Which Devices Will iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 Support?

[EugW]

Dropping everything with less than 2GB or RAM / Apple A12 is definitely possible.

The concerning aspect is dropping the A10 in the ipod touch. Apple has done this in the past where they discontinued a model just ahead of WWDC that dropped support for that device (iPod 4 before iOS7 WWDC). They have also dropped two generations worth of devices in a single year too (e.g. iPad 2 and 3 were dropped together, iphone 6/plus and 5S were dropped together in 13)

iOS16 could be A11 and higher

There is absolutely no chance iOS/iPad OS 16 will require A12 or even A11 and higher.

Also, it seems to me that the iPod touch can be ignored, based on Apple's usual support practices. It's like they don't factor that device at all in their support decision making.

As for the iPhone 6, aside from a low cost 32 GB version, it was discontinued in 2016 at the same time as the iPhone 5S, so it's not a major surprise the 5S and 6 lost support at the same time.

 

[saudor]

The problem with this thinking is that it forces me to imagine that Apple would cut the 2017, 2018, and 2019 budget iPads from their support list all at the same time, which just seems… absolutely dramatic.
The fact that they’re supporting all iPads from 2014 and Forward at the moment, and then they might just go with one operating system upgrade “OK we’re cutting off all of the budget ones until 2020” doesn’t seem likely in the slightest. It certainly would upset their millions of education customers, a big market for that budget iPad, Who might’ve bought huge bulk orders of those 2019 budget iPads with the A10 right around the time the pandemic started, and then they find out later that they’re only getting two years of support.
As for The iPod touch, it used an underclocked A10 and it has the 4 inch display, two reasons why it could be discontinued while other A10 Devices stick around

The ipads could be on a different timeline - similar to how the Air 2 still lives on (This used to be the education iPad too). The 2GB ram was of course a big help in that too. We’ve seen this happen even on macbooks where the MacBook regular/air line is kept but the pro variant gets dropped first (!!!) Yet support is added back in by the folks in the unsupported threads really easily.

Hopefully it’s A10+ since those devices are plenty powerful and software isn’t really keeping up with hardware. And apple just wants to get rid of the iPod like they want to get rid of intel

 

[ignatius345]

My iPad Mini 4 is dog slow under iPadOS 15 and I can't imagine it handling 16 at all. Honestly wish I'd stopped updating it several versions ago. The thing felt quite fast and smooth when I first got it but now it's so laggy I kind of hate to even use it.

I really wish Apple could do a better job with newer OS versions on older hardware. The main reason I update is for security and compatibility, but if some new feature is bogging things down I could live without that feature.

I'm not an engineer, and maybe this is all very hard to do -- but it seems pretty lame that if you have a device a few years old your choices are to either 1) forego OS updates and expose yourself to security issues, or 2) keep updating the OS, even as each release becomes more demanding until the device becomes to sluggish to use.

 

[chiimaero]

Apple has gradually increased the lifespan of their devices. The iPhone 6 is the outlier due to having a lack of RAM. The Air 2 was released at the same time and is still supported. Both the 5s and 6s beat it as well.

Of course it is still possible but I don't see it as likely, especially considering dropping 1GB RAM on iOS 13 only affected the 6, but there are many more devices with only 2GB right now.

I think that's not true. At this point in time, both the 6 (lowest support) AND the 6s (highest support) are the outliers.
And thinking that Apple is only increasing the support of their device is likely not true either. We have many weird cases of dropped support with Macs for example. Out of my memory, I the 2012 mbp that was still very capable when they dropped its support.
Again, I think there was some kind of RAM-related logic when dropping support for iOS devices in the past. Maybe it will still be the case this time. But once the oldest supported iPhone has 4GB... ram requirement won't ever be a real pb. Those device are very capable and could run any OS... so it will be up to the marketing to decide when to drop their support. And Apple can very well settle on smth very arbitrary like "5 years of support". Who knows?, could be viable/profitable for them as long.

 

[Flood4]

So a whole article based not on rumor but on « if Apple decided to do that ».

What’s next?

 

[kingtj1971]

6S series had a solid F'in run. Seven years is better than some computers and gaming consoles lol. I still maintain its the best phone Apple made, in terms of longevity. Of course, that can be dethroned here as newer models age. If seven years becomes the norm, I am certainly not complaining.

Gotta agree. I think the 6s was one of the better iPhones Apple made. I knew a lot of people who still opted for an older 6s LONG after they could have purchased a newer model at a reasonable price. (You could get refurbished 6s phones really inexpensively at places like Walmart to use on pre-paid plans, and the small size was what some people really wanted.) I know the batteries started giving on many of them, but that was fixable.

 

[AppleTO]

So a whole article based not on rumor but on « if Apple decided to do that ».

What’s next?

What's wrong with that? It's just to strike up a conversation and get people's opinions.

 

[EugW]

I think that's not true. At this point in time, both the 6 (lowest support) AND the 6s (highest support) are the outliers.
And thinking that Apple is only increasing the support of their device is likely not true either. We have many weird cases of dropped support with Macs for example. Out of my memory, I the 2012 mbp that was still very capable when they dropped its support.
Again, I think there was some kind of RAM-related logic when dropping support for iOS devices in the past. Maybe it will still be the case this time. But once the oldest supported iPhone has 4GB... ram requirement won't ever be a real pb. Those device are very capable and could run any OS... so it will be up to the marketing to decide when to drop their support. And Apple can very well settle on smth very arbitrary like "5 years of support". Who knows?, could be viable/profitable for them as long.

iPhone 6s runs just fine on iOS 15. Not fast by any means, but fine. That would likely be true for iOS 16 too if they chose to support it.

The 2012 MacBook Pro was discontinued in 2013. It got macOS support until 2019, 6 years after it was discontinued, pretty much as expected. To expect official macOS support for that in 2020 (outside of security updates) would be wishful thinking regardless of the performance.

Meanwhile, this post is being typed on a 2014 Mac mini, which is running the latest version of macOS 12 Monterey in 2022. Because it wasn't discontinued until 2018, it wouldn't be a big surprise if this ancient 2014 Mac mini got macOS 13 as well.

 

[chiimaero]

So a whole article based not on rumor but on « if Apple decided to do that ».

What’s next?

Well... you're correct ?

I think this topic is kind of important though as this "long life" support is a key differentiator vs the Android world.
It's also important as it helps us keeping our devices for a longer period of time. Which is good for our wallet and good for the planet. I honestly think Apple kind of hit a sweetspot with this 5 or more years of support. Now that iPhones are monsters, they really could be ok for an even longer period of time.

So, what will happen with iOS16 is very important. Will Apple double down on their "as long as we can" approach or will they move to "5 years is enough"? Kind of important when spending $1500+ on a phone...

 

[siddavis]

iPhones will support iOS16
iPads will support iPadOS16
Sorry, couldn't resist

 

[siddavis]

If Apple supports older devices with iOS16 and performance degrades, EU will sue.
If Apple drops iOS16 support for older devices, EU will sue.

 

[mi7chy]

My phones have 12GB DRAM which is more than most Macs so they're going to be good for at least 10 years.

 

[bniu]

I remember being so annoyed at that time when my 4th gen touch didn't support iOS 7, but the iPhone 4 did. Probably dodged a bullet there. Lol

4th gen touch only had 256MB of RAM, iPhone 4 had 512MB of RAM. Even first gen iPad didn’t get iOS 6 or much less iOS 7 even though it also had the A4 chip, but only 256MB RAM. iPhone 3GS also missed iOS 7 because of 256MB of RAM.

I think a cleaner cutoff would be Big.Little architecture being the minimum, so A9/A8 based systems are all given the boot.

This would mean iPod touch 7G, iPhone 7 and later, iPad 6 and later, iPad mini 5 and later, iPad Air 3 and later and iPad Pro 2 and later.

On the tvOS side, it’s a different story, much less beefy OS can keep taking A8.

I can see a later revision of iOS moving the bar to A12 and later for ML, which also incidentally would raise the RAM floor to 3GB.

 

[Born2Run]

What if they dropped the iPod Touch because they’re releasing a new iPod similar to the Classic but has streaming & bluetooth capabilities? ?

 

[contacos]

To be honest I think they will do another carryover year so anything that support iOS15 will get iOS16 and then next year drop support for anything that doesn't have A12 or above due to the ML cores in the A12. iOS15 already disables many features for A11 and earlier devices.

iPad Air 2 is already Vintage now. No way will it get iOS 16

 

[Paddle1]

I think that's not true. At this point in time, both the 6 (lowest support) AND the 6s (highest support) are the outliers.
And thinking that Apple is only increasing the support of their device is likely not true either. We have many weird cases of dropped support with Macs for example. Out of my memory, I the 2012 mbp that was still very capable when they dropped its support.
Again, I think there was some kind of RAM-related logic when dropping support for iOS devices in the past. Maybe it will still be the case this time. But once the oldest supported iPhone has 4GB... ram requirement won't ever be a real pb. Those device are very capable and could run any OS... so it will be up to the marketing to decide when to drop their support. And Apple can very well settle on smth very arbitrary like "5 years of support". Who knows?, could be viable/profitable for them as long.

The 6s fits a pattern that has been going on since the 3GS where each S model adds 1 extra version.
3GS = 4
4s = 5
5s = 6
6s = 7

That's why I consider the A8 devices (including the iPad Air 2 and mini 4) to be the outliers.

 

[EugW]

The 6s fits a pattern that has been going on since the 3GS where each S model adds 1 extra version.
3GS = 4
4s = 5
5s = 6
6s = 7

That's why I consider the A8 devices (including the iPad Air 2 and mini 4) to be the outliers.

Yeah, these A8/A8X iPads are outliers because they were around for so long.

The iPad Air 2 was released in 2014, and wasn't discontinued until 2017.
The iPad mini 4 was released in 2015, and wasn't discontinued until 2019.

It should be noted that despite the fact that the iPad mini 4 has a slightly older chip and is considerably slower than the iPad Air 2, the iPad Air 2 is now vintage but the iPad mini 4 is not.

 

[mtrm]

What would apples public disclosure of ram have to do with creating a cut off for ram requirements?

My point was, to the eyes of the consumers, the 7 and 7 plus are identical devices, with one having an extra camera sensor and a larger screen. I don’t think it would be easy to justify dropping support for one and not for the other based solely on those differences.

At the end of the day we are all just speculating. We can all come up with a million different arguments as to why X device should be kept or dropped. At the end of the day, it’s what Apple decides that matters, and to some extent that appears to be somewhat discretionary, especially on the Mac lineup.

 

[PC_tech]

Nm

 

[WilliApple]

I really dont think Apple would keep the 7 Plus supported if they deprecated the regular 7. My 7 is aging, and I predicted last year that it would end support this year.

 

[Realityck]

No way they will drop support for the iPhone 7, despite its 2 GB RAM. It wasn't discontinued until 2019.
No way they will drop support for the iPad 6th gen, despite its 2 GB RAM. It wasn't discontinued until 2019.
No way they will drop support for the iPad mini 4, despite its 2 GB RAM. It wasn't discontinued until 2019.

Given we all been demanding better GUI features, the mini 4 was still A8 based and is noticeable slower when scrolling compared to mini 5. It’s also a example of a Sept 2015 model, where Apple didn’t update it to March 2019. Yes it’s actually represents a another example of Apple not updating the iPad for a very long period, so I would not be shocked by it being cutoff, it’s 6 1/2 years old.

 

[kiranmk2]

Gotta agree. I think the 6s was one of the better iPhones Apple made. I knew a lot of people who still opted for an older 6s LONG after they could have purchased a newer model at a reasonable price. (You could get refurbished 6s phones really inexpensively at places like Walmart to use on pre-paid plans, and the small size was what some people really wanted.) I know the batteries started giving on many of them, but that was fixable.

I remember the iPhone 6s got a lot of hate when it came out for being boring and not really offering much above the 6. I appreciated the addition of the fast A9, 2 GB memory, Touch IDv2 and force touch and I prefer to get 'S phones as they tend to be better built and features that although less sexy, mean the phone supports new software for longer (much longer in the case of the 6s)

 

[ackmondual]

I think most people have iOS update burnout and couldn’t care less about iOS 16 or beyond. They just want their phone to work, be bug free, and stop nagging them all the time.

Yes! So very much this! I generally avoid the "there's going to be a new version of iOS" articles here on MR. TBF, I was not really their target audience. Details below...

When I had my Ipod Touch 3, I liked how going from (IIRC) ios3 to ios4 finally let me create folders and better organize my apps! (not to sound like that guy, but my Samsung Galaxy s2, running Android 2.3.6 was able to do that from the start, and it also has that "apps drawer" system).

Otherwise, for that, and my IpT4 and IpT5, even though I got them as they came out, most of the features were only applicable for iPhones (vibration, cellular, and other features only for iPHones due to architecture, or other restrictions)

I got my iPad Air (1st gen, 2013 model) in 2016 (it was used condition, half off!). Still didn't pay much heed. My 9th gen iPad is recent, still gets updates, and I still not really excited (although when we know more, I'll go over the list of features).

.

TBF, I do this with Android as well. My Google Pixel 4A went from Android 10 to Android 12 since when it first came out. While I'm still lethargic there, it isn't as often as iOS updates, so not really burnt out there (yet)

Oh, ditto with Windows. I won't update to a new major version of Windows until I just get a new PC.

 

[jimimac71]

Well... you're correct ?

I think this topic is kind of important though as this "long life" support is a key differentiator vs the Android world.
It's also important as it helps us keeping our devices for a longer period of time. Which is good for our wallet and good for the planet. I honestly think Apple kind of hit a sweetspot with this 5 or more years of support. Now that iPhones are monsters, they really could be ok for an even longer period of time.

So, what will happen with iOS16 is very important. Will Apple double down on their "as long as we can" approach or will they move to "5 years is enough"? Kind of important when spending $1500+ on a phone...

My iPad 7 is refurbished and still under warranty until November. It is on the fringe of getting iPad OS 16.
My Samsung tablet was purchased new, also 2019. Came with Android 9, then 10, then 11.
Game over. I will probably loose all support, even security, this year.
It is a ridiculous bandwagon everyone seems to be converting to.
Chromebooks are as expensive as the MacBook Air. I'm mean ... Really!
They get something like 7 years support.
My 2015 Dell AIO PC (Windows 10) will keep support from Microsoft until after it is 10 years old. That's more like it.
I have a $50 flip phone. Apple would be out of business if they needed to depend on people like me.
Apple has completely forgotten how close Steve Jobs came to the end of his company in the 1990s.
Now they could care less just how fast they empty people's pockets.
Then again, that is the new norm with technology.
Oh, there is one exception ... Linux. It still runs on a 4-slice toaster. <grin>
More seriously, Linux has mostly abandoned 32-bit, but not completely.
That's a long time back!

 

[EugW]

I remember the iPhone 6s got a lot of hate when it came out for being boring and not really offering much above the 6. I appreciated the addition of the fast A9, 2 GB memory, Touch IDv2 and force touch and I prefer to get 'S phones as they tend to be better built and features that although less sexy, mean the phone supports new software for longer (much longer in the case of the 6s)

Hmmm... The 6s was a huge improvement over the 6. Maybe some people complained it wasn't much of an upgrade, but a lot of people here were extremely pleased with the improvements, myself included. In fact, I specifically skipped the iPhone 6 because of its limitations.

Given we all been demanding better GUI features, the mini 4 was still A8 based and is noticeable slower when scrolling compared to mini 5. It’s also a example of a Sept 2015 model, where Apple didn’t update it to March 2019. Yes it’s actually represents a another example of Apple not updating the iPad for a very long period, so I would it be shocked by it being cutoff, it’s 6 1/2 years old. So don’t be shocked.

I think you are missing a "not" in your post.

Truthfully, I wouldn't be shocked if the iPad mini 4 is dropped. Even though I'm 100% sure the iPad 6 will get iOS 16, I'm not as sure with the iPad mini 4, since it's so far out as an outlier, and an older machine. A8 is slow.

My iPad 7 is refurbished and still under warranty until November. It is on the fringe of getting iPad OS 16.

iPad 7 is 100% going to get iPadOS 16. No question about that at all. In fact, I'd be surprised if it didn't get iPadOS 17.