All Devices Quo vadis iOS?

[gustavopi]

Updating myself with latest news about iOS 13, I had an ambiguous feeling. I was pleased to know my iPhone SE will be supported by the new system, but surprised to know iPhone 6 was not. I bought my device used, and I was in doubt about witch model to get: 6 or SE. iPhone 6 is a nice smartphone, specially the plus sub-model, but the SE was cheaper and seams a little bit faster.

Ok, I will be updated, but based on history, my nice iPhone SE will be slow down with iOS 13, and a large group of iPhone and iPad customers will become outdated soon - what does it mean? Who are we in this market? Below, there is a recent chart about how iPhone models are distributed worldwide:
https://deviceatlas.com/blog/most-popular-iphones

We can see iPhone 6 is in 5th position very close to X and 8 models. I don't remind (please tell me if I'm wrong) when a device so popular was unsupported by latest OS in Apple's recent history - and there is still the plus and old iPads. Also there is other new factors surrounding Apple's decision: America is breaking up with China (America first etc.), there is Huawei, there is 5G with AI and other minor world changing facts (cryptocurrency etc.). Though this iOS update will be in a unique situation.

But, unlike the past, smartphones are pretty much like notebooks today, buying a 2 or 3 yers old won't be highly different from a new one in daily common tasks. When people put their phones over the table they are pretty much the same, everyone can make calls, buy something, see the bank account or to call a Uber. Also these devices has a high market value and will help the one is wishing for the latest model - he might only buy if he could sell the old one for a good price. Is this cycle being broken? Why?

I am considering two situations here: One, Apple needs to evolve faster with iOS 13, so will push the customers to a new reality. Two, Apple is kinda lost in the new scenario and have lost the focus in the customer by the unfriendly decision of drop support on recent and still good devices.

Will iOS 13 be for an elite only in the future? Is Apple giving up of ordinary people as me? What's the consequences?

 

[AppleHaterLover]

Don’t get me wrong, but the iPhone 6 will be 5 years old by the time it is officially out of support. The 6 has seen versions 9, 10, 11 and 12. And it runs great on iOS 12 and will continue to do so for many years to come.

iPhone 6 is still popular because the form factor didn’t change so much between ‘14-‘17 and I think it was still sold in I think India until recently. But people knew full well that they were not getting the latest and greatest.

Expecting 5 year old+ hardware to continue receiving upgrades is not a reasonable expectation. Whoever is still rocking an iPhone 6 can demand that Apple does not issue an update that will slow their phone to a crawl (which it did in the past with iOS 4 on iPhone 3G, iOS 7 on iPhone 4, iOS 9 on iPhone 4S), and I think they’ve learned their lesson.

Sorry but calling iPhone 6S and above owners (released September 2015 - 4 years ago) an “elite” is not a good argument. Technology needs to move on.

 

[Feenician]

Updating myself with latest news about iOS 13, I had an ambiguous feeling. I was pleased to know my iPhone SE will be supported by the new system, but surprised to know iPhone 6 was not. I bought my device used, and I was in doubt about witch model to get: 6 or SE. iPhone 6 is a nice smartphone, specially the plus sub-model, but the SE was cheaper and seams a little bit faster.

Ok, I will be updated, but based on history, my nice iPhone SE will be slow down with iOS 13, and a large group of iPhone and iPad customers will become outdated soon - what does it mean? Who are we in this market? Below, there is a recent chart about how iPhone models are distributed worldwide:
https://deviceatlas.com/blog/most-popular-iphones

We can see iPhone 6 is in 5th position very close to X and 8 models. I don't remind (please tell me if I'm wrong) when a device so popular was unsupported by latest OS in Apple's recent history - and there is still the plus and old iPads. Also there is other new factors surrounding Apple's decision: America is breaking up with China (America first etc.), there is Huawei, there is 5G with AI and other minor world changing facts (cryptocurrency etc.). Though this iOS update will be in a unique situation.

But, unlike the past, smartphones are pretty much like notebooks today, buying a 2 or 3 yers old won't be highly different from a new one in daily common tasks. When people put their phones over the table they are pretty much the same, everyone can make calls, buy something, see the bank account or to call a Uber. Also these devices has a high market value and will help the one is wishing for the latest model - he might only buy if he could sell the old one for a good price. Is this cycle being broken? Why?

I am considering two situations here: One, Apple needs to evolve faster with iOS 13, so will push the customers to a new reality. Two, Apple is kinda lost in the new scenario and have lost the focus in the customer by the unfriendly decision of drop support on recent and still good devices.

Will iOS 13 be for an elite only in the future? Is Apple giving up of ordinary people as me? What's the consequences?

The iPhone 6 got 5 releases of OS (8 through 12) and will be 5 years old when iOS 13 and the new iPhones are released. Around 5 - 6 years is pretty standard for Apple and unparalleled in the industry. It won't simply stop being useful when iOS 13 is released either. You'll still be able to get an Uber and do your banking on it for some time to come.

Probably the main reason it isn't getting iOS 13, being very close to the SE, is that it only had 1Gb RAM against the SE's 2Gb

 

[AppleHaterLover]

.

Probably the main reason it isn't getting iOS 13, being very close to the SE, is that it only had 1Gb RAM against the SE's 2Gb

The SE is a 5S in disguise (Same A9, same 2GB of RAM). It was a beast when it was released, and OK-ish in 2019. The 6 was a bit underpowered from the start

 

[Feenician]

The SE is a 5S in disguise (Same A9, same 2GB of RAM). It was a beast when it was released, and OK-ish in 2019. The 6 was a bit underpowered from the start

I think you made a typo and meant 6S in disguise right? You're right. For some reason I remembered having 6 innards. So, even more clear cut then.

 

[gustavopi]

Don’t get me wrong, but the iPhone 6 will be 5 years old by the time it is officially out of support. The 6 has seen versions 9, 10, 11 and 12. And it runs great on iOS 12 and will continue to do so for many years to come.

iPhone 6 is still popular because the form factor didn’t change so much between ‘14-‘17 and I think it was still sold in I think India until recently. But people knew full well that they were not getting the latest and greatest.

Expecting 5 year old+ hardware to continue receiving upgrades is not a reasonable expectation. Whoever is still rocking an iPhone 6 can demand that Apple does not issue an update that will slow their phone to a crawl (which it did in the past with iOS 4 on iPhone 3G, iOS 7 on iPhone 4, iOS 9 on iPhone 4S), and I think they’ve learned their lesson.

Sorry but calling iPhone 6S and above owners (released September 2015 - 4 years ago) an “elite” is not a good argument. Technology needs to move on.

The iPhone 6 got 5 releases of OS (8 through 12) and will be 5 years old when iOS 13 and the new iPhones are released. Around 5 - 6 years is pretty standard for Apple and unparalleled in the industry. It won't simply stop being useful when iOS 13 is released either. You'll still be able to get an Uber and do your banking on it for some time to come.

Probably the main reason it isn't getting iOS 13, being very close to the SE, is that it only had 1Gb RAM against the SE's 2Gb

Well, iPhone 6 release is 5 years old, but it was discontinued only at September 2018. Last month I have changed my cellphone company and the guy still got some boxes for sell - brand new and sealed. You can still buy one new for you so it is not an out of the marked product.

That said, I didn't mean a new iPhone is for elite (though was not clear on this part), I think it might becoming a brand for elite. The world now is flooded of smartphones and, like I said, 5 years old today have a different impact than a decade ago. Remember heaving a iPhone 3GS and comparing with a Blackberry? Or buying a just released iPhone 6 and comparing with the 3GS?

The world has changed a lot, I still think iOS 13 will have a different impact in the marked. Of course I wish to keep with Apple and I hope new devices will remain affordable for me, but I also remember what happened when Apple tried to sell only for elite, do you?