iOS 16 on iPhone 6S: Will Apple break record AGAIN and give it 7th iOS update?

iOS 16 on iPhone 6S: With iOS 16 update looming, it remains to be seen whether the iPhone 6S gets any update this year.

Apple iPhone 6S was launched in 2015 and had gotten the iOS 15 update as its 6th OS update. (Reuters)

iOS 16 on iPhone 6S? If you are rocking the vintage iPhone 6S in 2022, chances are that you have this question on the mind. The iPhone 6S is currently the oldest iPhone model that runs the latest iOS 15 update — it was a surprise last year. The iOS 15 update on the iPhone 6S made Apple the only company in the world to offer up to six years of OS updates — something Android users can't think of. Given that Apple likes to surprise its customers every now and then, it only becomes logical to look for the possibility of iOS 16 on this 2015 iPhone.

The iPhone 6S was launched in 2015 as Apple's flagship offering for that year. It debuted the 3D Touch feature and offers 4K video recording at 60 fps. After the endgate scandal on the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6S was also a stronger device to carry around. And, it was the last iPhone in the world to carry the 3.5mm headphone jack, and a physical Home button. Hence, many people loved the iPhone 6S years after its launch, and even when it was discontinued. To this date, I have seen lots of iPhone 6S in the wild, still entertaining their owners like it did when it was new.

iPhone 6S update history

Ever since its launch in 2015, the iPhone 6S has been consistently getting new updates every year around September. The latest update it got was the iOS 15 update, which was largely a mild update to the massively new iOS 14. iOS 15 introduced Focus Modes as well as retained the widgets and the App drawer. On the iPhone 6S though, iOS 15 skipped out on a lot of its marquee features owing to the lack of power from its vintage A9 chip. For casual usage though, the iPhone 6S still runs better than any midrange Android smartphone.

iOS 16 leaks suggest big changes

With the iOS 16, there are some big updates heading to the iPhone. There is going to be a new lock screen widget wallpaper thing that could be taxing on the resources. Then there's the rumoured notifications management system that could change the way we interact with the iPhone notifications. Additionally, the iPhone in general could also get new health tracking features.

So, iOS 16 on iPhone 6S?

iOS 15 itself arrived in a compromised form on the iPhone 6S and with rumours of the big changes on iOS 16, we doubt Apple could include the iPhone 6S for another year of iOS update. The A9 chip could struggle to keep with all the modifications that are meant to pamper the newer models, such as the iPhone 13 and iPhone SE 3rd Gen.

What should iPhone 6S owners do?

New iPhone SE starts at Rs. 43,990 (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

New iPhone SE starts at Rs. 43,990 (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

If you are still on an iPhone 6S  and are concerned about privacy as well as security, we recommend you start looking at the new iPhone models. The iPhone SE 3rd Gen is the only model in the stable closest to the iPhone 6S in terms of the design and overall familiarity — it also gets the faster A15 chip, supports 5G networks, and still retains the Home button. Plus, it is right now the most affordable “new” iPhone you can buy.

That said, Apple loves to pull off surprises and we could end up seeing the iPhone 6S mentioned on the list of iOS 16 supported devices. Yes, it could miss out on some big new features but those using the iPhone 6S can continue to use it for another year with all the latest security patches.