Apple warns iPhone users, some models will not get new tech support, miss out on security updates

At WWDC, Apple announced iOS 17, the newest version of the iPhone operating system. The tech giant is unleashing several new Phone, FaceTime, and Messages features, along with minor improvements for other apps. But if you own an iPhone 8 or X, upgrading to a newer version would be a good idea.

The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, released in 2017, will not support the upcoming operating system. The decision not to support these models with iOS 17 is likely because these models are no longer powerful enough to run the latest software.

The iOS 17 will include a several new features that require more processing power than these older devices. Apple typically stops supporting older iPhone models after six years.

The phones will still be functional, but the biggest miss for the owners of these models will be missing out on all new security updates leaving them more vulnerable to threats such as malware and viruses.

iOS 17 overview

The new iOS 17 is expected to be released in mid-September 2023. The new updates promise to be expansive, with a raft of new security features, including improvements to Safari Private Browsing and Apple's child safety protections and more aesthetic and usability improvements.

The new operating system will have design-driven contact cards for you and the people in your address book and a 'StandBy' mode that effectively turns your iPhone into a desk or nightstand clock as it charges — with customisable quick info on display.

FaceTime supports both audio and video messages, so if you don't pick up a call, the person on the other end can leave a video recording for you or an audio message. FaceTime also supports a range of Reactions like hearts, balloons, fireworks, laser beams, and rain. Effects are activated through gestures, and will also work in third-party apps.

Apple improved autocorrect across iOS, adding a new machine learning model that can better predict what you want to say. It can offer to autofill entire sentences with inline predictions when typing, so finishing a word or a sentence is as simple as pressing the spacebar. Correcting mistakes is easier because it can be done with a tap. There's also a new speech recognition model for dictation that makes it more accurate.

NameDrop, a new facet of AirDrop, lets you bring your iPhone near another iPhone to exchange contact information. This works with Apple Watch as well. Bringing two iPhones together can initiate SharePlay so you can listen to music, watch a movie, or play a game with another person who has an iPhone, and it also works for transferring content. Later this year, AirDrop will allow large file transfers to be initiated by two phones in close proximity, with the transfer finishing over iCloud.

All emoji characters are now stickers and are in the Stickers section of the Messages app. Emoji can be used as normal, but can also be placed over images and messages like a sticker. You can create your own stickers from your photos using the Remove Subject from Background feature that was introduced in iOS 16. If you use a Live Photo, you'll end up with an animated sticker that you can share in the Messages app. Stickers can have special effects like a hand drawn look, glitter, or a different color, and they can also be used across iOS, essentially wherever you can use an emoji.

On the Home Screen, widgets are now interactive so you can use them to do things like control music, activate a light, mark off a reminder, and more. Spotlight Search is also more interactive so you can do things like change settings without opening an app.

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