Apple will roll out iOS 16 to a slew of iPhones this fall, but will the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus get the update? Here’s what users need to know.
Apple announced iOS 16 for a slew of iPhones, but is the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus qualified to get the update? At its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) on June 6, Apple announced the latest version of its smartphone operating system — iOS 16. The new software will be rolled out to a host of iPhones from the past several years as part of the company’s long-term update commitment. In addition, the company is also rolling out macOS Ventura to more than a dozen different Mac desktops and laptops and the watchOS 9 update to a slew of Apple Watch devices.
iOS 16 comes with several cool new features, including a new lock screen gallery with a weather wallpaper to check live weather conditions, a Live Activities feature to help users stay on top of things happening in real-time, redesigned notifications and the iCloud Shared Photo Library. In addition, new AI-powered features for Mail, Live Text in videos, Tab Groups in Safari, Edit and Delete features for iMessage, more parental controls for family sharing and more. The developer beta of iOS 16 is available now, with Apple expected to start rolling out the software to all users this fall.
Unfortunately for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus users, Apple has decided not to support these two devices with iOS 16. Many users are expressing their frustration at Apple for dropping the iPhone 7-series from its list of supported devices for the iOS 16 update. While some are venting their anger at Apple on social media, others are questioning the rationale behind the decision. Twitter user @Outland3r_2007 claimed that they even cried after learning about Apple’s decision to end support for iPhone 7. Another user, @AslanMarius, lamented that Apple ended support not just for the iPhone 7-series but also for MacBook Air 2017 and MacBook Pro 2016. Both devices were expected to receive the macOS Ventura update.
IPhone 7 Users Are Not Happy About Not Getting IOS 16
Carrying on with the complaints against Apple, Twitter user @Not_Prasar pointed out that the decision to EoL (end-of-life) iPhone 7 doesn’t make sense as the company is slated to roll out iPadOS 16 to less powerful devices. The statement is factually correct, as the sixth and seventh-gen iPads, both powered by the same A10 Fusion chip as the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, are getting iPadOS 16. What’s more, the fifth-gen iPad, which features the less powerful A9 chip, is also on the list of supported devices for the new update. While iPadOS is technically different from iOS, it is essentially the same operating system but optimized for larger screens.
Last year, Apple rolled out iOS 15 to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, which had instilled hope among iPhone 7 users that the next version of the operating system would be available to their devices as well. However, with iOS 16, Apple ditched support for both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 lineups at one go. While the EoL for the iPhone 6-series was expected, the situation with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus was unexpected, which is why it is raising outcries from many worldwide. It’s not immediately clear why Apple dropped support for the iPhone 6-series and iPhone 7-series in one fell swoop, but it has hurt many users who were hoping to taste the latest flavor of iOS on their trusty old iPhones.
