iPhone 4 and iPad 2 likely won't make it.
The 4S and iPad 3rd gen will, and the 5th gen touch will. I suspect all three to not get several of the features presented in iOS 8.
The original iPad Mini will, but may lose out on a feature or two, especially if it includes the M7 or is dependent on A7+.
Keep in mind that the original iPad mini, with only a few exceptions pertinent to hardware differences that likely have nothing to do with whether or not it'll support a newer OS, is very close in spec to the iPad 2, as is the iPhone 4S, as is the fifth generation iPod touch. Of the devices listed, only the iPhone 4 (for having an A4 still) and the third generation iPad (for having double the RAM and beefier graphics in the A5X) are starkly different when it comes to the components that will likely determine what makes the cut here.
That said, they will all likely lose out on a feature or two at least given the A5's age comparable to the A6 and A7.
But why would the 1st gen mini get update but not the iPad 2?
I only see the iPhone 4 not getting iOS8
The iPad 2 didn't get Siri where the first gen mini did. I'm not sure on why that was; might've been the microphones and audio processors used. Again, underlying things like that could be the make or break simply so Apple doesn't have to fork the experience as much.
I guess where this debate gets interesting is that with the A4, you had the original iPad, which didn't make it to iOS 6 due to the resources being limited for the larger screen, the fourth generation iPod touch, which didn't make it to iOS 7 because it didn't have 512MB of RAM, and likely the iPhone 4 which may not make it to iOS 8 due to any number of potential underlying causes.
With the A5, you have four different devices that have each been out on the market for varying lengths of time and, between them, have varying software and hardware features that set them apart from each other. So, it's a little bit less clear as to which criteria will cause some to make it and others not to.
Because historically, each device gets 3 iOS upgrades. Even though they're similar internally, they could hold back iOS 8 from the device as it is now a much older model.
This has not been consistently true. The first generation iPad got two upgrades. The iPad 2 is on its third. The fourth generation iPod touch got two upgrades, as did the third, second, and first. The original iPhone got two upgrades, the 3G got two upgrades (though that last one was hell), the 3GS got three, and it's looking like the 4 will have had three as well. It's not totally consistent.
My iPad 2 won't get iOS 8
but it's been over 3 years anyways (37 months) so I feel like I got my money's worth. It's time to upgrade this bad boy!
Trust me, iPad 2's got way better longevity than the first generation iPad did. And realistically, you'll get better than the third generation as well; though hopefully Apple is good about the fourth gen and the Air.
Realistically, based on how it's been done so far, whatever devices are still being sold (widely?) by Apple at the time that the new OS launches would be supported. As far as iPhones go it'll likely cut out iPhone 4, and as far as iPads go it'll likely cut out iPad 2 (as neither one of those is already being widely sold by Apple.
This is sound. Apple did do the same thing with the fourth generation iPod touch in early last year while leaving them out of the iOS 7 party. Still though, they could pull first generation iPad mini and drop pricing on the retina generation in a week or two, with no warning (just like what was done with the 16GB Fifth Generation iPod touch model and the 128GB Fourth Generation iPad models last year) and boom, there'd go the first generation iPad mini's safety here.
Apple typically supports updates for the devices they are still selling. When I go to the US Apple Store, the iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPhone 4 are not there.
They have also historically updated devices that they are not selling. Hence giving the third generation iPad the iOS 7 update. Hence giving the first generation iPod touch and iPhone iOS 3 support. It happens.
iPad 3 is an interesting one. Was it still on sale when iOS 7 was released? I think it wasn't at the time anymore, but it still got iOS 7 (which makes sense given that iPad 2 even got it, although it was on sale at the time). Not sure if they are treating iPad 3 like iPad 4 more or less given that it sort of replaced it. Perhaps similar to how iPhone 5 will be treated as it's not officially on sale any more, but 5C is pretty much its replacement, so whatever it gets the 5 should be able to get as well.
The third generation iPad wasn't on sale when iOS 7 came out. The processor is much closer to the iPhone 4S, fifth generation iPod touch, iPad 2, and first generation iPad mini than it is to the fourth generation iPad or the iPhone 5/5C, given that the A5X is really just the A5 with double the RAM and more powerful graphics. That being said, RAM was the dealbreaker here for the fourth generation iPod touch, so there you go. Apple does, at times double the RAM requirement from OS to OS.
This is a tricky one because of how many products use the A5
Yeah, I figured this'd make for some fun conjecture. Of course no one knows until June 2nd anyway.
The 4S will, they usually support iPhones for longer.
Probably a safe bet, sure.
The iPod will, because it is the newest model.
Yes, but if they level the iPods and kill the iPod touch, especially in light of the iPhone being on all four major US providers, then all the time in the world can pass and the fifth generation iPod touch will still be the newest one available.
I also believe the iPad Mini will because it has only had iOS 6 and 7, they wouldn't support it for shorter than the original iPhone. The iPad 2 is tricky because it is A5 like the others are, but it is older in comparison, if they didn't discontinue it I would have said yes for sure.
They did cut the first generation iPad a bad deal, but I do agree that two iOS versions does seem to be a bit short. Odds are that there will be something that sets the iPad 2 apart from the others that will cause it to not make the cut. That being said, if that does happen, 8 is likely the end of the line for all of them.
iPad 3 will however get it.
This, I'm pretty confident in too. The extra RAM and graphics will give it an extra stay of execution, but I'm pretty sure that all of the A5/A5X devices will run like crap on 8; it does appear to be the trend.
I'm interested in if the 4S will get iOS 9, if it doesn't it will have shorter support than the 3GS and 4.
3GS: 3, 4, 5, 6
4S (in theory): 5, 6, 7, 8
Nope, same lifespan.
iPhone 4 and iPad 2 are the only ones not getting iOS 8. It's really more based off the time you buy it...
Sort of. Underlying hardware features is definitely important too.
IPad 2 still in. They only just stopped selling it. And there are metric *tons of them at corporate and educational institutions. They'd have mud on their face if they dropped support so soon after schools were still buying them in mass.
Then 2 and 3 both get axed next year for iOS9.
The fourth gen iPod touch had a similar situation last year and it didn't make it to iOS 7, though for a hardware limitation. I'd say the iPad 2 will have a similar thing happen to it this year. Really, it's the first generation iPad mini, iPhone 4S, and fifth generation iPod touch that I'm most curious about.
Um, the iPad 2 will definitely not get iOS 8. It's a four year old device.
Three, actually. But again, it outlasted the first generation iPad, so really, that's not a guaranteed indicator. I do think that you are right though and that it won't get it.
I think all iOS 7 devices will get iOS 8. All these devices have 512MB RAM, and I think iOS 8 will be faster and more optimized than iOS 7.
Certainly a possibility too. Apple did maintain minimum system requirements between Mountain Lion and Mavericks. It's totally feasible that they could pull the same off with iOS 8. I'm not overly optimistic of this, but it's definitely a possibility.
Hopefully it's better optimized for the iPad because of the rushed development with iOS 7.
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The iPad 2 was just killed off, Apple won't support a device it no longer sells by the time of the announcement.
They did this with the third generation iPad last year, and have done this for a number of iPhones and iPod touches over the years.
