MILLIONS of iPhones across the globe could be killed off next year when Apple releases the latest version of its mobile operating system.
The tech titan is rumoured to be suspending updates for three iPhones models when it rolls out iOS 16 – potentially leaving them exposed to cyber crooks.
1
Each year, Apple typically culls an older iPhone model or two from its list of handsets compatible with newer versions of iOS.
This is to offset the challenge of keeping loads of models and iOS versions running smoothly at any one time.
It presents a big problem for owners of obsolete models, and not just because they miss out on new features.
They’re also overlooked for future security updates, leaving them at greater risk of being hacked as vulnerabilities are no longer patched by Apple’s engineers.
The company appears to have lined up a trio of older models for the chop when iOS 16 rolls around next summer.
According to a report from French tech news site iPhoneSoft, it plans to drop support for the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and the original iPhone SE.
Most read in Phones & Gadgets
The phones came out in 2015 and 2016 respectively, and haven’t been sold by Apple for years.
Anonymous sources told the publication that a number of older iPads will also become obsolete.
They reportedly include the iPad mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad (fifth-generation), and the 2015 iPad Pro models.
Binning updates for the gadgets could land millions of iPhone and iPad owners in hot water, as software updates are extremely important.
For a start, they mean the addition of brand new features, as well as bug fixes that improve the performance of your handset.
But they also mean security patches that prevent hackers from cracking your phone’s security using old exploits.
Apple has not announced its plans for iOS 16 just yet, however, so take any claims about it with a pinch of salt.
We’ll likely know more about the update following Apple’s WWDC 2022 developer event in June, where it typically unveils the latest iOS update.
The company is expected to release iOS 16 a few months later, in Septmber.
It’s worth noting that Apple’s software update offering is pretty exceptional.
Most Android smartphones receive three or four years of updates.
By contrast, Apple offered out the latest iOS 15 update to smartphones going all the way back to 2015’s iPhone 6S.
That means an iPhone that came out six years ago is still receiving software updates from Apple.
Every iPhone owner urged to turn safety feature on – don’t wait to do it
In other news, an eagle-eyed Reddit user has spotted a $2billion flying stealth bomber on Google Maps.
A Nasa spacecraft has captured curious noises coming from Jupiter’s largest moon.
Samsung is reportedly killing off its beloved Note smartphone after more than a decade.
And, Apple has announced that it will let customers fix their own iPhones for the first time starting next year.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]
This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
