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6-Year-Old Phone, Getting iOS 15, Is This Possible With Android

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Blanche Harris

Have you ever heard of an Android device getting a new software update if it’s more than three years old? Isn’t that unlikely? Apple just set a new record by announcing that the iPhone 6s, which was released in September 2015, will receive the iOS 15 update later this year. The iPhone 6s, along with its larger sibling, the iPhone 6s Plus, is the most recent addition to the compatible list.

Apple confirmed that iOS 15 would be available for close to 20 iPhone models, ranging from the iPhone 12 series, which will be released in 2020, to the iPhone 6s, which was released in 2015. The iPhone SE first-generation, which was released in March 2016, is the next device to receive the iOS 15 update.

While it’s no surprise that the iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6s, and iPhone SE may miss out on a slew of new features introduced with iOS 15, it’s worth noting that the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone SE may be left out. Mostly due to hardware limitations, but it’s still a promising thing for someone who is familiar with the Android ecosystem and knows what it’s like to be left out of even promised software updates.

Due to processor limitations, some iOS 15 features such as Visual Lookup, Live Text in photos, FaceTime updates, and others will not be supported on the iPhone 6s, according to The Verge.

Both Ars Technica and Macworld conducted performance tests on the iPhone 6s following the iOS 14 update last year, and both found major issues with battery standby. This means that iPhone 6s users who want to keep using their phones after iOS 15 should be excited about new privacy features, notification refresh, and other minor improvements. Security patches and bug fixes are also included in the new update.

Given that the iPhone 5s stopped receiving iOS updates after five years, the extended iOS support for the iPhone 6s is surprising.

Apple’s announcement of the compatible iPhones that will receive the iOS 15 update sparked jokes on Twitter, with some hailing the iPhone 6s and others criticizing the move.

Some people were worried about the iPhone 6s’ performance after the iOS 15 update, and others compared it to the Android ecosystem.

Google, for example, guarantees Pixel phones will receive Android version updates for at least three years after they are first released. Security updates are handled in the same way.

In terms of current Google phones, the Pixel 5 will stop receiving Android updates in October 2023, while the Pixel 4a 5G and 4a will stop receiving updates in November 2023 and August 2023, respectively.

In October 2022, Google’s Pixel 4XL and Pixel 4a will no longer receive Android updates. The Pixel 3a and 3a XL will be updated until May 2022, while the Pixel 3 and 3XL will be updated until October of this year.

Samsung promised four years of security updates for its 2019 and later phones earlier this year. The important thing to remember is that these are security updates, not OS updates. Last year, Samsung announced that three Android OS updates would be available for its Galaxy S-series, Note series, Foldables, and Galaxy A-series devices.

Vivo is another major smartphone maker that promises three years of Android updates. The announcement was made earlier this year, and it only applies to premium phones released after July 2021 in the X-series.

Other manufacturers, such as OnePlus, offer three years of Android updates as well as three years of security updates. Oppo recently announced that three years of Android OS updates would be available only for its flagship Find X-series smartphones, with no word on other Oppo smartphones.

When it comes to Xiaomi, the company promises two Android OS updates for the majority of its phones, but there is no word on security updates.

Realme’s smartphones also have a limited support cycle, with two major Android OS updates promised. Another smartphone manufacturer that has been delaying updates for its mid-range phones is Motorola. For the time being, the company is only providing one major Android OS update for its devices. This comes as a shock given that the Moto smartphones run on a nearly stock Android UI.

You might have guessed from the long list of Android OEMs that the update cycle on these devices is erratic. Except for Google, no other smartphone manufacturer in the Android ecosystem adheres to a strict Android OS and security patch update cycle, which is unsurprising.

In terms of updates, Apple outperforms Google’s Android, which needs to stop playing catch-up and impose a strict rule requiring every Android OEM to release timely updates for their devices. Google should take a page from Apple’s strict update cycle timelines, at least when it comes to rolling out software updates.

Meta Data — In the latest iOS 15 update, the iPhone 6s secured a position that is a 6-year-old model. Check out if your model made it to the list.

Hello, I am Blanche Harris. Being an online security expert, I love to make people aware of cyber threats and share helpful information to them regarding them. Download, install and activate your norton security at norton.com/setup.

Source: https://blanchektechnologyhub.wordpress.com/2021/07/07/6-year-old-phone-getting-ios-15-is-this-possible-with-android/

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