Apple is renowned for its seamless blending of internet services, software, and hardware. However, the company is about to shut down its online services for some older software. This move will affect devices running iOS 11, macOS High Sierra, watchOS 4, and tvOS 11. Almost all of Apple’s internet services will cease to function on these devices, with the exception of iCloud, according to a recent leak. Users running this software will be notified about the upcoming limitation and will be advised to update their devices if possible.
Apple has published a new support article explaining that “older software versions will no longer support Apple Services like the App Store, Siri, and Maps.” While devices like iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 can still use iMessage and make FaceTime calls respectively, they will lose access to other services like Siri and Maps.
The reason behind this decision is not entirely clear, but Apple could be working on a major upgrade under the hood for its online services that would break support for some old software. Therefore, the impact of limiting services to newer devices may not be significant. However, it would be the first time Apple has ever done this.
