Run iOS 15 iPhone.
As part of a series of operating system updates released earlier today, Apple released new iOS and iPadOS 15.7.2 updates, bringing most of the iOS 16.2 security patches to previous versions of the operating system.
15.7 and 15.7.1 were both released after iOS 16 is available, and they have two purposes: to support new devices that owners do not want to jump to iOS 16 and older devices that cannot run iOS 16. The iOS 15.7.2 update supports fewer devices. From Apple's security update page, we emphasize that:
is suitable for: iPhone 6s (all models), iPhone 7 (all models), iPhone SE (first generation) , iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and updated models, iPad 5th generation and updated models, iPad mini 4 and updated models, and iPod touch (7th )
Further reading
Apple clarifies security update policy: only complete patches for the latest operating system
Any iPad user running iPadOS 15 can still download 15.7.2 update instead of iPadOS 16, but newer iPhone requires to install iOS 16.2 to get all the latest security patches. The company did something similar last year and supported iOS 14 within months of the release of iOS 15, but eventually ended its support for iOS 14. (The iPhone and iPad may be treated differently this year, as the first iPadOS 16 release to the public was released a month after iOS 16 was first released.)
Assuming Apple continues to release these iOS 15 updates for older devices, they will keep the owners of old phones (mostly) safe for some time, even if they are no longer supported by new iOS versions. Apple previously supported old iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 models that could not be upgraded to iOS 13, and released security updates for iOS 12 semi-regularly in the nearly three years since the release of iOS 13.
By convention, Apple does not provide any hard support expiration dates for iOS 15 or iPadOS 15. We have contacted to ask if the company intends to provide iOS 15 security updates for older devices in the future and will update this story if we receive a reply.
