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Jay-Jacob

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 10, 2015
649
404
England
Hi. All my devices except iPad Pro 9.7 can be updated to latest iOS 17 (and Mac to latest MacOS). I am planning get new iPad but not yet either iPad Air or base iPad Pro depending price of iPad Air is. At moment my iPad Pro 9.7 cannot be updated to iOS 17 and stay on iOS 16 and I am wondering if there is anything that might not work well with both since I use my iPad and iPhone together and all data synced and settings synced etc. If there is issue for both work together then I have to delay update iOS 17 until get new iPad. I always update on launch day and this first time I have old idevice (not counting Mac) that cannot be updated. If they work well together then I can update.
 
What typically happens when using an older device on an older OS with a new one is that the new device with the new OS will also have the newest apps which the older device may not be able to run.

Classic example:
Let’s say you’ve been keeping a spreadsheet in Numbers logging something every day and this file has become very important.
When you open that file on the new iPhone, the new version of Numbers will open it fine • but it will save it as the new version when closed.

Then when you want to open the file on the older device — you won’t be able to because the older device has the older software which can’t open newer files.

The only way to open it on the old device is to have the newest Numbers app software — but that version won’t run on the older OS — so you need to buy a new device. Ha!
Apple has got it all figured out.
Their software is a trap
 
Funny that you mentioned numbers and I do use that app a lot! Sounds like I need to wait for new iPad to released and buy before I update my iPhone to newest iOS 17 to be on safe side. I use numbers on iPad a lot and do use iPhone when need to but prefer on iPad.
 
Funny that you mentioned numbers and I do use that app a lot! Sounds like I need to wait for new iPad to released and buy before I update my iPhone to newest iOS 17 to be on safe side. I use numbers on iPad a lot and do use iPhone when need to but prefer on iPad.
I don't see why that would be a problem, the latest version of Numbers only requires iOS/iPadOS 16.

In general Apple keeps the latest OS compatible with the past few versions. The only exceptions are when new features or redesigns are implemented. The biggest concern is probably Contact Posters this time around.
 
When Apple OS has too wide a gap then certain services stops syncing.

Example: 2018 macOS Mojave will stop syncing or have faulty Calendar app & Messaging app with 2022 iOS 16.
 
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