Every so often, Apple rolls out a brand new version of its mobile operating system. Commonly referred to as iOS, the company will be unveiling an update known as iOS 13 in the future. While previous updates have been supported on most models of Apple’s iPhone or iPad devices, it appears the new one may not.
A report via Forbes indicates that there is a report circulating that iOS 13 support won’t be available for specific devices. These include iPhone 5s, iPhone SE, iPhone 6 or the iPhone 6 Plus. Additionally, the new iOS is rumored to not be supported for the iPad mini 2 or iPad Air. That could leave a number of customers stuck relying upon the older operating system, with certain apps no longer functioning properly.
A potential reason for the lack of support on these older devices may be Apple’s desire to force customers to upgrade. Unfortunately, many customers may not want to purchase a new smartphone, so it will be interesting to see if this ends up working in the company’s favor.
Per a Hypebeast report, the iPhone 6 range of smartphones is the company’s “best-selling generation.” The estimates are 220 million total units sold for that model range. It’s also worth noting that anyone who owns the iPhone SE, a smartphone billed as a cheaper option, would lose support for new iOS updates. That phone has been available to customers for just three years.
Still, Forbes’ Gordon Kelly mentions in his report that Apple has given iPhone customers much more extensive updates as compared to what Google gives its smartphone users. Kelly notes that iPhone 6 users have been able to get five generations of iOS updates, while Google guarantees just “three generations of Android support” for Pixel phones. Even so, one has to think iPhone SE customers may be stung the most by this news if it pans out.
Apple’s latest smartphone models are the iPhone Xr and iPhone Xs. The Xr is advertised on Apple’s website as available for $18.99 per month, or $449. That involves trading in an older model of smartphone at the Apple Store with the iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 listed on the site as eligible trade-ins for that Xr price level. Based on the reports going around, both of those older models of the iPhone are expected to support the new iOS 13, though.
Dil Bole Oberoi
