When iPadOS 17 gets here later on this fall, some owners of older iPads may lastly have a reason to update. A brand-new report declares Apple will drop assistance for 3 designs this year, consisting of the first-ever iPad Pro designs that will not get the most recent upgrade.
According to the French language Apple news website iPhoneSoft, an “internal source at Apple” has actually disclosed that 3 iPad designs will be stuck at iOS 16 when the brand-new upgrade arrives this fall. They are the 5th-gen iPad from 2017, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro from 2016, and the 1st-gen 12.9-inch iPad Pro that debuted in 2015.
All 3 tablets have a variation of Apple’s A9 processor, which debuted with the sixes and sixes Plus in 2015. Apple dropped assistance for that chip and its follower, the A10, when iOS 16 introduced in 2015 without assistance for the iPhone sixes and sixes Plus or the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Of note, both the sixth- and 7th-gen iPad utilize the A10 chip, while the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and second-gen 12.9-inch iPad Pro utilize the somewhat faster A10X variation, so it’s possible that those gadgets lose assistance when iOS 18 launches next year.
It’s unclear from the report why Apple is dropping assistance for these iPads, however it’s probably due to efficiency problems with the brand-new functions. For instance, a number of iPadOS 16 functions aren’t readily available on these gadgets, consisting of Show Zoom and Impresario. Apple does not “ensure” assistance for older gadgets, however it typically provides in between 5 and 7 years of upgrades.
On the iPhone side, Apple is anticipated to keep continue assistance for all designs that supported iOS 16, starting with the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. We’ll get our very first take a look at iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 at WWDC on June 5, when Apple will reveal the significant brand-new functions and compatibility ahead of beta screening.