If you are still holding onto one of the older iPhone models, you might have a reason to finally upgrade. According to a few news reports from this week, it looks like Apple is going to be updating the iOS software to version number 8 this year. The bad news only comes into play if you are holding the iPhone 4. Apple recently stopped selling the iPhone 4 in a few select places around the world and here in the United States once the iPhone 5S showed up.
Apple typically will stop selling and stop support for aging devices and that is not going to change where the iPhone 4 is considered. The iPhone 4 does have support for the iOS 7 software, so it can upgraded to some degree, but according to sources, the next version will not be supported by the older model. If you were looking for the perfect reason to upgrade, this might be the time. Even though the iPhone 4 does support the iOS 7 software, it does not offer all of the features that the software does due to hardware restrictions. Features like Siri, navigation, AirPlay and panorama mode are included with the iOS 7 software, but will not function on the iPhone 4.
Even with the latest version installed on the iPhone 4, some users have complained that it is slow and that has a lot to do with the hardware inside the device. Because the iPhone 4 is almost 4 years old, users should not expect too much with newly installed software. Most smartphones are replaced and forgotten about within two years after they were released on the market, so the iPhone 4 had a good run. A run that is typically of any Apple device that is on the market.
When the iOS 8 software shows up on the market, it will come with support for most of the devices and according to one source, if the company drops the iPhone 4, it might add support for the iPad 2. Other than that there is no definite list right now of the devices that the software will support. Rumors about what you can expect with the iOS 8 include features for Siri, new stock apps, Healthbook and a few other upgrades to current Apple apps.
