Apple Offering 'Last Compatible Version' of iOS Apps for Older Hardware

[tubemonkey]

This is good news for owners of older hardware. A few weeks ago, I was trying to download some music apps to a friends iPod touch 2 and was met with rejection after rejection because of the older firmware. It wouldn't take Pandora, iHeartRadio, AOL Radio, etc. Hopefully, this new feature will breath some new life into that aging iPod.

[Mod: Indeed it does. Accessing the Apple App store from an iPod with iOS version 4.2.1 and trying to download the Kindle app now downloadsthe last compatible version of the Kindle App, version 3.1.1.]

With iOS 7 arriving tomorrow, Apple is extending some love to the owners of older iOS devices that have been left behind. New compatibility features, first spotted on Reddit, will now kick into action if you attempt to download an app that is not supported by your current firmware. Instead, the company now asks if you'd like to install the last compatible version, which, for some apps, can be over a year old.

[Graham]

That's a great idea. I hope Google pick up on it for Android too.

Graham

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

This is good news for owners of older hardware. A few weeks ago, I was trying to download some music apps to a friends iPod touch 2 and was met with rejection after rejection because of the older firmware. It wouldn't take Pandora, iHeartRadio, AOL Radio, etc. Hopefully, this new feature will breath some new life into that aging iPod.

I wonder how far back? Just for iOS 6, or even back as far as iOS 3 and 4?

[Jessica Lares]

Oh wow. This is nice! Anyone still have iOS 3 then? I'll tell you which apps worked then since I have most stuff dating from when the App Store opened that you can try.



Things like Evernote won't work due to API changes though probably.

[pl001]

About damn time somebody did something like this.

We should always be able to choose what version we download. That needs to be the next step. Something we used to take for granted as common sense.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by Graham

That's a great idea. I hope Google pick up on it for Android too.

Graham

Google has had this for a long time. When submitting an app to the store, you can upload multiple binaries targeting different OS versions. But it is up to the developer to enable multiple binary support on their portal.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by afv011

Google has had this for a long time. When submitting an app to the store, you can upload multiple binaries targeting different OS versions. But it is up to the developer to enable multiple binary support on their portal.

Maybe one day Apple will catch up.

[banjomike]

About time! IOS developers seem have a fetish for NOT mentioning when they drop support for an IOS revision. I have at least a dozen apps that have been dropped this way and either dn't run at all or crash while loading. The devs always say "We can't support every version of IOS" but they don't have to support every version. All they need to do is mention when they stop supporting a version and then we won't update it.

[m00min]

As I understand it Apple block newer copies of Xcode from producing apps that support older iOS versions. Removing this would have been a better option.

Installing old, maybe bug ridden or insecure apps _might_ be better than the nothing currently on offer. Not by much though.

[jocampo]

The thing is ... how old is too old ?

We would prefer to keep a hardware for years, usually four or more years in some cases. People who own a laptop do that all the time. It is not a surprise see some laptops still running Windows XP or even more ancient versions of Windows Os. Now with tablets, the phenomenon is just repeating.

But the problem is that such devices are becoming too old and slow for new firmware and software versions. I understand people want to keep using their devices. Hey! they still work and two years does not sound like too much, but it is hard for some developers to keep the pace. Even on the Linux world, like Ubuntu, a stable and supported version is backed up only for a year or so, not for ever.

I see nothing wrong on keep using a tablet that is three or more years old. But people should not expect to be able to download updated versions of their Os and apps or get mad because apps crash. They need to understand that the device is now too old. And if the issue is about using those devices, then they need to acknowledge that further updates are not possible without stability issues.

[Greg Anos]

If an app/program works, and does what I want it to, why should I have to upgrade?

[afv011]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

If an app/program works, and does what I want it to, why should I have to upgrade?

Why, to engross those already overly larger coffers corporations have. Have you heard of capitalism?

[WillysJeepMan]

Originally Posted by jocampo

The thing is ... how old is too old ?

We would prefer to keep a hardware for years, usually four or more years in some cases. People who own a laptop do that all the time. It is not a surprise see some laptops still running Windows XP or even more ancient versions of Windows Os. Now with tablets, the phenomenon is just repeating.

But the problem is that such devices are becoming too old and slow for new firmware and software versions. I understand people want to keep using their devices. Hey! they still work and two years does not sound like too much, but it is hard for some developers to keep the pace. Even on the Linux world, like Ubuntu, a stable and supported version is backed up only for a year or so, not for ever.

I see nothing wrong on keep using a tablet that is three or more years old. But people should not expect to be able to download updated versions of their Os and apps or get mad because apps crash. They need to understand that the device is now too old. And if the issue is about using those devices, then they need to acknowledge that further updates are not possible without stability issues.

It's not so much about the expectation of being able to download the updated versions as it is a "take it or leave it" approach of Apple and its ecosystem.

If I've paid for an app and need to redownload it, I should have the option to do that at the particular version that is compatible for the hardware and OS combination.

It is reasonable to expect that older versions won't be supported, but those older versions should be available on an as-is basis.

[susan_cassidy]

It should not let you download an update that is incompatible with your OS version.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

It should not let you download an update that is incompatible with your OS version.

I expect there isn't an option for that. That would be too obvious and of course it would mean the devs having to test their software against multiple versions of OS.