If you’re using old versions of iPhones and iPads and hope you can run iOS 10, you might be out of luck.
Apple (AAPL) has posted its list of which devices will be compatible with the mobile operating system it unveiled at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote on Monday. Anyone running Apple’s iPhone 5 or newer will be able to run iOS 10, as well as owners of Apple’s iPad Mini and newer and iPad 2 and newer. The fifth- and sixth-generation iPod touch devices will also support the new operating system.
Apple has a vested interest in getting as many of its devices as possible running its operating system. Developers are keenly aware of which operating systems users are running, and if too many users are running older versions of the operating system, developers will need to dedicate their resources to supporting new and old versions of their software. Apple’s charge is to get as many people as possible running its latest version, so developers can focus on iOS 10 and use some of the new tools they’re offered in the operating system.
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At its keynote on Monday, Apple announced some of those newly available tools, including developer access to the company’s virtual personal assistant Siri. With that feature, developers will be able to integrate Siri into their apps. Apple has also opened up Messages to developers, among other features.
However, the list of supported Apple devices for iOS 10 suggests Apple is hoping older iPhone owners will update to new devices. After all, the company’s new mobile operating system won’t work on the iPhone 4s, which launched in 2011 and was used by millions of people for years. In addition, Apple’s original iPad is out of luck, and anyone who owns an older-model iPod touch might as well look elsewhere.
While that might not sound like a big deal, in March, Localytics, a company that analyzes mobile engagement for marketers and other companies, found that the iPhone 4s is still somewhat popular, with 5% of Apple’s iPhone owners worldwide still using the device. Another unsupported iPhone, the iPhone 4, was in use by 3% of users. Together, that amounts to millions of people who will be out of luck when iOS 10 launches in the fall.
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Interestingly, as ZDNet, which earlier reported on the news noted, Localytics also revealed at the time that the iPad, which won’t support iOS 10, had the same 1% market share in the iPad world as the iPad Pro, which will work with Apple’s latest operating system.
Apple will launch iOS 10 in the fall. It’ll be available as a free upgrade.