OT: Apple obsolescence

[Veloo]

Since the topic of phones has come up here on and off, thought I'd post this in case anyone didn't get these news feeds.

This is just one news outlet reporting. There are others.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/your-old-iphone-might-stop-working-if-you-don-t-upgrade-by-sunday-1.4658976

================================

Your old iPhone might stop working if you don't upgrade by Sunday

Smartphone users holding on to the bygone era of the Steve Jobs iPhone may be locked out of several apps Sunday if they don’t upgrade the software.

Some iPhone 5 devices, the last of Apple’s iPhones to be overseen by Jobs, need to be updated to iOS version number 10.3.4, the company said in a news release Saturday. Without the update, apps that rely on accurate date and time will not work, including the App Store, iCloud, email, and web browsing. The company said that the issue is with “GPS time rollover,” in which GPS-based products reset the clock.

Users who don’t upgrade their iPhone 5 -- and other Apple devices released in 2012 and earlier -- will experience issues with those apps beginning “just before” midnight this Saturday.

Many users over the years have been apprehensive to upgrade iPhones with older batteries because of performance issues, some even claiming that the company was intentionally slowing older phones to encourage new purchases. The company denied the claims amid U.S. government inquiries into the issue in 2018.

"We have never -- and would never -- do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades," Apple said at the time.

In the weekend news release, Apple reinforced the need to keep its devices up to date. “It's always a good idea to keep the operating system on your iPhone updated,” it said. “If the update to iPhone 5 is not completed by November 3, 2019, you will be required to back up and restore using a Mac or PC in order to update because over-the-air software updates and iCloud Backup will not work.”

[pdmtong]

My 5 was dying anyways but the bigger issue is that phone could not support the current ios which means several of my apps could not be updated.

ex: Ticketmaster. I could not have a mobile ticket.

I just replaced the 5. guess what. everything about the new phone is better. except the size. I do not like the larger form factor.

In other news: Turbo Tax is ceasing support for Windows 7.

[tylercheung]

The intentional obsolence w Apple products always a bit overblown, IMHO. The iPhone 5 came out in 2012...ancient stone age w/ the progress of mobile technology. Its CPU is ancient by today's standards, as is the amount of memory on the device. The fact that it still supported now is pretty darn good, and a testament to the OS engineers at Apple.

By way of comparison, its contemporary, the Samsung Galaxy SIII, stopped getting updates with Android version 4.3 "KitKat", released in 2013.

With electronics, silicon and computing technology, the pace of change is rapid. Unlike desktops, mobile chip and computing technology have a ways to go before hitting the limit of Moore's law.

[Fivethumbs]

Hey, your post count is super scary.

[tylercheung]

Uh oh I better post another one!

[Bob Ross]

Some iPhone 5 devices, the last of Apple’s iPhones to be overseen by Jobs, need to be updated to iOS version number 10.3.4


What I wanna know is, how can anybody with an old iPhone not be updated to iOS version xxx? (whatever the latest is)

I'm still using a 5S that I got in 2013. After the first automatic/unwanted/unrequested/inadvertant "software update" I tried to disable the automatic updates. Nope, couldn't do it.

Despite having Automatic Updates turned off, my iPhone regularly and religiously updates its OS at least a couple times a year.

I get an alert that there's a new iOS version, and I get numerous reminders and "would you like to update now?" queries, but after declining them all for a week or two I'll wake up one morning and discover the phone just went and did it all on its own.

I really liked iOS 10.x.x, whatever came with the 5S in 2013. I'm up to 12.4.2 now. HOW DO I STOP THIS ****?!?!

[rnhood]

So I might be locked out of some apps? That is just about the last thing I care about.

I hope Apple cuts them off. My phone will probably work better.

[gavingould]

HOW DO I STOP THIS ****?!?!
your 5S will not install iOS 13, as it's not compatible - the 6 and 6S also stop at iOS 12.
about the only updates you might see would be minor security updates ie to 12.4.3 or .4, but it's probably the end of the line for that OS.

ps. i don't work for apple, but i am in tech.

[ernmony]

I have the XS max and there have been at least 2 updates within a month. My touchscreen locks up at various times...smh!

[oldpotatoe]

Hm..I just now checked wife's Iphone5 and the update only goes to ios 13.2

??

10.3.4...never mind sir...

AND her iphone is a 6s..just wee..

[jemdet]

the 6 and 6S also stop at iOS 12.


6S is compatible with 13. The 6 isn't.

That being said, the 6S is the oldest iPhone compatible with 13. I love my three-year-old 6S Plus but I'm not holding out much hope for the future.

[fmradio516]

Side note: does anyone else purposely NOT update their iphones as it appears that the updates severely slow down the phone? im still on 12 on my iphone 8.

[p nut]

Side note: does anyone else purposely NOT update their iphones as it appears that the updates severely slow down the phone? im still on 12 on my iphone 8.

I don't notice any slowing at all. I've liked iOS 13, personally. I've not liked every update, but the latest has some nice features.

I will say I do use quite a bit of cloud storage. Photos (via Google Photos), docs, and actively getting rid of apps that I don't use has helped keep my phone is tip top running shape.

[Veloo]

I don't update because of a bad experience in doing so with my iPhone 3 and seeing lots of complaints with models after that. People complaining about battery life and slow downs.

Guess it can kind of bite you in the ass like me where I can't update from 10.X.X to the latest possible OS and now dealing with this BS.

Side note: does anyone else purposely NOT update their iphones as it appears that the updates severely slow down the phone? im still on 12 on my iphone 8.

[fmradio516]

I don't update because of a bad experience in doing so with my iPhone 3 and seeing lots of complaints with models after that. People complaining about battery life and slow downs.

Guess it can kind of bite you in the ass like me where I can't update from 10.X.X to the latest possible OS and now dealing with this BS.

Dang, yeah. I think with phones that are a few years old, its good to stop updating them.

I saw a side-by-side comparison on a video on youtube. Same phone, same ios version, both working the same exact way. Then the guy updates one, and as soon as it comes back, its dreadfully slower than the phone that he didnt update.

[Jaybee]

Uh oh I better post another one!

You should have never posted again under this account ;)

[tylercheung]

Dang, yeah. I think with phones that are a few years old, its good to stop updating them.

I saw a side-by-side comparison on a video on youtube. Same phone, same ios version, both working the same exact way. Then the guy updates one, and as soon as it comes back, its dreadfully slower than the phone that he didnt update.

For older phones - in the past, it often paid to wait a bit. After a x.0 release, which is focused on newer phones, they go back and bug test and optimize for older hardware. If he showed the video after .1 or .2 releases, things would speed up dramatically.

Granted, w/ each new software revision, more software capabilities can ask older phones to do more...so there is that.

For phones - I would say it is a good idea to eventually update, if only for security reasons - this is always a cat and mouse game between hackers and security researchers. Having a zombie botnet device sending credit card info to who knows where in your pocket and on your home wifi network is never good. (It appears Apple is sending out 12.4.x releases for older devices in this regard)

[bicycletricycle]

All that you say is true. Unfortunately for a non "techy" person it is also not that meaningful. I had a five until recently and it was still working just fine for my basic phone usage. It may be technically outdated but it wasn't functionally outdated. My dad still has one and it serves him perfectly.

I get that tech moves on but it is an awful waste to stop supporting them. Those phones represent a lot of resources.




The intentional obsolence w Apple products always a bit overblown, IMHO. The iPhone 5 came out in 2012...ancient stone age w/ the progress of mobile technology. Its CPU is ancient by today's standards, as is the amount of memory on the device. The fact that it still supported now is pretty darn good, and a testament to the OS engineers at Apple.

By way of comparison, its contemporary, the Samsung Galaxy SIII, stopped getting updates with Android version 4.3 "KitKat", released in 2013.

With electronics, silicon and computing technology, the pace of change is rapid. Unlike desktops, mobile chip and computing technology have a ways to go before hitting the limit of Moore's law.

[CMiller]

If I'm not mistaken if you buy a phone from Apple or Google or Samsung you only get 3 years maximum of guaranteed software/security updates, this isn't an Apple issue. If anything older iPhones tend to work for much, much longer than their competitors.

[Jaybee]

All that you say is true. Unfortunately for a non "techy" person it is also not that meaningful. I had a five until recently and it was still working just fine for my basic phone usage. It may be technically outdated but it wasn't functionally outdated. My dad still has one and it serves him perfectly.

I get that tech moves on but it is an awful waste to stop supporting them. Those phones represent a lot of resources.

This aspect of tech, I think, is under-reported. It takes a lot of toxic **** mined from a lot of the worst places on earth at significant energy cost to put tech in your hand. It would be forward-thinking, environmentally, though not revenue-wise if we didn't have to replace/junk items so often.

IME, Apple actually does better at this than most. I've got a Gen2 iPad that runs my kids cartoons on trips, and a Gen3 iPhone that serves as a Spotify conduit to a BT speaker. My dad is still using my old iPhone 5s, though I guess I should check on his iOS status.