Apple is always updating iOS to ensure the quality of the user experience of its iPhones, iPads and iPod touch devices. Just recently, the Cupertino giant released its first iOS 10.3 beta software. And if the notification this software brings up when launching a 32-bit app is telling us something, it’s that the future iOS versions will only support 64-bit apps.
According to MacRumors, when Apple released iOS 10.1 to the public, the software came with a warning that old 32-bit apps will slow down the device. The warning also served as a reinforcement for developers to update their dated apps to improve their compatibility. With iOS 10.1, the 32-bit apps are still fully usable albeit the slower and non-seamless performance.
With the arrival of iOS.3 beta however, the warning has been modified to indicate that 32-bit apps will no longer work with future versions of the iOS operating system. This clearly suggests that when iOS 11 arrives, only 64-bit apps will be supported to run on Apple’s mobile devices.
Since the launch of iPhone 5s in 2013, Apple has began supporting 64-bit apps for its devices. This has also led the company to pressure developers into conforming with the technology by updating their 32-bit apps to 64-bit. In February 2015, Apple made it clear that developers were from now on required to offer 64-bit support for their new apps.
In June 2015, Apple mandated that all apps should be updated to the 64-bit architecture. In spite of this, 32-bit apps still remain available on the App Store, which is not surprising given that some of Apple’s devices ran on 32-bit chips. Ending support for 32-bit architecture will therefore make devices like the iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and the fourth-generation iPad obsolete, as per Apple Insider.
On the other hand, devices with 64-bit chips — iPhone 5s and newer, iPad Air and newer, iPad mini 2 and newer and the sixth-generation iPod touch — will benefit from this move, since this will ensure that all of the apps are compatible with them and with future iOS releases.
Apple is expected to announce iOS 11 at the Worldwide Developers Conference this June and launch the new mobile OS in September, alongside its new iPhones.