iOS 16 to Drop Support for iPhone 6s Series, First Generation iPhone SE, and Older iPads: Report

iOS 16 will drop support for a list of older iPhone and iPad models, as per a report. The list of such models include iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, first generation of the iPhone SE, iPad mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad (fifth-generation), and the 2015 iPad Pro models, the report says. Apple is likely to announce a decision on this at the next WWDC conference that usually takes place sometime in June, when it unveils the new OS. Dropping support for older models is something Apple often does when unveiling a new operating system, however, the last time it did so was back in 2019 with the introduction of iOS 13, when it dropped support for the iPhone 6 series and other older iPhone and iPad models

iphonesoft reports that Apple is expected to showcase AR/ VR capabilities of the iOS 16, and older iPhone as well as iPad models may not have enough firepower to run those applications. It is to be noted that the handsets launched after the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone SE are equipped with (at least) A10 chip, which could be the minimum requirement to run iOS 16.

If the claim about iOS 16 rollout holds true, it will mean that these smartphones have got 6 years of OS updates, essentially increasing the lifespan of the smartphones. Google recently announced that it will offer 3 years of OS updates and 5 years of security updates, which is below par as compared to Apple.

Last week, Apple released iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2, along with macOS Monterey 12.1, watchOS 8.3, tvOS 15.2, and HomePod Software Version 15.2 for compatible devices. The updates bring Apple Music Voice Plan support to access Apple Music using Siri, and App Privacy Report that helps users see the data accessed by apps.Furthermore, both iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2 have also introduced Hide My Email in the Mail app for iCloud+ subscribers.