My theory on why apple keeps letting the 4S have the newest updates

[Guinea]

I believe that apple lets iphone 4S users have the newest IOS updates, even though the phone is several years old because, with every update the software cant handle the ammount of processing power required to run it. So, the phone becomes slow and laggy, and the customer goes out and buys a 6S plus. The. End.

 

[bambooshots]

You honestly don't think you're the first guy to come up with this, do you?

 

[Guinea]

You honestly don't think you're the first guy to come up with this, do you?

Not really, just wanted to talk about it

 

[TechGod]

It's not true.

 

[James6s]

7 years old? it was released in 2011.

 

[metsjetsfan]

a lot if people still have them. people who are older and rarely use their phone rarely upgrade. its also brand management. there are much easier ways for them to make the phone laggy

 

[Guinea]

7 years old? it was released in 2011.

I said "Several" not seven.. read more carefully lol

 

[whodatrr]

Supporting older releases is baggage for any software company. More compiles, more complex testing, more design considerations, dealing with limitations, etc. It hampers them to the point that it makes innovation difficult. At some point they have to stop worrying so much about the user experience on these older platforms, because doing so will impact the user experience on newer ones. At that intersection, you'll likely get a release or two that are somewhat painful to endure. After that, the vendor will simply stop supporting it, looking forward instead of back.

C'Este'La vie... this isn't by design, it's just accepted practice. To keep moving forward, at some point, you have to limit how far you look back.

 

[hawon]

If any company can come up with the security patches without upgrade whole OS would be great. My iPhone 5c from work is definitely struggling with iOS 9 but it's a fair trade off since iOS 8 wasn't so good in my opinion.

 

[Gathomblipoob]

Is it National Stream of Consciousness Day already?

 

[AppleFan91]

This thread is poo. Except the picture. Kudos for finding a picture of a snail chilling on an iPhone

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Most likely because they keep selling the 4S, and not giving it the latest update would look bad.

 

[lordofthereef]

If Apple releases an update on legacy hardware it's because they want the hardware to run like crap so people upgrade. If Apple doesn't release an update on legacy hardware it's because they don't want to give people the newest software to entice them to upgrade.

I think you might see where I'm going with this? What is the OP advocating exactly? Is it better to see updates for multiple years or is it better to have Apple drop support after 2-3?

 

[mtneer]

Actually why on earth did you upgrade that phone beyond iOS 6 or maybe 7?? It's well known that newer iOS's tax older phones heavily. Sometimes, I just wish Apple would choose not to support iPhones beyond 1 upgrade, like most Android phones. That way, my phone would feel as snappy as it did on day 1; until the hardware gives out.

 

[asleep]

My 4S still runs beautifully on iOS 6.

 

[eyoungren]

I thought Apple finally killed the 4s when they introduced the 6/6+.

Why are we still talking about this iPhone?!

Do not take my dancing on the iPhone 4/4s' grave away from me!

 

[aiyaaabatt]

It's called "planned obsolescence."

 

[mupet0000]

To be fair, the iPhone 4S was the first iPhone with a dual-core chip. The iPhone 6S also has a dual-core chip, although substantially more powerful, the 4S can still run multithreaded apps, therefore it can technically keep up, although it won't be as fast.

 

[silverblack]

Apple did it because they are being responsible and many iPhone 4S owners would prefer to have the choice to upgrade their phones iOS.

The fact that 4S was included as compatible devices with iOS 9 makes it less obsolete, not the other way around.

4S owners always have the choice not to update. Be grateful that Apple is offering it as an option. Many Android phones users aren't as fortunate.

 

[Small White Car]

In an alternate universe where Apple doesn't provide software updates for old phones...

"You just know that Apple could update these old phones but they don't because they're trying to keep them from gaining any new features so you'll be forced to go out and buy the new phones! It's called planned obsolescence."

 

[Tubamajuba]

In an alternate universe where Apple doesn't provide software updates for old phones...

"You just know that Apple could update these old phones but they don't because they're trying to keep them from gaining any new features so you'll be forced to go out and buy the new phones! It's called planned obsolescence."

Nothing short of magically downloading the latest A-series SoC to every iOS device will keep people from pulling the "planned obsolescence card".

And even then, people will be crying about Apple not including a larger screen in the download!

 

[willmtaylor]

Stop saying "planned obsolescence." Apple supports legacy devices better than any other mobile company. I also see many more older macs still running fine than other PCs (E.g. my wife's 2007 MBP and my 2009 iMac).

What would you suggest as an alternative? No new hardware? No new software for said new hardware? Don't update to newest software or buy the new hardware. End of story.

Good grief.

 

[DomC]

I still don't understand why Apple won't let users decide which OS they want to run on their device with the knowledge they won't get system or app updates with an older OS. New software can still be developed for newer devices and if Apple deems an older device worthy, then users can test it out. If it doesn't work right for them, they could go back to what they want knowing they're freezing themselves out of anything new.

This method seems to work fine with OSX.

 

[doboy]

Apple gets dinged if they upgrade the older phones and they get dinged when they don't. People bitch either way.

 

[redheeler]

Nobody is being forced to update to iOS 9 on the 4s. But they are given the option to do so, in exchange for the latest app support and features. This actually extends the useful life of the 4s, especially as iOS 9 will likely get better over time.