iPhone 6(S)/Plus iPhone 6S Plus: stay at iOS 10.1.1 or upgrade to iOS 15.5?

[Souledge]

Since Apple is dropping support for the iPhone 6S Plus with the upcoming iOS 16, I've been wondering if I should upgrade to the latest compatible iOS. Maybe other owners of this same device are having similar thoughts due to one reason: after the public version gets released around September, there's a short window of time that Apple's servers keep on signing old iOS versions (this time I'm referring to the latest iOS 15 release), and after this period you either upgrade or get stuck with an old iOS version forever. So you're stuck either way and it boils down to a choice of being stuck on iOS 10 or iOS 15.

Before I get into more details about why I'm posting this, I'd like to leave a message to Apple here: dropping support for older devices is expected, but it's about time the company allows users with older devices the option to upgrade to the last compatible version even if that's years after support has been dropped.

Some of you might be wondering, why is this even a question? It should be a no-brainer, right? In most cases, I'd agree. But here are some questions I'd like some input on:

• Are there any advantages that justify remaining in iOS 10.1.1? I'd love to read, even if they seem trivial.
• What's the biggest advantage iOS 15 has that makes this upgrade an obvious choice?


Why would I want to stay at iOS 10? As per Wikipedia: "iOS 10 is the last iOS version to run on 32-bit processors and also the last to run 32-bit apps." I know you can run some old apps on the newer M1 Macs natively, but I'm still on a relatively old MBP, so that might take a while.

Would love to read the pros and cons for both sides of this.

Thanks

 

[Shirasaki]

Pros: speedy phone with good experience.
Cons: app support is going down. Lack of security updates (not that particularly matter since iPhone 6s can’t get iOS 16 anyways)

also a side note, you CANNOT run any 32-bit iOS app on M1 Mac either. It’s exclusive for A6 devices and A7 to A9 devices that are still in iOS 10 and below.

 

[eyoungren]

Before I get into more details about why I'm posting this, I'd like to leave a message to Apple here: dropping support for older devices is expected, but it's about time the company allows users with older devices the option to upgrade to the last compatible version even if that's years after support has been dropped.

Just commenting on this at the moment. Apple always leaves the last version of iOS signed for SPECIFIC models of iPhone. In this case it's going to be the last point update of iOS 15 for the 6s and 6s+. This has always been the case.

You can always upgrade/restore your 3GS to iOS 6.1.6. You can always upgrade/restore your iPhone 4 to iOS 7, 4s to iOS 9, iPhone 5 to iOS 10 and so on.

What they won't let you do is downgrade.

 

[now i see it]

There’s no way to win this game. Apple wins no matter what option you choose.

1. Don’t upgrade: lots of stuff stops working eventually. Phone becomes less useful. The desire to buy a newer iPhone is strong.
Apple wins.

2. Do upgrade: pretty much guaranteed it will slow the phone a bit and take a bigger hit on battery life. Also new bugs will crop up that didn’t exist before. Slower phone will create desire to buy a new phone.
Apple wins.

3. Buy a newer iPhone: Apple wins here but you get a modern phone and everything works except for the bugs.

 

[GMShadow]

There’s no way to win this game. Apple wins no matter what option you choose.

1. Don’t upgrade: lots of stuff stops working eventually. Phone becomes less useful.

I mean an iPhone on iOS 10 in 2022 is already well into that point. How many major apps require a newer version by now?

 

[Andeddu]

The 6S runs iOS 15 fine so there is no reason not to update to the newest firmware. I am using an SE1 as my daily driver on iOS 15.5 and it’s handling the operating system perfectly well.

 

[Souledge]

Just commenting on this at the moment. Apple always leaves the last version of iOS signed for SPECIFIC models of iPhone. In this case it's going to be the last point update of iOS 15 for the 6s and 6s+. This has always been the case.

You can always upgrade/restore your 3GS to iOS 6.1.6. You can always upgrade/restore your iPhone 4 to iOS 7, 4s to iOS 9, iPhone 5 to iOS 10 and so on.

What they won't let you do is downgrade.

Thanks for everybody's input.

Regarding the eyoungren's post: this is really interesting. I always held (not sure why) onto the idea that after about a week of the latest iOS release, you could only upgrade to that release and not the version that came right before it. So it turns out it's the complete opposite and that has always been the case? Genuinely surprised by this. It probably stems from the fact I've always only upgraded iOS within the "supposedly" allowed timeframe.

So if I understand this correctly, you actually can update any older iPhone to its last compatible version? Even if it's been years since its release? The downgrade is possible if you jailbreak, though, right? Just never had any interest in downgrading because of the potential bugs and other issues that could come with it.

The 6S runs iOS 15 fine so there is no reason not to update to the newest firmware. I am using an SE1 as my daily driver on iOS 15.5 and it’s handling the operating system perfectly well.

Sounds like a good enough reason to upgrade. Does 3D Touch still work on iOS 15?

 

[Htsi]

Yes you can upgrade/restore your 6S to iOS 15 as long as apple exists.
I’d say keep it on iOS 10, When you get a new phone, you’ll have a huge jump both in software and hardware. More fun that way.
It will definitely slow down. I find an iPhone 8 annoying on iOS 15.

 

[Andeddu]

Sounds like a good enough reason to upgrade. Does 3D Touch still work on iOS 15?

Yep, I have a 6S too and 3D Touch works on iOS 15.5 as far as I can recall.

 

[eyoungren]

Regarding the eyoungren's post: this is really interesting. I always held (not sure why) onto the idea that after about a week of the latest iOS release, you could only upgrade to that release and not the version that came right before it. So it turns out it's the complete opposite and that has always been the case? Genuinely surprised by this. It probably stems from the fact I've always only upgraded iOS within the "supposedly" allowed timeframe.

So if I understand this correctly, you actually can update any older iPhone to its last compatible version? Even if it's been years since its release? The downgrade is possible if you jailbreak, though, right? Just never had any interest in downgrading because of the potential bugs and other issues that could come with it.

Yes. Otherwise, how would you be able to restore old iPhones?

But to clarify, let's assume (for now) that iOS 15.6 is the last iOS 15 point release. Apple is going to leave that signed for the 6s and the 6s+ so you'll always be able to restore to that version any time you need/want to restore the device.

 

[CrazyForCashews]

You’d be crazy to update, leave it alone. That thing must fly on iOS 10.

Still have my OG SE on iOS 12 and it gives modern phones a run for their money.

 

[eyoungren]

You’d be crazy to update, leave it alone. That thing must fly on iOS 10.

Still have my OG SE on iOS 12 and it gives modern phones a run for their money.

I have an iPhone 5 on iOS 10. I don't use it for much any more and part of that is because certain apps I use won't update. I don't want to restore it because if I do I'm probably going to lose the apps I have on there right now because they are no longer available to download off the app store for iOS 10.

My iPhone 6s+ is running iOS 15.5 and is my secondary phone. It's much more usable. It filled in nicely when I was out my 11 Pro Max for a week and a half.

I'm sure if I used my 6s+ like a lot of people do, as a substitute computer/media device/game console, I'd probably run into problems. But as a phone, text and email device it works just fine on 15.5.

 

[KOTN91]

Time to upgrade the phone dude. Should be able to get some good deals on the 13 in September or if money is tight an XR or something

 

[eyoungren]

Time to upgrade the phone dude. Should be able to get some good deals on the 13 in September or if money is tight an XR or something

If OP has a phone and a workflow that works for him, regardless of the age of his devices - why is your answer "Time to upgrade the phone"?

OP is simply asking if he should update to iOS 15 or not. There were no inquiries about getting a new phone.

 

[FNH15]

My grandfather has a 6S on 15.5, and it’s fine for normal usage. Slower than newer iPhones, yes, but plenty usable, and more importantly, fully patched.

I’d upgrade!

 

[winxmac]

iOS 10.2 was where the battery feature added, iOS 10.3 switched to APFS

You can still upgrade to the latest version of iOS 15 once iOS 16 is available by September/October 2022... It will remain signed like iOS 12.5.5 for iPhone 5s and iPhone 6/6 Plus...

If you are into jailbreaking and have already jailbroke the device, you can keep it on iOS 10.1.1 since you cannot go to any other version except the latest available iOS 15 update which at this time is iOS 15.5 and iOS 12/13 was probably the last version that can be jailbroken...

 

[BugeyeSTI]

I have a 6S that's still on 12.4 and really don't use it for much (just basically last iPhone with headphone jack and iOS12 was last version of iOS with fully functional force touch) so if I doubt I'll ever want to upgrade to iOS 15.6 because I don't use the phone as a daily driver. iOS15 has haptic touch which is similar to force touch but lacks features exclusive to phones with pressure sensitive screens (like peek and pop) which your phone has.. Some say they never used force touch or that haptic touch is 80% of what force touch was so it's fine. I don't agree with this assessment. My iPhone X had force touch and I refused to update to iOS13 which removed fully functional force touch and introduced haptic touch because it was so important to me. I've used force touch extensively and although haptic touch is better than nothing, it's a step backwards in usability as far as I'm concerned... I was forced to upgrade to iOS14 when I bought an Apple Watch, so I've had to use haptic touch since and fully functional force touch is something I miss very much. A lot of the new features offered with iOS14 and 15 are a welcomed improvement so it's sort of a wash for me but I don't regret upgrading the newest versions of iOS..

 

[jav6454]

Since Apple is dropping support for the iPhone 6S Plus [...]

Would love to read the pros and cons for both sides of this.

Thanks

Upgrade to 15.5 and get the latest security updates.

 

[I7guy]

Upgrade to 15.5 and get the latest security updates.

That true of course. But whether or not the update in the eyes of the customer is a good update, is subjective.

 

[asus389]

14.8.1 was the last best OS for the 6s. 15.5 runs fine, but its a bit laggy in some cases compared to previous OS. But Apple isn't allowing 14.8.1 installs anymore, so your option is really 15.x.

 

[yukon-cornelius]

I don’t mean to resurrect a necro-thread, but your iPhone 6S+ (running iOS 10.x) is worth FAR more to a buyer than your use of it as a 15.x phone. Sell the phone (or keep it to run 32-bit apps), and simply buy a SE2 for $200 from a legit reseller.

 

[FeliApple]

OP please tell me you didn’t obliterate the best iPhone ever!

 

[eyoungren]

OP please tell me you didn’t obliterate the best iPhone ever!

Well, OP couldn't…because I have it.

 

[Andeddu]

OP please tell me you didn’t obliterate the best iPhone ever!

It runs perfectly well on 15.7.2. I have an immaculate 6S which is on 15 and an SE which is also updated to the latest firmware. Both run exceedingly well and have full functionality across all apps.

 

[FeliApple]

Well, OP couldn't…because I have it.

View attachment 2146195 View attachment 2146196

Allow me to introduce:

It’s a 6s, not a 6s+, but you can’t have everything...