Which devices will be supported by iOS 16 and iPadOS 16?

There are no rumors yet about which devices are supported by iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, but news earlier this week about the discontinuation of the iPod touch suggests that as many as nine devices could lose support for Apple's upcoming operating system.

Which Devices Will iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 Support?

While Apple could simply drop support for some iPhones and iPads that still receive the latest updates, memory could be the deciding factor regarding which devices support iOS16 and iPadOS16. When Apple introduced iOS 13, it dropped support for all devices with less than 2GB of RAM. No longer supported a large number of A7 and A8-based devices such as the iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus, as well as the first-generation iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, and sixth-generation iPod touch. This is why the iPad mini 4 with 2GB of RAM continues to be supported by iOS 13, 14, and 15 support, even though it has an A8 chip.

iOS and iPadOS 13, 14, and 15 support all the same devices, including the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, the seventh-generation iPod touch, iPad Air 2, fifth-generation iPad, iPad mini 4, and the first-generation iPad Pro.

There is also little evidence that Apple will support the seventh-generation iPod touch, an A10-based device with 2GB of memory, simply because it continues to sell until now. Apple discontinued the sixth-generation iPod touch in May 2019, and it was excluded from receiving iOS 13, which was released just four months later. The company could repeat this pattern with the seventh-generation iPod touch, discontinuing it in May 2022 and then excluding it from iOS 16 support a few months later.

If iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 require 3GB of RAM, it seems reasonable that nine devices with A9 and A10 chips could lose support. Even though the iPhone 7 Plus and seventh-generation iPad include the A10 chip, both devices have 3GB of RAM, which means they are more likely to retain support when Apple drops support for older devices next.

In addition, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that watchOS 9 will drop support for the Apple Watch Series 3 later this year, even though it is still being sold.

If Apple chooses to make 3GB of RAM a requirement to run iOS16 and iPadOS16, the following devices may be supported

iOS

• iPhone 6S
• iPhone 6S Plus
• iPhone SE (first generation)
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 8
• iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone X
• iPhone XR
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPod touch (7th generation)
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (2nd generation)
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (3rd generation)

iPadOS

• iPad Air 2
• iPad Air (3rd generation)
• iPad Air (4th generation)
• iPad Air (5th generation)
• iPad (5th Generation)
• iPad (6th generation)
• iPad (7th Generation)
• iPad (8th generation)
• iPad (9th generation)
• iPad mini 4
• iPad mini (5th generation)
• iPad mini (6th generation)
• iPad Pro (1st generation)
• iPad Pro (2nd generation)
• iPad Pro (3rd generation)
• iPad Pro (4th generation)
• iPad Pro (5th generation)

It is worth noting that iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 can continue to support all the same devices like iOS and iPadOS 13, 14, and 15. That said, it seems only a matter of time before Apple drops support for some older devices, either this year or next. When that happens, it seems likely that only the aforementioned devices will retain support.

As in previous years, Apple will introduce major updates to all of its operating systems at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 6, 2022. It is rumored that iOS16, iPadOS16, and watchOS9 will offer a large number of features and improvements.