Apple rolls out update for 8-year-old iPhones

Do you have an old iPhone abandoned by Apple for a long time? Maybe take a look in your settings, an update could await you there.

It’s not just Google that can provide 7 years of updates on its mobiles. Apple has also just deployed a new system image on old iPhones. In addition to releasing iOS 17.1 on the most recent mobiles, the manufacturer has also, more discreetly, deployed iOS 16.7.2 and 15.8. Behind this cascade of numbers are actually two important security updates.

The iPhone 6s is in the news again

These new versions of the system (which are accompanied by updates to iPad OS 16 and macOS 12 and 13) close a flaw that allowed a malicious hacker to execute code with the highest level of privilege. Version 16.7.2 fixes more than fifteen similar flaws.

Beyond the severity of these flaws, what is interesting to observe is that Apple continues to deploy updates on old versions of its OS and for phones which are now an age respectable. iOS 15.7 is actually compatible with all iPhone models since the 6s. Remember that this mobile was released in 2015 and is technically no longer eligible for new versions of iOS since 2021.

A lack of transparency on the part of Apple

This is not exactly the first time that Apple has deployed new versions of its system for iPhones not running the latest version of the OS. Already in September, a minor version of iOS 15 had found its way to the iPhone 6S. This clearly proves that Apple’s software tracking logic is not imitated in the latest versions of its OS. Older mobiles can continue to receive security updates (and fortunately).

The only drawback is that the manufacturer does not show great transparency on the subject. The end of life of these OS is never announced in advance or even officially declared. There was a time when Apple never updated its old OS. Now, new versions arrive sporadically, when Apple considers security issues very serious, it seems.

These updates are nevertheless very good news for those who still use their old phones. The longer a manufacturer deploys updates, the less the need to change smartphones is felt and the better the planet is. We would just like Apple to be a little clearer on the subject.

Source : ArsTechnica