In a jam-packed opening keynote of WWDC22, Apple announced iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9 and macOS Ventura. However, Apple’s next-gen operating systems are not coming to all of its devices. The company is dropping support for many older iPhones, iPads and Macs this time around.
Read below to find out whether your Apple device is getting the next big software update later this year or not.
iOS 16 is coming to these iPhones
Photo: Apple
Apple did not drop support for any of the old iPhones with iOS 14 and iOS 15. The story is different this year, though. The company has dropped support for two generations of iPhones in one go. iOS 16 will support iPhones released in 2017 or later, which means it’s coming to iPhone 8 and newer devices. The OS drops support for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 series.
iOS 16 is coming to the following iPhones later this year:
- iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
- iPhone X
- iPhone Xs and XS Max
- iPhone Xr
- iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone SE (2020)
- iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max
- iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max
- iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone SE (2022)
iOS 16 packs several new features like a revamped Lock Screen, an enhanced Messages app, improved Live Text, etc.
iPadOS 16 will be available for these iPads
Photo: Apple
As with iOS 16, Apple is dropping support for some older devices with iPadOS 16.
iPadOS 16-compatible iPads include:
- iPad mini 5 and mini 6
- iPad Air 3 or newer
- iPad (5th generation or later)
- iPad Pro (all models)
If you have an old iPad mini or iPad, it is time you look for an upgrade as it won’t be getting the next major release of iPadOS.
Do note that many of the iPadOS 16 features like Stage Manager, full external display support, and new collaboration and pro tools will only be available for M1-powered iPads.
watchOS 9 is coming to these Apple Watch models
Photo: Apple
With watchOS 9, Apple is finally dropping support for Apple Watch Series 3 for good. This was long overdue, especially since the smartwatch already struggles to run watchOS 8 properly.
watchOS 9-compatible Apple Watches are:
- Apple Watch Series 4
- Apple Watch Series 5
- Apple Watch Series 6
- Apple Watch SE
- Apple Watch Series 7
macOS Ventura-compatible Macs
Photo: Apple
macOS Ventura is another big update for Macs with features like Stage Manager, Continuity Camera, new system apps and more. Much as with iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, Apple is dropping support for multiple generations of older devices with this update.
macOS Ventura will work with the following Macs:
- iMac (2017 or later)
- iMac Pro (2017 or later)
- Mac Pro (2019 or later)
- MacBook Air (2018 or later)
- MacBook Pro (2017 or later)
- Mac mini (2018 or later)
- MacBook (2017 or later)
macOS Ventura drops support for all 2015-2016 Macs that were supported by macOS Monterey. There’s not much you can do if Ventura drops support for your Mac except for upgrading to a new computer whenever possible.
It is rare for Apple to drop support for multiple generations of devices with major update. However, this was long overdue, especially since the previous iOS and iPadOS releases did not drop support for any of the older devices. Across its different platforms, Apple now supports devices that launched in 2017.
