TECHNOLOGY

iOS 15 Memes, Jokes Erupt After Apple Announces iPhone 6s To Support Update

There had been earlier speculation that the phone would not be getting the newest software features.

2021-06-08 05:06

Jokes about Apple's new iPhone operating system update have hit Twitter, after the company revealed the update would be available on the iPhone 6s—now nearly six years old. The new update, called iOS 15, brings some new features for iPhone users, including: multiple FaceTime video call updates, such as voice isolation and portrait mode; a new Focus mode similar to Do Not Disturb; and more customization options for the Memoji avatar. The update is available for nearly 20 different versions of iPhone, from the newest iPhone 12 all the way to the iPhone 6s, released September 2015.

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This has sparked jokes from social media users, with some praising the phone's longevity. Others are suggesting the phone will struggle with the new updates due to hardware constraints, depicting the iPhone 6s as sweating. For some, the iPhone 6s is still perfectly relevant. Technology site Alphr reviewed its slightly older sibling, the iPhone 6, in May and found it to be "still a great phone." Still, before Apple announced the compatibility list for the iOS 15 update, there was speculation the iPhone 6s would be left out. French website iPhoneSoft claimed in January that iOS 15 wouldn't be supported on the iPhone 6s, citing "our developer friend from Apple." Apple states that its devices are designed to be long-lasting. The company considers its products to be "vintage" more than five years after it stops distributing them, and obsolete more than seven years after—at which point it discontinues hardware service. Over the years, the company has been engaged in legal issues over the performance of its older devices. In March 2020, the company had agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle litigation accusing it of slowing down iPhones so consumers upgraded to new ones. In November 2020, Apple agreed to pay $113 million to settle lawsuits brought by over 30 U.S. states over the "batterygate" controversy. The controversy involved claims Apple purposely slowed down its older iPhones—something the company admitted to doing on the basis it preserves battery life. Apple said some of the effects of its "performance management" included longer app launch times and lower frame rates while scrolling. The iOS 15 update is Apple's first major operating system overhaul since 2020, when iOS 14 was released. The company often releases minor additional updates later, such as iOS 14.1 to iOS 14.6.