Say Goodbye To The 32-Bit Apps
There’s a buzz going around that the next version of iOS will render about 187,000 apps obsolete. In the latest public beta for iOS 10.3, a new menu shows outdated apps you have installed plus a message that goes:
“These apps may slow down your iPhone and will not work with future versions of iOS if they are not updated. If no update is available, contact the app developer for more information.”
This came as a result when Apple started implementing the 64-bit processors in the iPhone 5S in 2013. But it was only in June 2015 that they required software developers to support the 64-bit architecture. About 8% of the total number of apps submitted before the phone’s launch are still 32-bit apps. So it is more likely that more than a hundred thousand apps need updating. Majority of these apps won’t be missed. But there are quite a few classics which still enjoy devoted followings.
Last fall, Apple removed 47,000 apps from its App Store. Although they haven’t issued an official statement on the new iOS 11, the beta software is already a good sign of changes to come.
But for software developers who have moved on to do other projects, this would mean a difficult choice. Instead of doing their current projects, they have to put time and effort in updating these apps. Or they may choose to disappoint long-time followers by not updating.
Are we shifting now to the 64-bit architecture rendering the 32-bit obsolete? And we’re just talking about Apple’s App Store here. What about Google Play? Will they follow suit with the next version of Android?