Editor's note: Apple announced iPadOS 17 during WWDC 2023. On its website, the Cupertino-based tech giant said:
"New software features will be available this fall as a free software update for iPad (6th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2nd generation and later), 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and 11-inch iPad Pro (1st generation and later)."
Original story follows:
iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 are tipped to arrive later this year, and these updates are sure to bring a slew of new features to the latest Apple devices. However, a new rumor suggests that a trio of iPads won’t receive an OS upgrade and will instead see their time in the sun come to an end.
This latest report comes from iPhoneSoft (spotted by 9to5Mac) and lines up with a previous prediction that came via an anonymous Twitter account earlier this month. It’s claimed that there will be three models of Apple iPad that won’t receive iPadOS 17 support: iPad 5th Gen, iPad Pro 9.7-inch (1st Gen) and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st Gen).
These iPads were released between 2015 and 2017, and are now seemingly just a few months away from being effectively sunset by Apple. If you own one of the affected models, you might be a little frustrated, but after more than half a decade of support, it seems fairly reasonable that these tablets are now coming to the end of their respective life cycles.
It’s also worth considering that Apple has equipped its latest iPads with speedy M1 and M2 chipsets. This silicon allows for performance levels that older tablets simply cannot match. Naturally, Apple will want to avoid being hamstrung by less powerful hardware when it comes to upgrading its operating systems, so the logical solution would be disregarding older tablets that just can’t keep up anymore.
iOS 17: These iPhones could miss the cut
It’s not just previous-generation tablets that could get left behind either. It’s also rumored that three iPhone models won’t make the jump over to iOS 17: the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X. However, a conflicting rumor suggests that all iPhones capable of running iOS 16 will also run iOS 17.
If you’re still making do with an older Apple device, the impending launch of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 may be the perfect excuse to upgrade, as it’s shaping up to be a worthwhile refresh of the already slick operating system. In fact, a fairly-comprehensive leak claims to have revealed most of the updates that will come with iOS 17. The additions will reportedly include active widgets, extra Dynamic Island features, “major changes” to the Control Center UI and more.
The best future-proof iPad now
If you are looking to upgrade your Apple tablet, we would definitely recommend the iPad Pro 2022. In our review, we noted that it does a great job of “solidifying its best tablet status” and its lightning-fast M2 chip continues to impress. Plus, now is a good time to buy as the iPad Pro 2022 (WiFi/128GB) is on sale for $1,029 at Amazon. However, we may see an even steeper discount during Amazon Prime Day 2023 which is expected to be held over the summer.
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