It would be difficult to accuse Apple of practicing planned obsolescence. Indeed, in recent years, the Cupertino company has rather made it easy to find qualified repairers and using original spare parts.
In addition, in the United States, it has just launched its self-repair service, which allows people to buy spare parts and tools to repair their iPhones themselves (this program will also be launched in Europe more late).
And on the software side, Apple provides software support that allows an iPhone user to use the same device for years, if desired. The iPhone 6S, for example, still received the update to iOS 15 in 2021, despite being a model launched in 2015.
Nevertheless, there inevitably comes a time when a model ceases to receive the new versions of iOS. And while we await the presentation of iOS 16 at the WWDC conference in June, rumors are beginning to circulate about the compatibility of this future operating system.
In an article published this week, the iDropNews site suggests that the devices which received iOS 15, but which will no longer be updated to iOS 16 will be the iPhone 6S, the iPhone 6S Plus, as well as the iPhone SE of first generation. For the site, this would make perfect sense. And as far as the iPhone 6S is concerned, Apple will have provided much longer software support than Android devices.
At the moment, of course, this information is not yet official. Also, even if the iPhone 6S does not receive iOS 16, it will still be usable, but with the old operating system which will continue to receive patches for some time. But if you want to take advantage of Apple’s new products, you will have to buy a new model.
As a reminder, after the presentation of iOS 16 at the WWDC conference, Apple will offer a beta version of this new version, which will allow the new features to be tested on compatible devices.
Today, Android smartphone makers are taking inspiration from the longevity of the iPhone
For a device to continue to be used, it must receive updates. And at a time when the climate is one of the main concerns, buying a smartphone that will become obsolete too quickly is not a good thing.
But fortunately, gradually, Android smartphone manufacturers are improving the support for their devices. For the Pixel 6, for example, Google is committed to providing new versions of Android until October 2024. And security updates will be provided until 2026.
And for some models, Samsung will provide updates to four new versions of Android. And security updates can be provided for five years, for a few smartphones.
