Apple is effectively closing another chapter in the iOS 4 device compatibility saga with reports signaling that the company’s 4.3 firmware, seeded to developers earlier this week, drops support for old-generation hardware.Specifically, the absence of iPhone 3G and iPod touch 2G listings from the iOS 4.3 beta downloads page pretty much confirm that Apple has scrubbed the two devices off the compatibility list for the next iOS software update.
Apple's Developer web site is known to list different beta versions of the iOS being seeded by the Cupertino giant at a certain given time.
Currently, five iOS 4.3 Beta 1 builds are being assigned to their respective supported devices. Apple lists these downloads as follows:
- iOS 4.3 beta (iPad)
- iOS 4.3 beta (iPhone 4)
- iOS 4.3 beta (iPhone 3GS)
- iOS 4.3 beta (iPod touch 4th generation)
- iOS 4.3 beta (iPod touch 3rd generation)Ever since the initial release of iOS 4.0, old-generation iPhone and iPod touch units that saw the update applied began exhibiting strange behavior.
While iPhone 3G users complained about slow responsiveness (to user input), iPod touch users complained about severe battery drainage.
Softpedia is still getting daily comments on several of its
reports covering these issues which, unfortunately, Apple hasn’t ben able to fully address in any of the subsequent iOS releases.
As such, dropping support for iPhone 3G and iPod touch 2G devices in iOS 4.3 does not come as a surprise and, in fact, seems like a logical choice for the Cupertino giant.
Apple’s iOS is currently at version 4.2.1 on GSM iPhones and at 4.2.5 on the new, CDMA-ready iPhone 4 launched this week on Verizon’s network.
Although not listed on the Developer web site, an iOS 4.3 IPSW file is also available for download to test against the second-generation Apple TV.
Apparently, developers are to test AirPlay functionality from their apps using this build.
Find us on Google+
