Last year’s iOS 13 dropped support for the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 and 6+, as well as the iPod Touch 6th generation and iPadOS 13 dropped support for multiple iPad models. This year, however, iOS 14 will be announced in the summer as will the devices the OS will — and won’t — support.

iPhones

First of all, let’s look at iPhones. Last year, the iPhone 5S and 6 were dropped, leaving the 6S as the oldest iPhone iOS 13 could run on. This year, 6S and SE users will nervously wait for Apple to say what devices iOS 14 will run on in the announcement, knowing that the 6S and SE could be dropped.

However, you don’t need to. The 6S and SE have quite a high chance of getting iOS 14. They run outstandingly well on iOS 13. The iPhone 5S and 6, both dropped in iOS 13, ran well on iOS 12, but not outstandingly, mainly because of the 1GB RAM. As a result, Apple dropped all devices with 1GB RAM for iOS 13, so that they wouldn’t repeat the same mistake they did with the 4S and iOS 9.

The 6S and SE on the other hand, are still fast smartphones and even still being sold by some carriers. Not long ago were iPhone SEs being sold for clearance on Apple’s own website. Apple wouldn’t want to drop support for a device still loved and frequently chosen as a budget iPhone. The 6S and SE are very capable and unlikely to be dropped.

The upcoming iPhone 12 lineup will come preloaded with the new OS when they are released in September.

iPads

iPads, on the other hand, if you have an iPad Mini 4 or iPad Air 2 you may find yourself nervously watching the livestream. The iPad Mini 4 and iPad Air 2 both have the Apple A8 and A8X chips respectively, with the former having the same as the iPhone 6 dropped in iOS 13. The A8X is slightly more capable than the A8, but it’s no A9. It is possible Apple are aiming to get rid of the Apple A8 chipset for good in iOS and iPadOS 14. In early 2019, Apple were still selling the iPad Mini 4 and iPad Air 2 and only stopped selling them after the iPad Mini 5 and new iPad Air came out.

But if you have an iPad with the Apple A9 chip or later, you’re in luck. So this means all iPad Pros from the original will be supported, as well as the iPad 5th generation and newer, iPad Mini 5 and the iPad Air 2019. Now, it is possible Apple could decide to have mercy on the A8 iPads and give them iPadOS 14 but if any devices were to be dropped in iOS/iPadOS 14, it would likely be them.

iPod Touch

Now finally let’s move into the iPod Touch. Earlier last year, Apple released a new iPod Touch, the iPod Touch 7th generation featuring similar specs to the iPhone 7 with the exception of the design which remained that of an iPhone 5. iOS 13 dropped support for the older iPod Touch 6th generation which had similar specs to the iPhone 6 and an iPhone 5 design. It is likely iOS 14 will support the iPod Touch 7th generation, currently the only iPod Touch still being supported by Apple.

Conclusion

To conclude it is unlikely Apple will be dropping many devices if any for iOS 14 this year although it is possible Apple may drop a few older iPad models for iPadOS 14 but remember, if your device does lose out, it will continue working perfectly fine on iPadOS 13 and many apps will still work until at least iOS 15, giving you plenty of time to upgrade your device.