Apple Gives Some Older iPhones OS Updates, Going Back To iPhone 5S

Apple has provided iOS 12.5.7, macOS 11.7.3, and other updates for older devices that can't be updated to the latest releases. AppleInsider reports: The new updates are for users still using older devices and operating systems and address similar bugs and security patches available in the recent iOS 16.3 and macOS Ventura releases. The security patch notes list at least 14 different systems affected by security issues that have been patched. The new update versions are: iOS 12.5.7, iOS 15.7.3, iPadOS 15.7.3, macOS Big Sur 11.7.3, and macOS Monterey 12.6.3.

Users may note the skipped iOS versions between iOS 12 and iOS 15. Those are due to where devices were cut off from updating. Every device that could run iOS 13 could run iOS 15, so Apple doesn't update every version. The oldest device supported by iOS 12.5.7, for example, is the iPhone 5s, which was released in September 2013. The oldest Macs supported by macOS Big Sur are the 2013 MacBook Air, Mac Pro, and MacBook Pro. Anyone capable of updating these new updates to the older operating systems should do so as soon as possible. The update addresses known security issues that could put the user at risk.

10 year old released device getting security updat

[saloomy]

Apple dominates in this area.

Re:

[drhamad]

I'm missing something here in your well-intentioned rant... is Google doing better? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Google provides security updates for 10 years, or even in most cases even 5 years? Seems like on their branded phones they (just recently) provide 5 years of security updates, but they only require other manufacturers to provide 2 years. And for full OS updates it's considerably shorter than that, where Apple's running iOS16 all the way back to the iPhone 8. So while you may hav

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

No they don't. They went YEARS without updates.

What the fuck are you talking about? iOS 12.5.6 was just released in August 2022. macOS 11.7.2 and macOS 12.6.2 were just released in December 2022.

Apple isn't a malicious Android manufacturer like Lenovo who is still selling "new" tablets that are actually running Android that's two major versions behind the current release and never provides OTA updates for them.

Re:Some over-credit Apple for too late update

[thecombatwombat]

It's not impotent rage, it's ironic rage.

I am just fascinated by Apple haters.

So do you have no smart phone now? Who does better than Apple at what you're *so mad* at Apple for?

I mean by your criteria, what's better?

Apple inspires just absolute dissonance. I was at an Apple store once with someone ranting about how they only had accessories for the current devices. We asked an employee, and they pointed us to *tons* of options for way older phones than we could find anyone else supporting at Best Buy. After finding these, they just doubled down, Apple needed to have even older accessories still. For reasons. It was very important to them.

One friend told me in great detail, I didn't ask, how he tried an iPhone but couldn't use it because it was ridiculous that its keyboard didn't behave like the Android keyboard he liked. Now, the keyboard he wanted wasn't default on Android, he had to install it from an app store. On iPhone, it was just as available on the App Store, from the same developer, but somehow on Apple, it was a tyranny?

And here we have this guy, really angry at Apple for . . . literally being the absolute best in the industry at the criteria he's mad at Apple about? These people aren't joking?

I don't get it, how do they inspire this? They're like some pick up artist negging the whole world. I'm sorry Apple didn't want to marry you and just wanted sex, but you need to get over it. You'll be much happier.

Re:

[twocows]

I agree with you for this particular point -- Apple does updates much better than any Android phone at the moment. However, I think it's important not to over-generalize. There are valid problems with Apple and its devices that people are right to call out as problems. For example, their historically hostile stance toward reparability is problematic, although they have made a few concessions recently that are worth acknowledging (they're still far from "good" in this area, but to be fair that applies to man

Re:

[thecombatwombat]

You're missing, or perhaps dodging, the point. Which kind of is my point.

I'm not defending Apple, they're a company, I don't care about companies, especially big tech. I'm typing this on a Fedora computer. I'm also not generalizing, there are tons of specific examples about.

Those things being true, don't make any of those other cases I listed reasonable. The question isn't is Apple good, it's how do they get so deep in people's brains, that otherwise rational people act that way? If Apple is providing ten y

Re:

[twocows]

Ah, I see what you're saying now. I think it's just fanboyism/tribalism. There's a lot of that going on these days.

Re:

[NoMoreACs]

There are valid problems with Apple and its devices that people are right to call out as problems.

None of which are germane to the Topic at Hand!

Re:

[NoMoreACs]

No they don't. They went YEARS without updates. Apple doesn't get credit after leaving older devices out of updates and unprotected, with, moreover, NO PROMISE or even a HINT of them ever getting another update of any kind, as you can't even pretend that some users didn't "upgrade" to a newer iPhone, handing Apple hundreds or thousands of dollars for no reason, despite there being nothing actually WRONG with their older phones, despite those users being HAPPY and SATISFIED with their existing phones, out of FEAR engendered by Apple that they were being left behind and would not get further security updates, making continuing to use the devices as they'd been DANGEROUS, and exposing them to an increased and unacceptable degree of risk of having their data and personal information compromised.

This act on the part of Apple is painting the barn door after they burned the barn down. It's not even CLOSING the damned door, because it's not like they've made a big public declaration that they'll continue to give safety and security updates, and even if they did, they didn't do it when they needed to, when their CUSTOMERS needed them to, when it would have done ANY good whatsoever. This would be like if a car company offered everyone still driving a car they made 20 years ago a free set of tires NOW, but only if they still have the original tires, and also the tires can only be used on THAT car, and only if they still have the car itself which most probably don't. IF, on the other hand, they had said way back then, that iPhones dating all the way back to the 5s would continue to GET safety and security updates all the way until now, it MIGHT have made a difference. It's way, way, WAY to late for this. Here's a better analogy, actually. What they've done is like a babysitter you asked to watch your kids for the night in 2013 but who stood you up when it was too late to get another and ruining your plans, costing you thousands of dollars, shows up TODAY and says, "sorry I'm late, but I'm here now," and expects you to thank her and pay her for her exorbitantly expensive babysitting service to watch the kid who is now in college, and therfore requires very little in the way of babysitting services.

Apple, too damned little and too damned late. Thanks for nothing you thieves, and for these latest shenanigans, I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your nonexistent souls.

Signed, a former iPhone owner who refuses to buy another defective-by-design, overpriced, preobsoleted piece of crap from Apple.

Yes, I AM very much a former Apple iPhone owner, I dearly loved the 5s and SE, and yes, I'm ANGRY. I'm mad as hell about Apple pretending they care about anyone not using the current generation of defective junk they're selling, and annoyed that some people are falling for this gambit and that Apple will now get to pretend they've given 10 years of security updates when they have, in fact, done no such thing, and instead used the lack of updates and the fear of using an unsafe device to DRIVE FURTHER SALES. Anyone know of a good class-action attorney? We should sue them and force them to make new iPhone of the same type we recycled for PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR because we were convinced they were no longer safe to use and never would be again. They should have to give them to us for free, with a decade of guaranteed security updates, or just return the purchase price, plus tax and interest on the both, for every obsolete iPhone we recycled. They're actually making Microsoft look GOOD at this point, for all their shenanigans and criminality. Laugh all you want at my impotent rage, but I'll never buy another anything from Apple ever again. Hope it was worth it.

Oh puh-lease!

Can you clutch those pearls any tighter?

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:

[NoMoreACs]

Okay, obviously some are still high on the iKool-Aid. One day they'll finally do something to piss you off, and you'll be fed up with them too.

Note that gutless worms mod down comments they disagree with, despite it being a legit opinion, which has nothing to do with quality of the comment or the discourse. What a great way to make Apple look better than they are. If you disagree, any who have mod points, prove me wrong by not modding my posts down.

I'm sorry; but were you actually replying to me, or simply using my comments as an excuse to vent your vitriol indiscriminately at everyone who disagrees with your screed?

Re:

[AmiMoJo]

Not really, Google does this too. It's just that the updates are delivered in a different way, via the Play Store.

Google separated out most of the OS into components that can be updated individually. Just because your device doesn't get core OS updates, doesn't mean that those components are not updated. If you look in the list of apps on your device in the settings, you will find a lot of them that you didn't install, mostly with Google in the name.

Another advantage of doing it that way is that anyone can

Re:

[Drew84WHEEE]

Meanwhile Google is still wondering what an update is because, like all Google things, they lost interest in Android about 5 minutes after releasing it.

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

New phone

[ThurstonMoore]

I have an iPhone 7+ from 2016 and I can't justify getting a new one because this one works good and still gets updates.

Re:

[superdave80]

Agreed. I just upgraded to a new iPhone, but my daughter now has my iPhone 7. If she didn't need a phone, I'd still be using it without any problems; it works great still.

This is fantastic

[SuperKendall]

It's support like this why I always say you should always recommend Apple devices to non-technical people you know. Because they will still be getting security updates from Apple for many years... it also means it's still very practical to keep using pretty old Apple devices so people do not have to buy the latest expensive phone to get something very usable.

"many"

[SuperKendall]

Brand name android devices also get security updates for many years.

Which Android devices are getting security updates after 10 years?

Remember this is EVERY older iPhone that runs those iOS versions, not just a specific model.

Re:

[Merk42]

The oldest device supported by iOS 12.5.7, for example, is the iPhone 5s, which was released in September 2013.

September 2013 is ten years ago
Pixels and Galaxys get support for, at best, half that timeframe

Before you respond with something about the Google Play Services, those aren't security updates.

Re:

[drinkypoo]

Before you respond with something about the Google Play Services, those aren't security updates.

Wat? Google Play Services updates are mostly security updates.

Re:

[Heir Of The Mess]

Friend of mine of mine has a Samsung A20s, he's only ever had Android phones. He rang me up in a panic the other day saying his phone had been hacked. Turned out it was just doing an update. Something he had never seen before. My iPhone seems to get updates continuously.

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:

[Drew84WHEEE]

I think we've found the median Slashdot user with you, but it presumably keeps you lot off the Gamergate boards, so it's a public service.

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Just giving props to OpenCore

[Voyager529]

https://dortania.github.io/Ope... [github.io]

A buddy of mine gave me a mid-2012 Macbook Air, citing the fact that it stopped getting OSX builds at Catalina. Opencore means the thing is presently running Ventura, which is super helpful. It doesn't win any benchmarks by a long shot, but if you've got a slightly-older Macbook, OpenCore is amazing.

The iPhone 5S is Still Usable?

[Tempest_2084]

I had a 5S and saw no need to upgrade it (my wife was on an ancient 3GS she refused to part with), but we ended up getting new phones last year when AT&T got rid of their 3G network. We were told that our phones would no longer work and truth be told, they were acting a bit weird (texts and calls sometimes wouldn't go through for reason). If this is true, then what use is a 5S anymore other than for offline purposes?

Off-cell still pretty useful.

[SuperKendall]

what use is a 5S anymore other than for offline purposes?

A lot of people hand older devices like that down to kids for use as non-cellular devices - so you'd still want security updates if they were used for browsing, which they can be.

Re:

[Tempest_2084]

I actually still use mine for taking pictures off a CRT because the camera doesn't catch the retrace like the HD one in my 12 does.

Re:

[stripes]

Some 5S models operate in some LTE bands, so your 5S might not have been useful to you, but a different 5S might have been.

For example A1457 does LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20: 2100, 1900, 1800, 850, 2600, 900 MHz, 800 DD).
A1533 does LTE on Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25: 2100, 1900, 1800, AWS, 850, 900, 700c, 700b, 800 MHz, 800 DD

& there are 2 or 3 other 5S models that do LTE. There are 2 models that don't do LTE at all.

Complexity

[bill_mcgonigle]

Wow, the bug [github.com] is quite subtle. Not hard to see why this was missed. Says something about our tools.

speculateRealNumber does a doubleEqual compare, which filters out double values which are not NaN. NaN values will fall through to the `intCase` block. In the `intCase` block, the isNotInt32() check there was given a proven type that wrongly filters out ~SpecFullDouble.

Headline: IOW,

[CmdrPorno]

...unlike Android, Apple devices still patched for more than three years after release date.

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:

[CmdrPorno]

...they would have promised 10 years or more of updates 10 years ago. They deliberately didn't...

Great idea! Google should beat them at their own game and promise that every Android device introduced from here on out will receive security patches for 10 years or more versus the two (generally yearly) version upgrades and two years of security patches they recommend (but not require) now. I'll roll the dice on the longevity of an Apple device versus Google's (weak and SAD) recommendations.

Re:

[thecombatwombat]

Seriously. WTF. What other company can inspire this kind of madness?

Most *people* can't inspire this kind of double think in others if they try. Apple has a hold over this person like an abusive ex. They aren't a person man, they aren't out to get you, this isn't worth it.

They support their devices for what, twice as long as any of their competitors, to uhm, trick you. Do you really not stop to think how completely crazy that sounds?

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:

[thecombatwombat]

Just stunning dude. Point made way better than I ever could.

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

and it's bricked

[v1]

sadly, I was weeks from passing on my old 5S to someone that had a use for the FLIR back that was on it. (and that's not compatible with my new 13) And so I cleared it out, and oh look there's an update. ran the update.

Now the flir app launches, I get one frame of the IR image, and it crashes. And there's pretty much NO way to recover it. (I can't undo the software update that is causing the app to crash) The version of the app that's compatible with the back isn't on the store anymore anyway, which is

Re:

[martrootamm]

See if you can report this to Apple Support, or the FLIR back manufacturer for an app update.

Re:

[v1]

FLIR can't publish an update for my version of IOS (it's too old for the store to allow it) and my phone cant be upgraded further. So the gap cannot be crossed, by any means, even if both of them wanted to help.

Re:

[martrootamm]

In theory, only Apple could debug that situation, and then release an update.