOS update is now available" messages.

 

[Christoffee]

And people are still going to say Apple has planned obsolescence and is forcing you to upgrade after 5 years of software updates. Just continue using your android phone that’ll get 2, maybe 3 years of updates.

My Android-mad dad says this. My mum is rocking a 6 Max and an old iPad, both of which are 5+ years old. In the same time my dad is on his second phone and third tablet.

 

[azentropy]

The original SE and 6s makes sense. 2017 iPad seems a bit early.

 

[sw1tcher]

Ah, yes, the economics of forced obsolescence strikes again.

Um... iPhone SE and 6s aren't going to stop working the day Apple stops updating iOS for it.

 

[currentinterest]

Well, the iPhone 12 mini will likely drop to $599 at that point making an upgrade to a small(ish) form factor more palatable.

 

[Geepaw]

Um... iPhone SE and 6s aren't going to stop working the day Apple stops updating iOS for it.

Never said it would.... Cutting off support suggests that Apple is making a decision based on economics rather than user experience. But, yes, the phones are completely functional otherwise.

 

[citysnaps]

Ah, yes, the economics of forced obsolescence strikes again.

I hear ya bro, being the owner of a perfectly good and working Mac IIci.

 

[sw1tcher]

I don't know of any competitor that provides support and updates for half as long as Apple, let alone on a budget device like the SE.

Samsung Galaxy S series and Google Pixel devices get 3 years of OS updates. That's at least half as long as Apple.

Qualcomm and Google are now working together to guarantee at least 4 years of OS updates.

Pixel devices are priced similarly to the SE (i.e. mid-range).

And now you know.

 

[Mr. Dee]

If they still were releasing devices up to 2017 with A8 and A9, then I don't think they would drop support just yet. I am biased of course since I still have a 6s, which I use as a backup when battery is low on my X. Anyway, its got a good run, I think it originally originally came with iOS 9. Six revisions is definitely a significant amount of support.

Apple is gonna be in a bit of a bind when it comes to later devices like the iPhone X. I can easily see my X going all the way up to iOS 19. Unless they do planned obsolescence.

 

[7thson]

I love news like this. It starts out like, “aww man that really sucks!” Then you realize that device will be 6 years old and that’s a good run of software updates. Relative to the competition in smart phones that is.

 

[mannyvel]

Never said it would.... Apple is simply stopping security support which makes use of the device ever so slightly more risky. That is an incentive for people to upgrade. Not really a controversial observation. It's a decision based on economics anyway you slice it. But, yes, the phones are completely functional otherwise.

Actually, they may not stop security updates. Heck, they released a GPS update for the iPhone 1 a few years ago.

That said, it'll still be more secure than almost any Android phone you can buy.