While macOS High Sierra does not drop support for any Macs that were compatible with the previous macOS iteration Sierra, iOS 11 does leave some devices behind.
Apple announced that iOS 11 will be compatible only with 64-bit devices when released this fall. The iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and fourth generation iPad will not support the next iOS version.
Here is a list of all compatible iDevices for iOS 11, which will be a free upgrade coming this fall:
iPhone
- iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 5s
iPad
- First & Second Generation 12.9″ iPad Pro
- 9.7″ iPad Pro
- 10.5″ iPad Pro
- Fifth Generation iPad
- iPad Air & iPad Air 2
- iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3 & iPad mini 4
iPod
- Sixth Generation iPod touch
Check out the Rocket Yard’s complete WWDC 2017 coverage here.
I like progress, but is there a reason for this 64-bit-only ruling for iOS? These are little tablets and smartphones. They’re not CAD workstations. They don’t need to address huge RAM spaces.
To get of old code. This saves space, and improves security.