IPhone se max iOS. 5 Things to Know About the iOS 15.7.3 Update

Things to Know About the iOS 15.7.3 Update

In this guide we’ll walk you through iOS 15.7.3’s changes, the software’s performance, iOS 15.7.3 problems, the iOS 15.7.3 jailbreak status, and more. We’ll start with some quick thoughts on iOS 15.7.3’s performance.

iOS 15.7.3 Review

If your iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, or iPhone 7 Plus is currently running iOS 15.7.2, you’ll see the smallest iOS 15.7.3 download size.

The exact size of the iOS 15.7.3 download depends on your iPhone model and the version of iOS it’s currently running. If your iPhone is running an older version of iOS, you may see a bigger download because your update comes with the changes from the updates you skipped.

If you’re moving up from iOS 15.7.2, the installation process should take 10 minutes or less to complete. It took about six minutes to install on an iPhone 7.

We’ve been using iOS 15.7.3 on an iPhone 7 for a few days now and here’s what we’ve learned about the software’s performance thus far:

• Battery life is stable.
• Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable.
• Bluetooth is working normally.
• GPS and cellular data are both stable.

App Performance

• Third-party apps including Netflix. Slack, Asana, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are working fine at the moment.
• First party apps like Safari and Podcasts are also stable.

If your iPhone has been plagued with bugs and/or performance issues on iOS 15.7.2 or an older version of iOS 15, you might want to install the iOS 15.7.3 update on your iPhone today.

If you need help making a decision, check out our reasons to, and not to, install the iOS 15.7.3 update on your iPhone right now.

iOS 15.7.3 Problems

The iOS 15.7.3 update is causing problems for some iPhone users. Some of these problems are brand new while others have carried over from older versions of iOS.

The current list of iOS 15.7.3 problems includes abnormal battery drain, installation issues, Wi-Fi problems, Bluetooth issues, UI lag, issues with Touch ID, and issues with first and third-party apps.

If you run into a problem on iOS 15.7.3, have a look at our list of fixes for the most common iOS 15 problems. We’ve also released some tips that could help you improve your phone’s performance and some tips that could help you fix bad iOS 15 battery life.

Apple stopped signing on iOS 15.7.2 which means you can’t move your iPhone’s software back to the previous version of iOS 15 if iOS 15.7.3 starts causing problems. You can’t downgrade to anything older than iOS 15.7.2 either.

Keep this in mind if you’re having a good experience on iOS 15.7.2 or older. Once you make the move to iOS 15.7.3, you won’t be able to get back.

For more on the downgrade process, check out our guide.

iOS 15.7.3 Features

Apple’s most recent point upgrades (x.x.x) have been focused on patching up security issues and that’s exactly what iOS 15.7.3 brings to older iPhones.

The official change log notes the update brings important security patches to iPhone users and you can learn more about those over on Apple’s security site.

iOS 15.7.3 doesn’t have any known features or bug fixes on board.

iOS 15.7.3 Jailbreak

Developers have finally released a tool that’s compatible with iOS 15 and iOS 16, but it only works with select iPhone models.

The new palera1n jailbreak is based on checkm8 and it works with all versions of iOS between iOS 15.0 and iOS 16.2. Currently, it only works with iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

There aren’t a ton of tweaks available yet and there are some caveats, but at least a jailbreak option is now available to those who still love to jailbreak.

What’s Next

It’s unclear if iOS 15.7.3 will be Apple’s final version of iOS 15. Apple could choose to push additional versions of iOS 15 later this year, but that hasn’t been confirmed.

Apple likely won’t push additional iOS 15 upgrades to iPhone 8 and newer going forward. That being said, we could still see releases for the iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, and iPhone SE.

The company’s released its new iOS 16 operating system and the software is currently available to download right now if you own a compatible iPhone model (iPhone 8 and later).

For more about the iOS 16 update, take a look at our guide.

Install iOS 15.7.8 for Better Security

If security is important to you, you’ll want to think about installing Apple’s iOS 15.7.8 update right away.

iOS 15.7.8 has 10 security patches on board. These patches are essential if you want to keep your device and its data safe from harm. Apple’s outlined the changes in detail and they’re worth a look before you tap install.

As for older updates, iOS 15.7.7 brought three security patches to iPhone models lingering on iOS 15. For more about them, head over to Apple’s security site.

iOS 15.7.6 had several security updates on board. For more information about those patches, head here.

The iOS 15.7.5 update patched up actively exploited vulnerabilities making it an extremely important upgrade for your iPhone. To learn more about the patches, check out Apple’s guide.

iOS 15.7.4 brought important security fixes to older iPhone models as well. If you want to learn more about these changes, check out Apple’s guide.

iOS 15.7.3 also brought a batch of security patches to iPhone. You can learn more about these changes right here.

iOS 15.7.2 brought numerous patches along with it. For more about them, head over to Apple’s website for more details.

iOS 15.7.1 update brought 17 security patches with it while iOS 15.7 delivered 11 security patches to iPhone. If you want a look at the details, head over to Apple’s security site for more information.

If you missed iOS 15.6.1, it had two security patches on board. You can read more about the pair on Apple’s website.

If you missed Apple’s iOS 15.6 update, it had 30 security upgrades on board. You can learn more about them right here.

If you missed iOS 15.5 it brought 27 new security patches to the iPhone. You can learn more about these patches over on Apple’s security site.

If you missed iOS 15.4.1, it had one new security patch on board. You can read more about it over on Apple’s website.

If you missed the iOS 15.4 update, it had a whopping 36 new security patches on board. If you want to learn more about these patches, head on over to Apple’s security site for the particulars.

If you missed iOS 15.3.1, it had one security patch on board. For more about it, head over to Apple’s security page.

If you missed iOS 15.3, you’ll also get its patches with your upgrade. iOS 15.3 brought 10 new security patches to iPhone users. If you’re interested in the details, you can read more about them right here.

If you missed iOS 15.2.1, you’ll get its security patch with your upgrade. You can learn more about the change over on Apple’s website.

If you missed Apple’s iOS 15.2 update, you’ll get its 30 security patches with your upgrade. You can read all about them over on the company’s security site.

iOS 15.2 also included some important upgrades to privacy. The software brought the company’s App Privacy Report to Settings. This lets you see how often your apps have accessed your location, photos, camera, microphone, contacts and more during the last seven days. You can also see their network activity.

In addition, iOS 15.2 brought Apple’s communication safety features for kids. You’ll find these features in the Messages app, in Siri, in Spotlight, and in Search.

If you missed iOS 15.1, iOS 15.7.8 will bring its security patches to your iPhone. You can read more about them on Apple’s website.

If you missed iOS 15.0.2 you’ll also get its security patch with your upgrade. You can learn more about it right here.

iOS 15.0 also brought numerous security patches to your iPhone. If you’ll be moving up from iOS 14 and you’re interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple’s security website.

Apple’s updated its website with new information about iOS 15’s batch of security patches. The company now says the software patched up an issue that could have exposed a user’s private Apple ID information and in-app search history. It also says iOS 15 patched up an issue that allowed apps to override Privacy preferences.

If you skipped iOS 14.8 or any older versions of iOS, you’ll get the security patches from those updates with your iOS 15.7.8 update as well.

In addition to those patches, iOS 15 comes with some security and privacy upgrades including improvements to Siri. Requests made to Siri are now processed on the device itself using Neural Engine. This makes it more secure.

If you’re an Apple Card user, you’ll now get a security code that changes regularly to use when you make online transactions.

Apple’s also included a built-in authenticator that’s similar to Google Authenticator. This will let you generate verification codes for enhanced sign-in security under your Passwords.

There’s also a Mail feature that hides your IP address.

How to downgrade iOS to previous version?

Summary :Are you stuck with the new iOS malfunctioning or bugs? Want to downgrade to the older version? This post shares safe methods to downgrade iOS without data loss. You can apply these methods on all iPhones including iPhone 12, iPhone 11, iPhone SE, iPhone XS, iPhone 8 and below variants.

Apple users are usually tempted to upgrade to the latest iOS version as soon it is released. But not every upgrade is a seamless experience. After the iOS 14 upgrade, numerous complaints poured in, ranging from apps not working, battery issues, non-functional widgets, device crash, Bluetooth/ Wi-Fi connectivity, and more. The iOS 14 bugs were freaking out the users. However, there’s always a way to go back to your usual old iOS in such scenarios.

But here’s a clause. There’s only a limited time window for you to downgrade iOS as Apple needs to ‘sign’ the old version of iOS before you downgrade. And Apple usually stops signing the older iOS version within a few days of the new iOS release.

For instance, Apple stopped signing for the iOS 13 version after the release of iOS 14. In case you want to downgrade from iOS 15 beta to iOS 14, Apple, as for now (at the time of publishing this blog), permits it.

So before following this post to downgrade iOS, first check if Apple allows downgrading to your desired older iOS version.

How to downgrade iOS to older version

If you have decided to go back to the previous iOS, you can easily do it. But remember there’s the biggest risk is of losing your iPhone/ iPad data as the process completely wipes iPhone data.

Backing up iPhone to iCloud or iTunes after upgrading to the latest iOS doesn’t help as this backup file won’t work once you have downgraded to the older iOS. Hence, you should have a backup before the new iOS was installed to be able to restore iPhone after downgrading. Else you lose all data.

Secure methods to downgrade iOS:

• Use Recovery Mode
• Install older iOS using iTunes
• Delete the iOS beta profile

Note: Ensure the following before you downgrade iOS:

• Install the latest iTunes on your computer.
• Update your Windows or macOS.
• Backup your iPhone data

Method 1. Downgrade iOS using Recovery Mode

You can install the older version of iOS using Recovery Mode. The recovery steps vary with the iPhone model.

How to downgrade from iOS beta using Recovery Mode

• Update to the latest iTunes on your Mac or PC.
• Download older iOS version from Apple website.
• Connect your iPhone or iPad to the computer and put the iOS device to Recovery Mode. Follow the below steps to Recovery Mode based on your iOS device.

iPhone 8 and above users: Press and release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Press the Side button until the iPhone shows the Recovery Mode screen.

iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPod touch (7th generation) users: Press together Sleep/Wake and Volume Down buttons until the Apple logo appears, followed by the Recovery Mode screen.

iPhone 6s and below users: Press together the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons until the Apple logo appears followed by the Recovery Mode screen.

iPad Pro with Face ID: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Press and hold the Top button for the device to restart. Continue to press the Top button until the iPad goes into Recovery Mode.

• Once the iOS device enters the Recovery Mode, iTunes asks to either Restore or Update your iOS device. Select Restore. This erases your iPhone or iPad installing the older iOS.
• After the Restore process finishes, the Hello screen appears. Now, setup your iOS device. Next, restore your data from iCloud backup or local backup on computer.

In an unfortunate event of failed iPhone data recovery from iTunes or iCloud after the downgrade, immediately use Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone. The software can retrieve lost photos, videos, contacts, messages, call logs, chats, etc.

Method 2. Use iTunes to go back to old iOS

Another method to downgrade iOS is via iTunes. Ensure you are using the latest iTunes version.

How to downgrade iOS using iTunes:

• On your iOS device, navigate to Settings iCloud Find my iPhone. Turn off Find my iPhone.
• Download the previous iOS version from Apple website.
• Connect your iPhone/ iPad running on new iOS, say, iOS 15 beta to the computer.
• Launch iTunes on your computer and select your device. In case you are using macOS Catalina, open a new Finder window to access your iPhone/ iPad instead of iTunes.
• Click on Summary on the left.
• Hold Shift key in Windows or the Alt/Option key in Mac and select the Check for Update option.
• In the dialog box, select the iOS 14 IPSW file. Click Update when prompted to update iPhone/ iPad to iOS 14. Your device is now downgraded from iOS 15 to iOS 14. Setup your iPhone/ iPad and restore the iPhone data from backup files.

Method 3: Delete the iOS beta profile

In case you have downloaded the beta version of the iOS, you can delete it from your iPhone. By using this method, you won’t be able to use your iOS device until the next software update is released.

However, you can remove the public iOS beta version by deleting the beta profile and wait until Apple releases the next update.

Steps to remove new iOS on your iPhone/ iPad:

• Navigate to Settings General.
• Click Profiles Device Management.
• Tap the iOS Beta Software Profile.
• Tap Remove Profile
• Restart your iOS device.

Whenever the next iOS is released by Apple, install it by from Settings General Software Update on your iPhone.

Wrapping Up

The iOS upgrade is freaking you out. Glitches don’t stop after the upgrade. It’s better to install the older iOS version. But be aware of the risk of data loss involved. Ensure you have a backup of the older iOS version, or you should be ready to use your iPhone after a factory reset.

Hope you found this post helpful.

iOS 16: All you need to know about the big iOS update

Apple’s iOS updates are released like clockwork, with new iPhone software being released every year (since the first iPhone) to add new features and improve the overall experience. In 2022 it is no different with iOS 16.

Revealed at WWDC 2022 back in June, iOS 16 will enhance your iPhone with new features including a customisable lock screen (complete with widgets), a refreshed notification system, new Messages tweaks and much more.

As confirmed by Apple at its iPhone 14 event, iOS 16 is now available to download, though not all iPhone owners will be able to get the upgrade.

Here, we’ll explain everything you need to know about iOS 16, including the top features and when it’s likely to be available.

When was iOS 16 released?

Following a months-long public and developer beta process, Apple finally released iOS 16 to the public on 12 September 2022 at 10am ET/1pm PT/6pm BST.

How much does iOS 16 cost?

As ever, iOS 16 will be a free upgrade for all supported iPhone models.

Which iPhones support iOS 16?

While Apple was rumoured to drop support for the iPhone 6s range with iOS 16 – an understandable choice, considering it was released in 2015 – the company took things a step further at its official announcement, with the iOS 16 update dropping support for way more than just the iPhone 6s.

In fact, Apple confirmed it’d only be available on iPhone 8 and newer, meaning the following devices won’t get the upgrade to iOS 16:

• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone SE (2016)

With that being said, here’s a list of supported devices for iOS 16:

• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14
• iPhone SE (2022)
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11
• iPhone SE (2020)
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XR
• iPhone X
• iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone 8

What’s new in iOS 16?

While there are no doubt hundreds of tiny changes coming in iOS 16, Apple decided to FOCUS on a handful of new updates at its WWDC 2022 debut.

New lock screen

The standout feature for most iPhone users will no doubt be the new lock screen experience – arguably the biggest change in its history, introducing new layouts, colour schemes and quick-glance information that feels inspired by the Apple Watch.

The big FOCUS is on customisation. You can not only adjust the layout of the lock screen, with different fonts and colour options available for the time and date, but you can add fun effects with a swipe. Those effects are auto-generated depending on your wallpaper to keep things tidy and on-theme, though they can be edited if need be.

You’ll also be able to embed widgets within the new lock screen, arranging the background and widgets around as needed. That’s ideal for getting at-a-glance info like the weather, your current fitness levels and upcoming calendar events – just like the Apple Watch.

There’s also a subtle depth effect when using Portrait images taken on your iPhone, with the clock appearing in front (or behind) the subject of the shot.

But which wallpaper should you use? Apple is providing a new wallpaper gallery with millions of combinations, as well as a Photo Shuffle mode that’ll shuffle between images in your library throughout the day. There are also new interactive wallpapers, like live weather wallpaper, with fluid animations available too.

The best part? You can have as many as you like, with specific lock screens for specific Focuses. In fact, you can swipe between them to automatically enable the associated FOCUS mode without going to the home screen.

New notification system

What good is a fancy new lock screen if notifications constantly flood it? It looks like that won’t be as much of an issue in iOS 16, with Apple announcing a new notification system that displays incoming notifications at the bottom of the lock screen menu for a less cluttered experience.

There’s also a new feature called Live Activities coming in iOS 16 with the aim of taming spammy real-time notifications from sports and delivery apps. Instead of a barrage of notifications when your order is collected, out for delivery and outside (for example), developers can create neat glanceable experiences.

Messages

There are also updates to the Messages app in iOS 16, bringing much-requested features including the ability to edit messages just after they’ve been sent. Yep, Apple will let you edit your messages before lets you edit your tweets!

There’s also a new Undo Send option available for recently sent messages, great for last-minute changes. There’s also the option to mark threads as unread if you want to reply later without forgetting.

SharePlay is also getting integration within the Messages app, allowing you to watch movies, listen to music and more while chatting with friends via text.

Live Text coming to video

Live Text was a big addition in iOS 15, adding the ability to interact with text within images saved on your iPhone. It allows you to directly make calls, copy and paste text and more, with new additions in iOS 16 including the ability to convert currency and translate text.

Apple looks to expand that functionality even further by bringing support to videos, allowing you to pause the video at any point and copy any text on screen – ideal for coding videos and the like.

You’ll also be able to better identify products in images saved in the Photos app, and for some inexplicable reason, drag-and-drop cutout images to the Messages app.

New Maps features

Apple Maps is also set to get some love in iOS 16, with more revamped cities coming to the service with additional information like lane layouts, local points of interest and other helpful data to navigate big cities like London and Las Vegas.

Apple’s also bringing multi-step trips to the Maps experience – a feature that has been available on most rivals for years – with the ability to plan trips on a Mac beforehand and get Siri to add additional stops on route.

There’s also new data available in the Transit directions mode, with the app providing rough travel costs for various forms of transport – though it’s unclear where this will be available.

Apple Pay Later

Apple Pay Later is a new feature coming to Apple Pay within iOS 16 that essentially does what it says on the tin – allows you to pay later for purchases made with Apple Pay.

What’s more, Apple will provide the ability to spread payments with no interest and no fees, though the six-week window is an interesting one considering most people get paid on a monthly basis.

Still, Apple says it’ll be available with any Apple Pay purchase, though it’s unclear right now whether it’s exclusive to the US or a worldwide feature.

Apple Pay will also work with Tap to Pay in the US, allowing small merchants to take payment directly on iPhone without the need of any additional hardware.

Improved accessibility features

Announced ahead of WWDC 2022, iOS 16 will boast new features that bring additional ways for users with disabilities to “navigate, connect and get the most out of Apple products”.

It starts with Door Detection, a new feature that’ll help users locate a door when arriving at their destination using a combination of LiDAR, their iPhone’s camera and machine learning. The tech can not only understand how far a user is away from a door, but can provide key information like whether it’s open or closed, how the door can be opened and whether the door uses a knob or handle. It can also read signs and symbols around the door, such as door numbers.

Live Captions will be a particularly interesting new addition in iOS 16, perfect for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. As the name suggests, the tech captions audio in real-time, including during FaceTime calls and in apps like Instagram, but it’s not limited to apps. Apple claims you can also use the tech to have a chat with someone next to them.

There’s also a new Apple Watch Mirroring feature that’ll let you use the iPhone’s existing assistive features – like Voice Control, sound actions and head tracking – as alternatives to tapping the Apple Watch display.

There’s also a new Quick Actions feature coming to the wearable that provides improved ways to interact with the Apple Watch, using a double pinch gesture to dismiss notifications, take photos, play music and more.

There are a handful of smaller additions also coming to Apple devices, including new language support for VoiceOver, Voice Control Spelling Mode, new Sound Recognition tech, new accessibility customisation options in Apple Books and a new gaming feature called Buddy Controller where users can ask a friend to help them play a game by combining two game controllers into one input.

Bypassing CAPTCHAs in apps and websites

CAPTCHAs, the annoying squiggly text that proves you’re a human on websites and in apps, could be a thing of the past in iOS 16 with the introduction of Automatic Verification.

This is a feature that wasn’t mentioned during the WWDC 2022 keynote, but instead was discovered by fans using the developer beta and shared via Reddit.

Located in the Settings app in iOS 16 (Settings Apple ID Password Security Automatic Verification if you’re curious), Apple says that iCloud will automatically and privately verify both your device and Apple ID in the background, negating the need for websites to prompt you for CAPTCHA verification. The feature is automatically enabled in iOS 16 betas, and hopefully, that’ll be the same at release.

Apple has since shared a video explaining how the feature works, but it’s more for developers than users. Popular web hosting platforms Cloudflare and Fastly have already confirmed support for the underlying Private Access Token tech that enables Automatic Verification, and it’s expected that other apps and websites will also adopt support ahead of release.

Other new features coming to iOS 16

Of course, there’s much more to iOS 16 than what Apple showcased during WWDC 2022. We’ve listed a few of our favourite new features coming with the big new update, some of which weren’t covered in the initial announcement.

• A new on-device dictation feature that lets you use voice dictation and text input simultaneously, with punctuation added automatically.
• In-app ID verification for apps like Uber coming to the Wallet app.
• Apple News is getting better integration with sports.
• Family Sharing will introduce an easier way to set up an Apple device for children with the ideal parental controls in place from the beginning, with age-appropriate blocks on apps, movies, and more.
• The Fitness app is also set to become available to all iPhone owners, being exclusive to Apple Watch owners up until this point. You’ll be able to set and track your move, standing and exercise goals and the iPhone will track your movement throughout the day.
• You’ll be able to use Nintendo Switch Pro and Joy-Con controllers to play controller-compatible games.
• A redesigned video player UI with a much cleaner, simple-to-use interface.
• Redesigned Voice Message experience in iOS 16. No longer a shortcut, but its own app in the app bar.
• Android-esque Privacy Access History will tell you which apps have been using your camera, microphone and location recently.
• A new Lockdown Mode designed for high-ranking government ministers and CEOs, restricting activity allowed on the device to avoid potential hacks

For more on iOS 16, take a look at the iOS 16 page on the Apple website.

iPhone 8 and later are getting iOS 16, support for iPhone 6s, 7 and SE dropped

07 June 2022

Yesterday at WWDC Apple unveiled the new version of its major OSes – the ones that power its phones, tablets, watches and computers. Here are which of the current devices will be updated to the new version.

iOS 16 adds widgets to the lock screen, improves notifications, adds new features to Messages, Apple Wallet support for handling digital IDs and Pay Later. There is also Always On Display, but that will be available on the next generation phones.

iOS 16 supports the iPhone 8/8 Plus and iPhone X from 2017 and later models. This means that some of the older devices that ran version 15 – iPhone 6s (from 2015), iPhone 7, the original SE and the iPod touch (7th gen) – are no longer supported.

iPadOS 16 added improved multitasking capabilities and full support for external displays on M1-powered iPads. Additionally, there are new collaboration tools for Mail and Safari, the Weather app arrived on Apple’s tablets along with other improvements.

The new version supports all iPad Pro versions, iPad Airs (3rd generation and later), vanilla iPad (5th gen and later) and iPad mini (5th gen and later). Compared to iPadOS 15, this drops support for iPad Air 2 (from 2014, nearly 8 years old now) and iPad mini 4 (2015).

Note that running watchOS 9 requires a phone with iOS 16, meaning that even if you have the latest Apple Watch, you also need an iPhone 8/X or later. As for the watches themselves, the Apple Watch Series 4 and later are supported, as well as the Watch SE. Support for the Series 3 was dropped.

For comparison, here are the devices supported by iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and watchOS 8:

macOS Ventura works on both Intel and Apple powered desktop and laptop computers, starting with 2017 models of MacBook (Pro) and iMac (Pro).

Related

Apple iOS 16 is here with a FOCUS on the lock screen

Reader Комментарии и мнения владельцев

Since updating my iPhone8 to the iOS 16.1.1, the screen will not go dark/black. This is draining the battery. I did a ‘power off’ and then a ‘soft reset’ and there is no change. I’m not finding any articles addressing this.

Can I still make phone calls from my iPhone 6s ? What is the problem if I keep using it. will it stop working? Please can anyone clarify that? I am not familiar with the technical meaning of the word obsolete in phones.

I hate that they dropped 7 plus. It has A10!

Is Apple really about to kill the iPhone SE?

Apple may dramatically reduce the number of supported older iPhone models when it introduces iOS 13, a the latest rumor claims, but it isn’t yet clear on what consistent basis this decision may (or may not) be made.

Closing the stable door

Apple really did the right thing when it extended backward compatibility in iOS 12, which worked merrily on models as old as the 2013 iPhone 5s and original iPad air.

A move that in part may have been part of the company’s response to criticism of how it had constrained the performance of older devices (until it was found out).

Now it seems like the company plans to close the backwards-compatibility window – with a vengeance.

What is the claim?

The claim is that iOS 13 will not be compatible with the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 series and iPhone SE devices.

Now, in part this makes sense.

It makes sense that Apple may choose to end support for the very oldest (2013) devices on its currently supported list.

It’s also reasonable to imagine that it may choose to close off support for the almost 5-year-old 6-series devices, which shipped in 2014.

What seems less reasonable is any move to end support for the iPhone SE.

Not only is this probably the most popular iPhone model Apple doesn’t ship, but the device is still being manufactured by the company in India.

The 4-year-old SE shipped in 2015 and includes an A9 chip, the same processor as used in the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus and 2017 iPad, all of which (the rumor claims) WILL be supported by iOS 13.

It seems inconsistent that you’ll still get iOS 13 to run on a 2017 iPad or iPhone 6S device, but not on an iPhone SE.

NB: If the rumor is correct the following devices will be compatible with iOS 13:

• iPhones: 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, X, XR, XS Max, XS.
• iPads: iPad mini 3, 4; iPad 5 th gen and later, Air 2, iPad Pro models.

What is the justification?

I’ve been reading around, and there are no strong, consistent arguments to support the decision to end support for iPhone SE.

• MacRumorsspeculates these moves could reflect Apple completely turning its back on 4-inch devices but observes that even then the 4-inch iPod touch remains a supported device.
• Others claim the company may want to abandon components used in these older devices, Qualcomm modems, perhaps?
• I’m wondering if the plans relate in any way to Apple’s plans to improve NFC support in iOS 13 – which would be a good argument, were it not that the SE uses the same (NXP 66V10) NFC chip as the iPhone 6S, which is allegedly supported by iOS 13.

Speculation aside, no clear reason seems to have emerged with which to account for the decision, which suggests the original claim may be flawed or incomplete.

How long is long enough?

Apple’s own environmental pages recognize that most iPhone users purchase their device and then use it for three years before passing it on to someone else.

The company is also improving its take-back and recycling schemes on an international basis to reclaim more of the components of really old devices.

Such preparation may seem timely indeed if Apple declares the best-selling iPhone model it ever made End-of-Life, as it will be when it dooms the iPhone 6.

At the same time, with smartphone sales down across the industry, it is inevitable that some will construe any move to constrain support for older devices as Apple’s attempt to push iPhone users to purchase new models.

That would be a shame given the company did such excellent work across the last 12 months convincing people it wasn’t deliberately throttling the performance of old devices to achieve just that.

When will we know?

We’ll find out more on this matter when Apple reveals more about iOS 13 at its annual WWDC developer event on Monday, June 3.

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