This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
On October 2, 2019, Apple released iOS 13, a new operating system for iPhones, which may not be good news for the company's over 1 billion iPhone users. The update, which was released alongside the new set of iPhones, has dropped support for older iPhones, meaning that any iPhone older than the iPhone 6s will not be compatible with the new update.
This means that any past generation device with 1GB of RAM will no longer be supported and will not receive the iOS 13 update. According to Apple, the reason for this obsolescence is performance improvements driven by better hardware.
As a result, iOS 13 will only be compatible with the following devices:
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone SE
- iPod touch (7th generation)
Apple has reportedly shipped around 200 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units, which will be left vulnerable to attacks unless users upgrade to a compatible device. With the iPhones having a bounty on their head, users will be left exposed to attacks.
Furthermore, iOS 13 may also not be the safest yet, as Apple has published a support document warning users of the risk of data loss across their devices if they use the new Reminders app.
