On Tuesday, an anonymous user on Twitter claimed iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 will drop support for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, while iPadOS 17 will drop support for the first-generation 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and fifth-generation iPad.
However, a reputable leaker has now claimed otherwise, saying that it is “simply incorrect.” A post on the MacRumors forum by the anonymous source says all iPhones that support iOS 16 will support iOS 17, including devices powered by A11 chipsets (i.e. the iPhone X and iPhone 8/8 Plus).
As noted by MacRumors, this same leaker – who is said to have a “man inside” Apple’s development team – last year accurately predicted the Dynamic Island feature on iPhone 14 Pro models ahead of their official unveiling. The leaker also recently claimed that the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro models will use a new ultra-low energy chip allowing the new volume, power, and “Action” solid-state buttons to remain functional when the handset is powered off or out of battery, and that iOS 17 will include a new sensitivity setting for said buttons.
If the leaker’s information is correct, it won’t be the first time Apple has stood pat on the compatible devices list from the previous version of iOS. For example, iOS 15 is compatible with all devices that ran iOS 14, although some features are not compatible on older iPhones. However, iOS 16 dropped support for the iPhone SE, the iPhone 6s, the iPhone 6s Plus, the iPod touch, and the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
As is the case for conflicting rumors like this, we’ll have to wait until June 5 to learn who’s correct, as Apple is expected to announce iOS 17 at WWDC23.