Apple is expected to unveil iOS 13 at their Worldwide Developer Conference in June, but is rumored to dropping support for the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPhone SE.
Apple’s upcoming version of its mobile operating system will not be rolled out to a substantial number of iOS devices that received iOS 12, according to a report by French blog iPhoneSoft. In addition to the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPhone SE, iOS 13 will not be released for the iPhone 5s, the iPad mini 2, and iPad Air.
The iPhone 5s, iPad mini 2, and iPad Air were released in 2013, while the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus shipped in 2014. The iPhone SE only launched in 2016, so if the rumor is true, the 4-inch smartphone will only have three years on the latest iOS.
When iOS 12 was rolled out last year, the inclusion of the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus to the list of compatible devices was a surprise. In particular, the iPhone 5s was not expected because the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c were cut off from iOS updates with iOS 10.3.3. The changes in iOS 12 mostly focused on performance optimization, which may have made it easier to adapt to older hardware and different display sizes.
That appears not to be the case with iOS 13 though. According to other rumors, the mobile operating system will finally offer a system-wide Dark Mode, similar to MacOS, as well as a swipe-based keyboard, updated iMessage and Maps apps, and revamped Health functionality. For iPads, it is said that there will be a standard undo system for typing in the form of a three-finger tap or swipe, and windowed apps that may be moved and stacked on top of one another.
All these features coming to iPhones and iPads with the new iOS may be too much for the 4-inch screen and A9 processor of the iPhone SE, for example. Apple may also be moving to stop support for 4-inch displays, which includes the iPhone 5s.
As with any rumor, nothing is certain until the information is confirmed. Owners of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPhone SE will simply have to hope that Apple extends support for the smartphones with iOS 13, which will be officially revealed on June 3.
