iPhone 4 - implications

lonestarfan

Hi. We have 3 of the iphone4 in our family which we bought in August 2010 and still use. They're not the 4s.
What's the implication now of having an old IPhone now they've introduced the iphone6. My friend says iphone4 won't support ios8 but what does that mean and how will it affect us. I've got a 5S and we'll buy an iPhone 6 now so we'll have 4,5s,6. We'll all want to be able to send group messages and photos and all the kinds of things you end up sharing as a family. We're all on giff gaff. TIA.

DUTR

If the features are already there on your current iOS then there will be no difference. Often (but not always) new OS use more resource and for older machines this can slow the device down, the latest is not always the greatest, if it ain't broke then don't fix it.

Quiet_Spark

DUTR wrote: »

if it ain't broke then don't fix it.

lonestarfan

Quiet_Spark wrote: »

Okeydokey thanks. We've all been pleased & continue to be pleased with our iPhone 4 and still going strong after 4 yrs.

datostar

I'm still using an even older 3GS which is now on iOS 6.1.5 and won't update to any newer version. Some apps won't update to newer versions but the older versions still work, and some new apps won't install at all. If you can live with that there's no problem. Basic phone features like the sharing you do will all still work.

[Deleted User]

I'm still using an iPhone 4 which I've had for 3 years now, on iOS 7.1.2. It's out of the original contract and I'm using it on a sim-only monthly rolling contract. I have no plans to upgrade just yet and will carry on using it past the iPhone6/iOS8 release.

Handsome90

As others have said, your phone won't stop working when iOS 8 is out. If you are happy with your phone, there is no need to upgrade. There might be a few apps that will only be available for the newer OS. This happened for iOS 7 but I don't think the same thing will happen with iOS 8 (which essentially is iOS 7 with extra stuff like widgets).

usignuolo

Seems like the phone networks want to own the phone sales as well. Imagine they will be trying to drive out all the non aligned phone businesses. Wonder what other products may be similarly affected in future - sales of tablets, tvs etc?

buglawton

The BBC will release new versions of the iPlayer TV and radio apps for IOS 8 then change their protocols so that the IOS 7 apps no longer work. This is what the BBC did with the IOS 4 / IOS 5 breakpoint.

Cactus_Jack

Its nice to see people getting proper use out of a product. There's something satisfying about that in this age of consumerism.