September 22, 2021

Apple had just released iOS and iPadOS 15. Usually, this would mean the retirement of iOS 14, however, starting this year, if you want to postpone the iOS 15 update by a few weeks or months, you can do so without missing important security updates.

This is because Apple plans to continue the updates for any phone or tablet running iOS 14 or iPadOS 14.

This policy change extends the lifespan of devices that can no longer be upgraded to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS.

For the past two years, Apple has only released security-related iOS 12 updates for the iPhone 5S, iPad Air and iPad mini 2 from 2013, and for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus from 2014.

None of these devices can be upgraded to iOS 13, but those who did not have newer devices could continue to use them without experiencing core functionality issues or putting their data at greater risk.

There will always be a few features worth updating for, be it FaceTime screen sharing, iPad home screen widgets, or even new emojis. Sooner or later, Apple will also stop updating it, and third-party apps may no longer support it either, as developers’ attention shifts to iOS 15 and newer versions.

However, it’s just nice to have the opportunity to wait a while longer if you want to skip the bugs and teething troubles that usually involve most brand-new operating systems.

For more information, you may view the original story from Ars Technica.