With iOS 16 expected to launch in the fall of 2022, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus users might be wondering whether their phones will get the update. To recap, Apple launched the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus back in 2017. While the iPhone 8 features a 4.7-inch display, the iPhone 8 Plus has a larger 5.5-inch screen. Both smartphones are powered by Apple's A11 Bionic chipset based on 10nm fabrication technology.
Apart from the screen, another key difference between the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus is the camera system. The iPhone 8 features a single 12MP rear camera and the iPhone 8 Plus has an additional 12MP telephoto lens. Additionally, while the iPhone 8 packs 2GB of RAM, the larger iPhone 8 Plus has 3GB of RAM. Both these smartphones were launched with iOS 11 and are on the list of supported devices for iOS 15.
Apple does have a pretty good track record when it comes to extending the longevity of iPhones, iPads, and Mac devices. For instance, the iPhone 6 was released with iOS 8 and the last software update it received was iOS 12. The next-generation iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus launched in 2015 received the latest iOS 15 update, extending the software support period to seven years. Based on this example, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will almost certainly get the iOS 16 update, which would be the sixth major software update received by the smartphones.
How Many iOS Updates Will iPhone 8 and 8 Plus Get?
The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus should be supported by Apple for at least two more years before iOS updates are cut off. Given that these iPhones are powered by Apple's A11 Bionic chipsets that come with a six-core structure and 2GB of RAM, it's very likely that the iPhone 8 series could live to see iOS 17. That could be the last supported iOS update for these phones unless Apple decides to be even more generous with its older iPhones.
The last time Apple dropped an iPhone from the list of iOS supported devices was in 2019 when the iPhone 6 did not get iOS 13. While the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone SE (1st Gen) have been supported so far, a report from December 2021 suggests that they might be the only iPhones losing support with the iOS 16 update in 2022. For iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus users though, receiving the iOS 16 update should provide another reason to hold on before upgrading to a newer iPhone model.
Source: Apple