Some tracfones, flip phones, Jitterbugs and even older-style smartphones will no longer be able to make calls once the networks are taken down. Most of these phones, which are sometimes called “third generation” phones were launched nearly 20 years ago and will no longer work with most of the carriers in 2022.
All of the major US 3G networks are scheduled to shut down in 2022. Whether you're with AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon, this may affect your phone, your home alarm system, or even your car.
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This means any phones introduced in 2016 or earlier, including the iPhone 6S, iPhone SE and iPhone 7, won't be getting Apple software updates anymore. It's not an unexpected move, given that the company regularly retires software support on older devices.
A lot of older cellphones, including the IPhone 5, IPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S4, as well as many of the flip phones, will become obsolete in 2022 as mobile providers make the switch to 5G networks.
Until iOS 16 was released in September 2022, a used iPhone 6S was still able to run the most recent Apple mobile operating system: iOS 15. It is the oldest iPhone to receive the iOS 15 update (the iPhone 6 is stuck on the last version of iOS 12).
Therefore, the thing to remember is that 4G will not be going away anytime soon, regardless of how fast the 5G network grows. The plan is for existing 4G LTE networks to be used by carriers well into 2030.
This period can increase to a total of seven years based on specific parts and availability. So from the above hypothesis, Apple will likely stop fully supporting iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus around 2025. However, it's also possible that the company might decide to add a year or two of coverage.
Today, both devices support Apple's iOS 15 software. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus did not get upgraded to iOS 16 when it was released in late 2022.
As of today, Apple is still supporting the 8 and 8 Plus with software updates, and the devices are running the most current version of iOS 16. Some early models of the iPhone received regular software updates for about 3 years, however, that update time has gotten longer as newer and newer models have been released.
Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 series models will get updated till iOS 16 (will be released in September of 2022). And after that iOS 17 will come in 2023, so Apple will drop both iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus users for iOS 17.
Yes. Once the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) network is switched off in 2025 you will no longer be able to make phone calls via landline with no internet connection.
Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark believes that smartphones could become obsolete in the coming decade. Speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Lundmark said that commercial use of 6G will begin in 2030 and by that time, smartphones “will not be the most common interface.”
Other than that, if you're buying a 4G smartphone, definitely go ahead and get one. 4G phones are available across all budgets, the infrastructure is already there and, on the whole, 4G services are here to stay. Fun fact - 5G projections are projected to reach 500 million userbases by 2027.
Within the U.S., it's reasonable to assume that by the end of 2022 there will not be a single major carrier supporting 2G. The same fate awaits 3G. 4G LTE operates under a different scenario, and we can confidently say that 4G will be around for at least another decade.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be discontinued in 2022. We will have iPhone 14 and iOS 16 in the fall, which will mark the iPhone 7 support ends. Before the formal announcement of iOS 16, it was believed that the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, and older phones would not be eligible for the upgrade.
How long will the iPhone 7 be supported? The iPhone 7 will be officially supported till September 12, 2022, which is when iOS 16 gets released.
But, it still receives iOS 15 security updates (as of 31 October, 2022). The last version of iOS to support iPhone 7 is iOS 15.7. 2 In June 2022, Apple announced that it will drop support for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus with the release of iOS 16.
The iPhone 8 is also significantly better than its predecessor in several ways. Features and battery are better than any iPhone ever. So if you're in love with this high-end brand and ready to spend a lot of money, you can buy this one.
iPhone 7 is not getting any further major iOS updates. Ios 15 is the last version it will run. The issues with no more major updates to iOS may not be as important as which apps are supported.
They are the 11th generation of the iPhone. The iPhone 8 was released on September 22, 2017, succeeding the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus respectively and preceding the iPhone XR. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were discontinued by Apple on April 15, 2020 with the release of the second-generation iPhone SE.
A lot of older cellphones, including the IPhone 5, IPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S4, as well as many of the flip phones, will become obsolete in 2022 as mobile providers make the switch to 5G networks.
4G is expected to last for at least another decade, and possibly longer with the help of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS), which shares available spectrum between 4G LTE and 5G devices.
4G will be around for years to come as we have seen with 3G. Mobile service operators still — albeit in very few areas — offer 3G services. So 5G will not mean the end of 4G.