What I’d like is app updates uncoupled from OS updates, so that older devices marooned on 16 can still get an updated Messages app without committing to a heavier-weight OS. How much overhead can come from emoji reactions to messages, for example?
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iPadOS 17 Drops Support for These iPads
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I think that the main issue with that is Safari. An outdated browser just increasingly stops working. Mine is on iOS 12 and I have some issues with that. I don’t know how possible that is, they probably use frameworks unavailable on older iOS versions. At this point you start needing the whole update. Also, how far back do you go? Take Safari, which is the main app that stops working. Do you support... what? iPadOS 16 only? How about me on iOS 12? Because if it is just one major version it won’t make too much of a difference. I have an iPhone 6s on iOS 10. Do you allow me to update Safari too? I mean, it’s either very long-term support with the ability to downgrade to any version (including the original!) in case of issues, or it doesn’t make too much of a difference. Even then I think it’s not too possible for other apps, like I said, they probably use unavailable frameworks.
But yeah, I think people can tolerate apps not having features, but not apps failing. Safari fails, it stops loading websites, some even say “unsupported browser”, it starts being more and more useless.
General app compatibility (third-party) is an issue though, because that is the developer’s choice. On iOS 12, you pretty much need to download older versions. So, forget about downloading new apps, and you need to have the app on your purchased tab first, so unless you have downloaded it earlier, you need to have access to a supported device.
As far as I’ve seen, people who deliberately stay behind often give up due to this. You can adapt to almost any lack of features, but you can’t adapt to being unable to use what you need.
iOS 12 on my 9.7-inch iPad Pro is fine for me, but I know that it isn’t fine for everyone. These drawbacks often prevent people from staying behind, or in this case, eventually, sway them to upgrade once the device is unsupported.
For an iPad which is only used for content consumption? You’ll only struggle with Safari. The rest will work for a very long time on any version of iOS.
It seems like Apple continue to support Devices that aren't able to run the latest OS.
You still get security and bugfixes for iOS 15 which I think is great. That way users with older devices can still use them knowing that their device is secure.
Problem I find is that I can't find any written info on how long Apple will support devices that aren't running the latest OS.
If Apple have a new policy to patch older OS, then present how long they will do that so users can plan for when a device isn't receiving updates.
As I indicated in my previous post, I believe Apple provides security updates for the previous version of iOS/iPadOS until the next major version is released (i.e., for approximately one year). As such, I would expect updates for iPadOS 16 to cease in early fall 2024.
It’s kind of random, they updated iOS 12 this year I think, but iOS 10 in July 2019. They only release updates for those devices that cannot run the latest iOS version, and for those iOS versions that have devices running them as their latest update: an iPhone Xʀ running iOS 12.1 cannot update to the latest iOS 12 security update, and iOS 11 gets no updates, which kind of puts into question their “security-minded” approach.
Same. This specific iPad has become my most favorite Apple product ever after the iPhone 5s.
