iOS 16 will arrive in 2022 with a range of new features and improvements. And as usual, Apple will roll it out to multiple devices from times gone by. Apple is unmatched when it comes to speed and reach of their software updates. iPhones that are six to seven years old very often get the updates.
As we await the announcement and rollout of iOS 16, a leakster has revealed that three iPhones currently running iOS 15 won’t be eligible to get updated to iOS 16. According to him, those three iPhone models are: the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus and the iPhone SE (2016).
The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are 7-year old devices and have been updated each passing year with the newest version of iOS. They launched in 2015 with iOS 9. The original iPhone SE was launched in 2916 with iOS 9.3.2. Like the 6s sisters, it too has been updated every year since then.
Seven years of software support is a long period in the smartphone space. It is very likely that the much lower resources on these smartphones make it difficult for them to support iOS, which has newer, more resource-demanding features. Apple is easily the top smartphone brand when it comes to rolling out software updates to their devices.
Which iPhones will not get iOS 16?
iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus and the iPhone SE (2016) are too old and dated to qualify for the software update, and so will not be getting the update.
When is iOS 16 arriving?
The 16 update will arrive in June 2022, when its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, is holding.
Other iPhones that will get partial features of iOS 16
Also, while iPhones 7 and newer will get iOS 16, the older devices will likely not get all the new features of iOS 16. Again, the older hardware is likely the key limiting factor.
As such, if you want to enjoy iOS 16 fully and own an older iPhone, say from 6s to 7 series, you will likely need to drop your iPhone and replace it with a more recent model.
Reference: source.