Apple released 15.7.2 yesterday for older iPhones and iPads,

Up_And_Away

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Nice Annie.
Important to note this includes the 6s (all models) released in 2015. That iPhone is over SEVEN years old receiving software support. That’s five years of OS support plus another two years of “software support”. I highlight “software support” because the best on the Android side is Samsung’s “4 years of software support” for their mid to upper models since 2021.
Samsung’s 4 years is 3 of OS support plus 1 of software support — compared to iPhone 7 years. Remember that when someone bellows they got an Android phone cheaper, then think “those who don’t know just don’t know” :)
 

EdwinG

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Nice Annie.
Important to note this includes the 6s (all models) released in 2015. That iPhone is over SEVEN years old receiving software support. That’s five years of OS support plus another two years of “software support”. I highlight “software support” because the best on the Android side is Samsung’s “4 years of software support” for their mid to upper models since 2021.
Samsung’s 4 years is 3 of OS support plus 1 of software support — compared to iPhone 7 years. Remember that when someone bellows they got an Android phone cheaper, then think “those who don’t know just don’t know” :)

Google at least tries, by decoupling as much as possible from the OS (Play Services) to avoid OEM non-supporting the devices they sell. Doesn’t mean it succeeds at it, and usually it does not.
 

doogald

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It should also be noted that phones that can run IOS 16 but have chosen to stay on 15.7 or 15.7.1 can no longer get updates to iOS 15 - they are only offered iOS 16. 15.7.2 is not an option.

Just to make it confusing, though, iPadOS 15.7.2 *is* available to iPads that can run iPadOS 16 but have chosen not to upgrade yet.
 

Annie_M

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It should also be noted that phones that can run IOS 16 but have chosen to stay on 15.7 or 15.7.1 can no longer get updates to iOS 15 - they are only offered iOS 16. 15.7.2 is not an option.

Just to make it confusing, though, iPadOS 15.7.2 *is* available to iPads that can run iPadOS 16 but have chosen not to upgrade yet.

It is definitely confusing!!!
 

EdwinG

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It should also be noted that phones that can run IOS 16 but have chosen to stay on 15.7 or 15.7.1 can no longer get updates to iOS 15 - they are only offered iOS 16. 15.7.2 is not an option.

Just to make it confusing, though, iPadOS 15.7.2 *is* available to iPads that can run iPadOS 16 but have chosen not to upgrade yet.

I guess that's because iPadOS 16.0 was never released, so they are probably waiting for the 3rd point release (iOS 16.2 or iPadOS 16.3) before cutting off support for that older major version.
 

Up_And_Away

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Google at least tries, by decoupling as much as possible from the OS (Play Services) to avoid OEM non-supporting the devices they sell. Doesn’t mean it succeeds at it, and usually it does not.

True, Google has the advantage of being able to run stock Android. And I do give Samsung credit for leading the Android pack with 3 years of OS support. It helps us Apple users if Android gets better. It pushes Apple to take more chances with iPhone features.

With that said, Apple has a starkly huge advantage here. Custom purpose made parts (versus Android off the shelf) in a controlled Wild. Apple could easily make it 6 years guaranteed OS support (they likely won't unless Android pushes them). There is just no way around that Android is a massively spread Wild. That has a benefit because it will give a device or feature to any market. If there is a market for a smartphone with a built in hand blender? they'll make it. They'll put on the same phone retina scan, face scan, fingerprint scan, pattern recognition. They'll add in almost every conceivable customization. IMHO Android is irretrievably on that 'massively spread wild' path. But the big downside? it make it extremely difficult to extend the years of OS. They'd need an island of engineers working 24/7/365 to cover every aging phone's feature and work out every bug. IMHO for the cost of a smartphone, Android is terrible. Receiving 2 years of OS support on a 5 or 7 or 9 hundred dollar device? Terrible value...
 

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