Photo: Ellica (Shutterstock)
Although Apple is known for supporting its products with software updates, a few devices are cut out of the update cycle each year. At WWDC 2022, the company announced a bunch of exciting software updates, but an unusually high number of devices won’t be coming aboard. If you’re looking forward to iOS 16 and macOS Ventura, temper your excitement until you check whether your Apple devices will be supported.
Even if your device has been cut, the good news is you’re still likely to receive critical security updates for a while. Apple has a good track record for security updates after dropping software support; after all, the company is still supporting devices stuck on iOS 12 with security patches, so your device should be protected for some time. You just won’t be getting any of the exciting new features that Apple has promised at WWDC.
iPhones that won’t get iOS 16
Apple has decided to remove the iPhone 7, 7 Plus, and older from the list of devices that will receive iOS 16. If you aren’t sure which iPhone you have, you can check it by going to Settings > General > About and see the name next to Model Name. This means the following iPhones (and a solitary iPod) won’t be getting major iOS updates any longer:
iPhone 7iPhone 7 PlusiPhone 6siPhone 6s PlusiPhone SE (1st generation)iPod touch (7th generation)Macs that won’t receive macOS Ventura
The list of Macs that have been cut out of macOS Ventura is noteworthy, too. You can check the model number of your Mac by going to Apple logo > About This Mac. Here’s the full list:
iMac (Late 2015) (includes the 27-inch, 21.5-inch, and the non-Retina models)Mac Pro (Late 2013) (the good old “trash can”)Mac mini (2014)MacBook Air (Early 2015) (11- and 13-inch models)MacBook Air (2017)MacBook (Early 2016) (the 12-inch laptop with Retina display)MacBook Pro (Early 2015) (includes the 13- and 15-inch models)MacBook Pro (2016) (the 13- and 15-inch models)iPads deprived of iPadOS 16
Apple has removed the following iPads from the list of devices compatible with iPadOS 16:
iPad mini 4iPad Air (4th generation)iPad Air (3rd generation)iPad Air 2You can check the model number by going to Settings > General > About > Model Name.
No more updates for the Apple Watch Series 3
In a move that should surprise no one, the Apple Watch Series 3 will not be getting watchOS 9. We’ve already warned against buying the Series 3 and even though Apple inexplicably continues to sell it, the lack of future updates is another reason you should heed our advice.
