No iOS 5 for iPhone 3GS?

[SeattleMoose]

When Businessmen Started Running Apple...

Until the iToy revolution, engineers ran Apple and it showed in their products (both HW and SW). It was up until about 10 years ago that the "it just works" phrase was actually "still" true.

Paradoxically, it was the vision of the Apple engineers that resulted in revolutionary new products that caused explosive growth in the company. This quickly attracted the biggest opportunists in business to attach themselves to Apple. Hence, there has been a shift towards decisions (related to design and product line differntiation) based SOLELY on ...growth and profit...as opposed to maximum functionality in products that "just work", and maintaining said products for at least 10 years.

The achilles heel of cut-throat business practices is the erosion both of customer faith and reputation. Businessmen have no vision...beyond next quarters stock performance. In today's world just about every company will fail from being ridden into the ground with bad decisions made by those who have no ong term interest in the company. The company is seen as a "horse", to be ridden into the ground while milking maximum profit in the shortest time. Unfortunately, our whole financial system rewards these "parasite" who almost always come away with huge profits for destroying the companies they infest.

Apple is unfortunately, not immune to this troubling trend.

 

[knownikko]

I don't think that word means what you think it does.

I have a 3rd generation iPod Touch. The hardware isn't that much different than a first generation iPad. I guarantee you the iPad will get iOS 5. The only reason they will do this is because they expect me to upgrade my iPod. They are sadly mistaken.

That's nice.

I have no idea how it relates to you not understanding the concept of fragmentation though.

 

[UCF Sam]

Highly doubtful... The 3GS isn't much slower than the 4. I'd bet anything it will be smilar to what they did when ios4 came out.

iphone 5 = full ios5
iphone 4 = full ios5
iphone 3GS = limited ios5
iphone 3G/iphone = done

 

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

"Wahh... it's forced obsolescence!"

Boobs. The iPhone 4 is a fair amount faster than the 3GS and also features more RAM (an important consideration). The 3GS is starting to show some of its age running the current version of iOS. If iOS 5 makes significant improvements which require the greater processing power of the iPhone 4 (and any future generations) it would just make the 3GS even slower. I'm sure some of the same people complaining would be among the crowd growling at the speed decrease if Apple did offer support.

Apple has a pretty decent history of backward compatibility with its devices and in the cases where it is fairly borderline the fact that they do move on rather than retain backward support with everything is an important factor of what allows them to innovate so quickly.

If the features of iOS 5 are must-haves for you, upgrade your device. Or continue enjoying a device which will continue functioning as reliably as it has in the past—and with all the features you’ve been enjoying since you purchased it.

 

[The LPT]

I think it is surprising because (if true), Apple will only be supporting 1 generation back (5th-gen iPhone + iPhone 4), rather than the current THREE generations (iPhone 4, 3GS, sort of 3G).

IF this is true, one could buy a 3GS on June 5, the day before WWDC and not be able to operate the OS previewed on June 6. That kind of sucks! However, I will reserve judgement until that time...

if it's only 1 day before, and you don't like the news, then return it.

 

[Kernkrafty]

Poor specs

If this is true, it only proves again how bad iPhone specs are. Sign a 2 year contract today with a phone that won't be able to run the next OS coming out soon - that's a joke.

SPECS MATTER!

 

[eye]

Tech isn't meant to last forever. Software updates were not even possible a few years back. You bought a phone with certain features, don't ever expect new features. If you get them, they are a gift. Apple never promised you a lifetime of updates on your raggedy three year old phone.

 

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

Paradoxically, it was the vision of the Apple engineers that resulted in revolutionary new products that caused explosive growth in the company. This quickly attracted the biggest opportunists in business to attach themselves to Apple. Hence, there has been a shift towards decisions (related to design and product line differntiation) based SOLELY on ...growth and profit...as opposed to maximum functionality in products that "just work", and maintaining said products for at least 10 years.

Your theory of businessmen having taken over Apple is, in my view, a pretty poor one. If you could complain about anything it would be Apple deciding to make design decisions with their operating systems which require more resources. I can get on board with some concerns over obsolescence feeling inaccurate, but Apple can also make a good case with avoiding the resources that have to go into some degrees of backward compatibility.

Now one area where backward compatibility is starting to draw a line is in iOS, but if you consider it from a technical perspective that makes sense. In desktop computers there is rather little variation from year to year in a computer's ability to use an operating system and many programs. In the mobile world, however, the iPhone (and other iOS devices) launched at a time where they were struggling to use their operating system at full speed. The technology in these devices was still evolving to perform even basic tasks, such as web browsing, at better speeds. As technology has progressed these devices have become better and better at handling these tasks, and Apple has worked in more and more capabilities into iOS (whether powering a 'retina' display or smoothly scrolling anti-aliased icons and text over a custom user background). For the time being we can expect great progress, and a shorter lifetime for older devices in terms of compatibility with a newer OS. (Not that this story is even necessarily true).

Another thing which people seem to forget: Apple has actually done a very good job of retaining backward compatibility with its operating systems compared to other companies. It has certainly done a better job with OS X than Microsoft has with Windows (with both Windows Vista and 7 being horrible resource hogs). And they introduced a level of OS upgradability to the mobile market which was, prior to that point, unimaginable.

 

[diamond.g]

"Wahh... it's forced obsolescence!"

Boobs. The iPhone 4 is a fair amount faster than the 3GS and also features more RAM (an important consideration). The 3GS is starting to show some of its age running the current version of iOS. If iOS 5 makes significant improvements which require the greater processing power of the iPhone 4 (and any future generations) it would just make the 3GS even slower. I'm sure some of the same people complaining would be among the crowd growling at the speed decrease if Apple did offer support.

Apple has a pretty decent history of backward compatibility with its devices and in the cases where it is fairly borderline the fact that they do move on rather than retain backward support with everything is an important factor of what allows them to innovate so quickly.

If the features of iOS 5 are must-haves for you, upgrade your device. Or continue enjoying a device which will continue functioning as reliably as it has in the past—and with all the features you’ve been enjoying since you purchased it.

What about the iPad 1?

 

[kdarling]

Apple has a pretty decent history of backward compatibility with its devices and in the cases where it is fairly borderline the fact that they do move on rather than retain backward support with everything is an important factor of what allows them to innovate so quickly.

+1

A major reason why Apple was able to leapfrog others with the iPhone, is that they had no legacy phones to stay compatible with... and even if they did, they've shown that they're not afraid to make radical changes.

Either Apple moves forward and let smart developers deal with fragmentation as they have for decades, or Apple stagnates. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

 

[zioxide]

Doubtful, after all--they're still selling the 3GS.

yeah for $49 compared to $200 for the cheapest ip4

 

[Daremo]

Would be a big mistake if they did. Tons of people still have a 3Gs including myself And it would be ridiculous if they're selling a phone that can't run the latest software!

This entices people to upgrade to a newer phone. It doesn't seem like a mistake at all, it seems like smart business for a company. You either buy a new phone, or continue to enjoy the one you have, which is already a fantastic device. Apple doesn't owe anything other then security updates. There's no guarantee of features or software other then what the phone ships with.

 

[seanm9]

3Gs plural of 3G and not 3GS?

Could he mean iPhone3Gs (plural of iPhone3g) and not the iPhone3GS?

 

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

What about the iPad 1?

This is where the comparison gets a little closer and I start to question the accuracy of this rumor, but there are differences between the iPod Touch (third generation) and the original iPad which could place one behind the mark for this update.

Both have the same RAM, but the iPad has a 1 GHz Apple A4 vs. the iPod Touch’s ARM Cortex-A8 833 MHz (underclocked to 600 MHz), for greater speed and a better architecture. IIRC the iPad also has a better class of the PowerVR SGX video chip (someone correct me if I’m wrong on that). Apple would certainly strive to make the iPad compatible (although it will likely render it slower than it currently is, which is a shame) but doing so does not necessarily mean that the third generation iPod Touch would be compatible as well.

 

[atarobert97]

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (iPhone; Opera Mini/6.13548/24.854; U; en) Presto/2.5.25 Version/10.54)

Just hope they dont do this with the Ipad one some time in the future.

 

[diamond.g]

This entices people to upgrade to a newer phone. It doesn't seem like a mistake at all, it seems like smart business for a company. You either buy a new phone, or continue to enjoy the one you have, which is already a fantastic device. Apple doesn't owe anything other then security updates. There's no guarantee of features or software other then what the phone ships with.

I do agree with the concept, but sadly people touted the ability to gain new features via a software update as something that no other smartphone did before it (which is mostly true Symbian withstanding). That part is slowly going away. Apple must have realized that if you leave compatibility for too long you get folks that never see the need to update (see all the folks still on 3G). On the other hand you don't want to go to far in the direction of new phones get new features only, because you made fun of other devices for that same thing.




The part that Apple fails at is the security update portion. Notice how the location DB has been in existence since 4.0 yet only those that can run 4.3 get the fix...

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (iPhone; Opera Mini/6.13548/24.854; U; en) Presto/2.5.25 Version/10.54)

Just hope they dont do this with the Ipad one some time in the future.

if you think that they are going to support the iPad for longer periods of time, be prepared to be disappointed now!

 

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (iPhone; Opera Mini/6.13548/24.854; U; en) Presto/2.5.25 Version/10.54)

Just hope they dont do this with the Ipad one some time in the future.

Don't be surprised if it happens in 2012.

The part that Apple fails at is the security update portion. Notice how the location DB has been in existence since 4.0 yet only those that can run 4.3 get the fix...

Are there devices which can run 4.0 which can’t run 4.3?
Although this wasn’t exactly the most menacing of threats…

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

Don't be surprised if it happens in 2012.


Are there devices which can run 4.0 which can’t run 4.3?
Although this wasn’t exactly the most menacing of threats…

original iphone, iphone 3g

 

[iEvolution]

Part of technology has to happen eventually.

In fact the backwards support they have provided thus far is more than what apple typically does, usually once a new model comes out thats it for the old model getting any updates.

 

[314631]

I agree with the technical comments in here if iOS 5 runs on iPad 1 (and it will) then there's no reason why it couldn't run on iPhone 3GS. iPad 1 has the same RAM as the 3GS, and iPhone 4 has essentially the same processor as the 3GS give or take a few GHz.

But this is just business people. It absolutely makes sense for Apple to deny 3GS customers access to the latest and greatest version of iOS when they have new hardware to sell. You can see from all the sympathetic comments towards Apple that they have very little to lose by screwing customers. Many of their customers believe anything and everything the company does is good for them, even when its patently obviously a moneymaking exercise. That's why Apple is the envy of the business world, and why their shares continue to scale new heights.

Vote with your pockets if you are truly annoyed by what Apple is doing. I certainly wouldn't advise buying the iPhone 4GS since it's going to be a very minor upgrade and will be killed off soon after the iPhone 4 down the road.

 

[jebbe]

Dumb? I already owned an iPhone 4, and wanted to replace a 3GS that I lost and was using as a second phone. I don't think it was a dumb decision to get the $49 offer.
Just want to add that I am happy with the 3GS, whether it gets upgraded to iOS 5 or not. I am planning on selling it when the next model comes out anyway.

I never said you or anyone was dumb for buying the phones, I said most of the people who buy the phones themselves are "dumb" in a sense. Buying the phone itself isn't dumb, I'm all for helping Apple making money for their great products.

 

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

original iphone, iphone 3g

iPhone (original) does not support iOS 4.0 at all.

And thanks about the 3G. It does look like 4.2.1 may have been the cutoff. I guess that becomes a little bit of a difficult gray area as the 3G really never ran happily on 4.x until updated to become somewhat usable. I guess if this was a real security threat I'd be sympathetic.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

iPhone (original) does not support iOS 4.0 at all.

sorry you're right, misread your question and I thought you asked what phones don't support iOS 4.3, the 3G stops at 4.2.1 though

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

Poor argument. That's like saying you are disappointed the iPod classis didn't get iOS 1 when the touch launched. The new apple TV is a completely new paradigm compared to the first 1.

WTF does that have to do with anything? The fact is they were still selling the generation 1 AppleTV units up until Gen2 came out. Even if it's based on iOS, they could still support Gen1 for at least a year after they stop selling it. It's a 'screw you' to anyone that bought one new a few months prior (Apple doesn't announce anything concrete until the last minute and gives no heads up either). There is no physical reason the Gen 1 ATV couldn't do TV show rentals with a minimal change by Apple, for example (the same shows are already available for purchase for ATV1). I didn't expect Netflix or some new feature, but Apple only hurt themselves there since it means I go elsewhere to get TV Shows, even if I have to convert them myself.

In other words, it's one thing to say you're not going to support something that hasn't been made for some time (i.e. PPC), but even then you expect a 'reasonable' level of support on your investment in hardware or you go elsewhere (e.g. Windows) in the future because your investment isn't worth being dumped the same day your warranty runs out, let alone having them dump you two months later after you bought the thing. That's not good business and it's not what some of us had come to expect from Apple. They need to consider they could lose loyal customers, not just think they have an automatic buy for new hardware every time they ditch you. Apple is loaded with cash and yet they're greedier than ever, IMO.