Apple is preparing to release iOS 17 in September, which will bring new features to the iPhone. But the update will let down some iPhone owners with older devices.
The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and even the 2017 iPhone X will not support the new operating system. Tech experts warn that the resale value of these models could be cut in half.
Owners of these devices will have to prepare to face rapidly diminishing compatibility. But if you can’t afford to upgrade to a newer iPhone, or if you’re still quite happy with your current iPhone, there’s no need to panic. Apple will continue to provide security updates and patches for all iPhones running iOS 12 or newer operating systems for at least two years.
In fact, this past January, Apple released a security update for iOS 12 that helped protect the decade-old iPhone 5s and the 6th generation iPod touch released in 2015. But that doesn’t mean life with an old iPhone will be rosy.
What should you consider if you don’t want to say goodbye to your iPhone?
If you’re planning to frugally extend the life of your Apple device into its golden years, there are other things to consider.
Members of the Reddit community who are dedicated iPhone X enthusiasts say that users can get at least one to two more years out of their devices before app updates start to lose functionality and security.
“iPhone X owners will generally continue to get app support until 2025-2026, but some features won’t work after that,” said one user.
“We can continue to be frugal for a few more years.
The problem is that as Apple moves to iOS 18 and beyond, many app makers will release software updates of their own design to take advantage of the hardware capabilities of the latest iPhone models. There are also some features that won’t work unless you have an iPhone 12 or newer, such as 3D FaceTime interaction, improved autocorrect, and text predictions.
For many of these new features to work, you’ll need an iPhone with the A12 Bionic chip or iPhone XS or later. Even some Accessibility features, such as the new dictation feature that punctuates as you speak, or a feature that adds captions to live content like video calls, require an A12 chip or higher.
Another big feature Apple is promising for iOS 16 is the ability to easily remove an object or person from an image in your photo roll and paste it somewhere else, turning it into a sticker. Over time, many social media apps will want to better integrate these features into their user experience, which will only benefit owners of the latest Apple devices.
Safety features
Relying on older versions of third-party apps can lead to some security vulnerabilities for iPhone X and iPhone 8 users over time. But for the truly security-obsessed, there are many more reasons to upgrade.
The new updates coming with iOS 17 promise a number of new security features, including Safari Private Browsing and improvements to Apple’s child safety protections.
As Apple announced at the WWDC 2023 conference in June, the new iOS 17 will help you automatically send messages to friends and loved ones that you’ve arrived safely at home or your chosen destination. According to an Apple representative, this feature will be built into the Messages app.
“After a user initiates a Check In, the friend or family member will be automatically notified as soon as they arrive at the location. If the user is not making progress towards their destination, useful information such as device location, battery level and cell service status will be temporarily shared with the selected contact,” the company explains.
What’s more, Apple has confirmed that all information shared by Check In is end-to-end encrypted, so only you and those you trust will be able to see that you’ve reached your goal.
With all these security benefits, someone who values personal security over price might want to consider upgrading before they start having compatibility and upgrade issues with their old iPhone.
If you’re looking to narrow the price gap and upgrade to a slightly cheaper device, here’s a list of iOS 17 supported devices from oldest to newest:
iPhone XS and XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max
iPhone 12 and 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max
iPhone 13 and 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max
iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max
iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd gen)
