Apple has recently shared a list of iPhone models that support the upcoming iOS 17 mobile operating system, which was officially unveiled during the company’s WWDC keynote that was held yesterday. As with every update, expect some older devices to lose support due to their ageing hardware and so forth.
Not making the cut this time around is the iPhone X, as well as all iPhone 8 models and below. Despite this, the aforementioned devices (not counting the ones older) continued to receive software and security updates from Apple close to a good six years now, allowing them to support up to the 16th iteration of the company’s mobile operating system. However, it appears that users on these devices will be required to upgrade to the newer models if they wish to enjoy updated features offered by iOS 17, as well as continue receiving up-to-date security in the years to come.
On the flip side, those who are still on the five-year-old XR and XS models are still eligible to receive the upcoming firmware upgrade this September (or earlier if you opted for the beta). With these two being the oldest in the list, it goes without saying that all other iPhone iterations that come after them will be getting the iOS 17 update as well. Although, there’s a very high chance that both the iPhone XR and XS will eventually share the same fate as their predecessors next year – unless someway, somehow Apple manages to get them to work with the next major iOS update.
Besides that, 2nd and 3rd generation iPhone SE users can rest assured that both phones will also get iOS 17 around the same time as the other iPhone models that are mentioned above. No dice for 1st gen SE users, however – but then again, that has been well established since the release of iOS 16 last year.
And as a gentle reminder, do keep in mind that not all iOS 17 features are available for all supported iPhones. Chief amongst which being the new StandBy mode which utilises the Always On Display functionality that’s only available on the iPhone 14 series and, very likely, this year’s upcoming iPhone 15 line-up. Nevertheless, other features such as Journal, and NameDrop can still be enjoyed on models such as the XR and XS, as well as the 11, 12 and 13 series.
Meanwhile, for iPadOS, Apple’s confirmed list of supported devices consists of the following:
- iPad Pro (2nd generation and later)
- iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
- iPad (6th generation and later)
- iPad mini (5th generation and later)
