A forthcoming update to iOS 10 will reportedly leave the venerable iPhone 5 and forgettable iPhone 5c on the sidelines. When Apple rolls out the next incremental update to iOS 10 — iOS 10.3.2 to be exact — the software update will only be able to run on devices that feature a 64-bit processor. In other words, from here on out, forthcoming iOS updates will only be available for the iPhone 5s and later devices.
While this isn’t the most significant of developments, it is a bit out of character for Apple to break off support for older devices mid-cycle. Traditionally, Apple only breaks support for older devices when it rolls out large iOS updates in September, but with Apple keen on embracing a 64-bit future exclusively, the move was inevitable. Incidentally, iOS 10.3.2 doesn’t appear to be a major update as will introduce a few new Siri enhancements and some other minor features.
Coinciding with Apple’s all-encompassing transition to 64-bit devices, 32-bit software on the App Store will also be getting the ax soon enough. As we covered earlier this week, iOS 11 will reportedly drop all support for 32-bit apps when it rolls out later this year. That said, if you still happen to be using some older 32-bit apps that haven’t been updated in quite some time, you may want to stay on iOS 10 or start looking for some app alternatives. As a point of interest, it’s been estimated that there are currently 187,000 32-bit apps currently residing on the App Store.
Lastly, for any iPad users out there, the aforementioned iOS 10.3.2 update will only work on iPads released after October 2013. On the iPad Mini front, this means the iPad Mini 2 and subsequent releases. As for other iPad models, this means the iPad Air and all subsequent releases.
