iOS 16 NOT coming to iPhone 7, iPhone 6S, iPhone SE 1st Gen, iPod Touch! What to do NOW?

iOS 16 drops support for iPhone 7, iPhone 6S, and iPhone SE 1st Gen. Here are all the details.

iOS 16 is not coming to the iPhone 7 along with iPhone 6S, iPhone SE 1st gen and iPod Touch (Apple)

SHOCKING news for those using the iPhone 7! Apple just announced the iOS 16 updates for iPhones going ahead, bringing some big changes to the phones. iOS 16 is easily one of the biggest updates we have ever seen over the last few years. From a new customisable lockscreen experience to new sharing features and more, there is a lot to look forward with the iOS 16 update. Sadly, that won't be the case with several users of older iPhone models who were expecting extend the usage for another year.

In the list of iPhone models that are not getting iOS 16, it was obvious to see the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, and the iPhone SE 1st Gen model. These phones were running on the age-old A9 chipset and had enjoyed 6 years of software updates. Surprisingly, Apple also excluded the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus from the iOS 16 support list. Joining this list is also the Apple iPod Touch, which was recently discontinued. In short, all iPhone and iPod models running on the A9 and A10 Fusion platforms are no more supported.

iOS 16 support list is shorter this year

The list of the devices that are getting the iOS 16 update includes the following models:

– iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

– iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max

– iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max

– iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR

– iPhone X

– iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus

– iPhone SE 2nd Gen, iPhone SE 3rd Gen

It is surprising to see Apple dropping support for the iPhone 7 generation a year sooner. Considering its launch in 2016, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were only supported for 5 years, which is a year lesser than the iPhone 6S generation. Apple does not clarify the reasons behind dropping the support. It seems that iOS 16 is too resource heavy for the A10 platform, especially with its new lockscreen customisation and all the smarter feature additions. 

What should iPhone 7 users do?

With iOS 16 still a few months away from its stable release, there's no need to panic yet. The iPhone 7 with iOS 15 will be good enough until September, when Apple usually drops a new generation iPhone along with the new iOS version. 

Once iOS 16 is released, you should look for an upgrade to a newer iPhone model. The closest you can get to the retro iPhone experience is the iPhone SE 3rd Gen, which offers the iPhone 8 body with the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13. Additionally, the new iPhone 14 could be another solid option around that time. And do not rule out the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 as good options yet.