With the release of iOS 15.2, Apple will begin to focus on the next major version, iOS 16. According to iPhonesoft, Apple plans to abandon support for iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and the original iPhone SE.
On the iPad side, it is said that iPadOS 16 is not compatible with iPad mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad (fifth generation), and 2015 iPad Pro models.
Of course, until Apple announced iOS 16 at WWDC 2022, nothing was official. However, iPhonesoft correctly reported the device matrix of iOS 13 and iOS 14 in advance. The publication last year claimed that the iPhone 6s and the original SE were wrong and would not be able to update to iOS 15. iOS 15 will continue to support all the same device models as iOS 14.
On the iPad side, it is said that iPadOS 16 is not compatible with iPad mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad (fifth generation), and 2015 iPad Pro models.
Of course, until Apple announced iOS 16 at WWDC 2022, nothing was official. However, iPhonesoft correctly reported the device matrix of iOS 13 and iOS 14 in advance. The publication last year claimed that the iPhone 6s and the original SE were wrong and would not be able to update to iOS 15. iOS 15 will continue to support all the same device models as iOS 14.
Assuming that iPhonesoft’s report today is correct, it means that iOS 16 will require the A10 chip as the minimum specification to get the latest features.
Nonetheless, this still represents the incredibly long life of Apple's new features and bug fixes. The iPhone 6s and iPhone SE, which are said to be off the shelf, were first released at the end of 2015 and early 2016, respectively, which means they will receive regular software updates for more than six years. The latest device removed from the software update roadmap is the iPad mini 4. By the time iOS 16 is released, even this product will be used for more than five years.
Apple has also formulated a plan to continue to support current and previous major versions of iOS through key security patches to further extend the service life of older models. For example, now customers can choose to stick to iOS 14 instead of updating to iOS 15. Assuming Apple keeps its promise, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE customers will continue to receive the iOS 15 security update in the fall of 2022 within a few years after the release of iOS 16.
Although it is not yet known what new features iOS 16 will have, credible rumors about the upcoming iOS software features usually begin to surface in the spring.
Nonetheless, this still represents the incredibly long life of Apple's new features and bug fixes. The iPhone 6s and iPhone SE, which are said to be off the shelf, were first released at the end of 2015 and early 2016, respectively, which means they will receive regular software updates for more than six years. The latest device removed from the software update roadmap is the iPad mini 4. By the time iOS 16 is released, even this product will be used for more than five years.
Apple has also formulated a plan to continue to support current and previous major versions of iOS through key security patches to further extend the service life of older models. For example, now customers can choose to stick to iOS 14 instead of updating to iOS 15. Assuming Apple keeps its promise, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE customers will continue to receive the iOS 15 security update in the fall of 2022 within a few years after the release of iOS 16.
Although it is not yet known what new features iOS 16 will have, credible rumors about the upcoming iOS software features usually begin to surface in the spring.
