Apple’s iOS 13 will see the end of support for a large range of iPhone handsets and a number of iPads, if an admittedly sketchy rumour is to be believed.
According to little-known Israeli site The Verifier (via MacRumors), iOS 13 will not be available on the Phone 5s, iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 6s Plus. That would mean you’d need an iPhone 7 – or later – in order to install iOS 13.
The report also predicts the end of the road for the iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, and maybe even the iPad mini 4. The sixth-gen iPod touch might also be out in the cold. All this seems… unlikely. Apple prides itself on supporting the widest range of devices possible and rarely takes an axe to the number of legacy iPhone users to whom the newest update is available.
With the launch of iOS 12 in September 2018, all iPhones capable of running iOS 11 remained compatible. Apple even promised that devices like the iPhone 5s and SE would be revitalised by the launch of iOS 12, a claim that played out in testing.
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So, the suggestion that Apple would cut bait on three generations of iPhone handsets at the same time seems a little extreme.
It isn’t completely out of the realms of possibility, of course. if Apple is planning a dramatic change for iOS that would require hardware newer than the company’s A9 processor (which sat within the iPhone 6s), then it’s possible Apple would indeed rip off that band aid.
Earlier this week, a Bloomberg report said Apple would add a system-wide Dark Mode in iOS 13, along with a new homescreen specific to the iPad and some improvements to CarPlay.
Do you think Apple may ditch support for such a large number of iPhone devices? Or is this report way off the mark? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.