Apple is likely to announce iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, and a new rumor claims the next major version of iOS will support the same iPhone models as iOS 13, while iPadOS 14 will trim its compatible devices list.
According to French site iPhoneSoft.fr, iOS 14 will continue to support the iPhone SE, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, and all newer devices that Apple has released since. That would include the following:
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone SE
- iPod touch (7th generation)
The site qualifies its claim by suggesting the list is not final, and that the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s could get bumped off it because of the introduction of Apple's next-generation iPhone 12 models, expected in September, and the so-called "iPhone 9" or "iPhone SE 2" that's rumored to be arriving as early as this March.
Over on the iPad front, the site's source claims that Apple will drop support for the iPad mini 4, originally released in September 2015, and the iPad Air 2, released in October 2014. That would leave the following devices supported by iPadOS:
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro
- 11-inch iPad Pro
- 10.5-inch iPad Pro
- 9.7-inch iPad Pro
- iPad (7th generation)
- iPad (6th generation)
- iPad (5th generation)
- iPad mini (5th generation)
- iPad Air (3rd generation)
This isn't the first time iPhoneSoft.fr has made predictions about the device compatibility list of future iOS versions. In May 2019, the French blog claimed iOS 13 would drop support for the iPhone SE, but that turned out to be incorrect. However, it did accurately predict that iOS 13 would not support the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Apple is likely to prioritize access to services in iOS 14, with Apple Arcade, Apple TV+, Apple News and Apple Music becoming ever more important revenue streams for the company, so it would make sense for Apple's mobile software to continue supporting a wide range of devices.
Rumors suggest Apple will add a laser-powered time-of-flight 3D rear camera to the next iPad Pro models and the iPhone 12 Pro, which will bring significant improvements in augmented reality experiences.
These new hardware capabilities are also likely to feature prominently in iOS 14. Whether that means it will still be practicable to maintain compatibility with the same devices as iOS 13 remains to be seen.
