agencies
Friday, 07 April 2023 03:00 PM
If you are the owner of an old “iPhone” device that is more than 10 years old, you may soon have to buy a newer phone, because Apple cuts support for many online services, such as the App Store, Siri and Maps, on devices running iOS 11 to iOS. 11.2.6. So if you own a device that can’t upgrade to iOS 11.3 at the very least, it will be largely disabled as of May 2023, according to an RT report.
And while Apple is known to stop providing bug and security updates for older operating systems, this would be the first time they’ve effectively downgraded functionality.
Currently, any iPhone running iOS 11 can update to at least iOS 12.5.4, which includes iPhone 5S and later, so it will still be able to use these services. But those with an iPhone 5 or earlier are still stuck with iOS 10.3.4, because Apple hasn’t made the newer operating systems available for those devices.
It is not yet known whether access to these Apple services will be removed for devices running iOS 10 or earlier as well.
However, it wouldn’t be surprising if that were the case, and this would effectively turn these smartphones into only phones that are truly capable of making and answering calls.
This could cause problems for companies that provide older, cheaper iPhones to employees, or for Apple users who don’t want to buy new devices.
Reliable Apple leaker StellaFudge delivered the news via Twitter, but said that iCloud will continue to work on iPhones running iOS 11 to iOS 11.2.6.
The tweet added that some Mac computers, Macbook laptops, Apple Watches, and Apple TVs may also have access to the removed services.
These are any computers running macOS 10.13 through 10.13.3, any watches running watchOS 4 through 4.2.3, and TVs running tvOS 11-11.2.6.
Macs and Macbooks that cannot update to previous macOS 10.13.3 include the MacBook (Late 2009), iMac (Late 2009), MacBook Air (Late 2010), MacBook Pro (Mid 2010), and Mac Mini (Mid 2010). Any Apple TV up to the third generation, released in 2012, cannot update to previous tvOS 11.2.6.
Although leaks do not always prove their authenticity, an article from Apple released last month supports this article.
This instructs users on how to update the software on their Apple device if they receive a notification that the current version will not support Apple services, such as the App Store, Siri, and Maps.
It is not currently clear why Apple is now reducing the functionality of older operating systems, but it may be preparing for an update that would break support for it, according to 9to5Mac.
But this step is unlikely to affect many devices, as only 8% of iPhones are currently using an operating system older than iOS 15.
The latest update, iOS 16.4, was released last week and came with a bunch of new features, including the addition of 21 new emoji to the keyboard.
These include the highly anticipated pink heart symbol, as well as a shaking face (“I’m dumb”), banana, ginger, and a Wi-Fi symbol.
Apple software updates aren’t always easy, which explains why some people are reluctant to start with them when they’re offered.
Some of those who have updated to iOS 16.4 have complained that a system glitch is quickly draining the battery life of their devices.
Earlier this week, iPhone users around the world were unable to access live forecasts on the Weather app, which some have also linked to the new operating system.