App support is forcing me. My iPhone 7 still does everything I need, but 3rd party developers have stopped supporting it. I don't mind if I stop getting updates, but some of these developers are blocking my use of existing apps with a full-screen modal, telling me I need to buy a new phone in order to continue using the app (FlightAware, for example). Perfectly good phone, probably going into the landfill, for no reason other than to appease app developers too lazy to retain already-working code for older devices.
The 7 is coming up on it's 8th birthday, on the bright side that's a pretty good run.
Is FlightAware blocking use of the app now? I assume it's because they've dropped support for iOS 15 (which can be a hassle depending on new APIs they want to use), not the 7 device specifically.
Yea, they likely want to move on from iOS15, which is fine[1]. But at least let existing users with the existing iOS15-working app keep using that app version. But no, instead, they issued a final "update" which does nothing but block iOS15 users with a full screen modal that you cannot skip (as far as I can tell). Totally overboard. I hope this doesn't start a trend.
1: I don't see what the big deal is to just put if statements around any iOS16-requiring new features, yet keep targeting iOS15. We did this all the time back when I used to write iOS apps.
Not a new trend. Many places I’ve worked at (whose business models center around iOS apps) routinely plan to drop old iOS versions, yearly, as the new ones come out.
It gets increasingly more expensive to support older and older iOS versions. These “new features” you’re talking about wrapping in if statements aren’t here and there. Many upgrades are pervasive, and would eventually make every file a branching mess.
Now, you could argue that that should still be the chosen route. I can empathize with that. I like software that just keeps working forever.
At the very least, when they stop releasing updates supporting older OS versions, they should at least leave the old apps already installed on the old devices alone to continue to work. I wouldn’t mind if I never get an app update again, but don’t send a final “update” that disabled the app and tells me to buy a new phone.
Agreed. There should be a warning to those that will be left behind soon, instructing them not to upgrade if they don’t plan on updating, or can’t update iOS.
