The iPhone 3GS, Apple’s aging iPhone that was released more than three years ago, finally came to the end of its rope in terms of iOS updates today as Apple announced that it won’t be getting an upgrade to iOS 7 when the software is released later on this year.
In 2010, Apple released the iPhone 3GS, a device that is still available on-contract for those not looking to splurge on a new smartphone. The device surprisingly received a bare-bones update to iOS 6 though it appears that those who bought the iPhone 3GS recently or in the months past, won’t be getting the latest from Apple.
iPhone 3GS owners won’t get iOS 7.
Today at WWDC 2013, Apple announced that only a select group of devices would be getting iOS 7 when it arrives later on this fall. Specifically, the company named the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad mini, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, and iPod touch fifth-generation as the recipients of the update, meaning the iPhone 3GS is going to be stuck on iOS 6 going forward.
This should not come as too much of a surprise as the iPhone 3GS is an extremely old device, in smartphone years, and was seen as long-shot to get the revamped iOS 7. Of course, nothing is ruled out until Apple releases the software but at this point, things are not looking good for owners of the iPhone 3GS when it comes to iOS 7.
iOS 7 will arrive later on this year.
What this means is that owners are likely to miss out on new iOS features for the first time since the device’s arrival many years ago. That means no redesign, no AirDrop, no tweaked core applications like Calendar and Weather. Instead, users will have to make do with the features and look of iOS 6.
As for owners of other devices, iOS 7 will ring in a new era of iOS software with new colors, a brand new look to the user interface that is much flatter than the previous versions, a host of new features and a release date that is said to be coming this fall.
Apple tends to reveal more about its software at its iPhone events and with the iPhone 5S rumored for later this year, we expect to hear more about iOS 7, and its release then.
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