One of the iPhone indicators that is still unattainable in the Android smartphone market is the period of support for gadgets by the manufacturer.
When a new device gets 2-3 key Android updates, that’s already good. If the same manufacturer promises to support the gadget for 5 or more years, marketers immediately mention this feature at any convenient opportunity. You can even write it on the box.
The Complete History of iPhone Evolution. All 17 Signs: Where Are You From?
Let’s remember how good the different versions of iPhones are and how the Cupertino company releases iOS updates for the current model range.
Content
• Which iPhones received iOS version 3
• Which iPhones received 4 iOS updates
• Which iPhones received 5 iOS updates
• Which iPhones received 6 iOS updates
• Which iPhones received version 7 of iOS
• How many updates will current iPhones receive?
Which iPhones received iOS 3
These models have been used for updating for less than three years. It is not surprising that technologies at that time were developing very quickly, the hardware was outdated, the new version of iOS required more and more performance.
At the time, the first-generation iPhone struggled to run iOS 3, the latest version for it, while the iPhone 3G struggled to cope with iOS 4.
📱 iPhone first generation – supported for 2 years and 11 months (iPhone OS 1.0 – iPhone OS 3.1.3);
📱 iPhone 3G – 2 years and 7 months (iPhone OS 2.0 – iOS 4.2.1).
◦ Back to Contents ◬
Which iPhones Received 4 iOS Updates
Cupertino supports 3 more models a little longer. Technologies continued to grow rapidly, and dozens of features appeared in iOS every year. In such conditions, no one wanted to adapt it to the rapidly aging hardware.
As for the iPhone 5c, buyers first introduced a more affordable smartphone, connecting it to the previous hardware. So it stayed on the list of current ones for a year smaller than the flagship of its year of release.
📱 iPhone 3GS – 4 years and 2 months (iPhone OS 3.0 – iOS 6.1.6);
📱 iPhone 4 – 4 years and 2 months (iOS 4.0 – iOS 7.1.2);
📱 iPhone 5s – 3 years 11 months (iOS 4.0 – iOS 10.3).
◦ Back to Contents ◬
Which iPhones Received 5 iOS Updates
Almost five years of official support is still an unattainable indicator for many Android smartphone manufacturers. Back then, it was a kind of standard for iPhones. I buy a gadget in the first year of sales and for almost 5 years I receive software updates and many features of the new iOS.
📱 iPhone 4s – 4 years and 10 months (iOS 5.0 – iOS 9.3.5);
📱 iPhone 5 – 4 years and 11 months (iOS 6.0 – iOS 10.3.4);
📱 iPhone 6/6 Plus – 4 years 11 months (iOS 8 – iOS 12.5.7).
◦ Back to Contents ◬
Which iPhones Received 6 iOS Updates
This is even more remarkable when a developer supports older smartphone models for so long.
It is curious that the official support for the simultaneously presented iPhone 8 and iPhone X differs by 1 month. It is all about the sales start date. The “eight” was released on the shelves almost immediately after the autumn presentation, the anniversary “ten” had to wait a whole month.
📱 iPhone 5s – 5 years and 11 months (iOS 7.0 – iOS 12.5.7);
📱 iPhone 7/7 Plus – 7 years and 10 months (iOS 10.0 – iOS 15.8.3);
📱 iPhone 8/8 Plus – 6 years 11 months (iOS 11.0 – iOS 16.7.9).
📱 iPhone X – 6 years 10 months (iOS 11.0.1 – iOS 16.7.9).
◦ Back to Contents ◬
Which iPhone models received iOS 7
This sets records for the duration of support. The models received 7 iOS updates, iPhone XS/XR and are still updated on the latest versions of the system.
Yes, in the last few years these models have not received all the software features, but they feel quite comfortable and allow you to use them for everyday tasks.
As for the 6s/6s Plus models, this is a record support period among all iPhones at the moment. Although they did not receive the iOS 16 update, the Cupertino company continues to release iOS 15 security patches, the last of which was released on July 29, 2024!
📱 iPhone 6s/6s Plus – 8 years and 10 months (iOS 9.0 – iOS 15.8.3);
📱 iPhone SE 1st generation – 8 years and 3 months (iOS 9.3 – iOS 15.8.3);
📱 iPhone XS and iPhone XR – from 6 years (iOS 12.0 – iOS 18 and newer).
◦ Back to Contents ◬
What version of iOS can you install on older iPhones, and what you’ll miss without the latest firmware
How long will current iPhones receive updates?
🟢 – forecast iPhones.ru
Here, of course, we do not consider Apple’s plans, but we will try to assume that it is necessary to include statistics. The power of the last few years at the time of release of the new iPhones is clearly excessive. Apple is unlikely to conclude an agreement on the period of support for the 7 principles of iOS for them.
📱 iPhone XS and iPhone XR – until autumn 2025.
📱 iPhone 11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max and iPhone SE 2nd generation – until autumn 2026.
📱 iPhone 12/12 mini/12 Pro/12 Pro Max – until autumn 2027.
📱 iPhone 13/13 mini/13 Pro/13 Pro Max and iPhone SE 3rd generation – until autumn 2028.
Rulers iPhone 14/15/16Most likely, the master will live for another year longer.
What is the best-selling iPhone model in the world? You’ll be surprised when you find out
In this indicator, Apple smartphones really have no competitors. An ordinary user can take a generation of smartphones and be sure that the Cupertino company will support it for about 7 years, and maybe even longer. For 2-3 years, gadgets will receive all the top features and new iOS, and for another 3-4 years they will be updated with restrictions.
Even if smartphones don’t get a fresh system update, they will continue to receive patches that fix serious vulnerabilities. Now that’s really amazing!
◦ Back to Contents ◬
Source: Iphones RU
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
