From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.ipad

PSA: How many major OS releases does Apple fully support at once?

Out of a million Apple owners, only about 3 understand Apple releases.
I'm one of those three people, but this PSA is to help you understand also.

This PSA is intended to clear up a long-standing point of confusion about
how Apple handles iOS and macOS security updates. While this information
has been provided to you a thousand times, people still get it wrong.
From: Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: misc.phone.mobile.iphone,comp.sys.mac.advocacy
Subject: Re: How long did the iPhone X actually get full iOS support?
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2026 21:13:11 -0000 (UTC)
Message-ID: <10phot7$125qs$1@dont-email.me>

> An example is Apple has never in its history fully supported
> more than one concurrent major release...

False.

For iOS, Apple fully supports two versions at every new release between
September and December.

For macOS, Apple fully supports three concurrent versions.

Chris is wrong. Dead wrong. And that's fine, as long as Chris can learn.
Every macOS or iOS owner should understand how Apple patches releases.

So let's settle it using Apple's own documentation, Apple's own words,
and Apple's own published security data.

Here is the question:

Q: How many major OS releases does Apple fully support at once?
A: ?

Below is the answer, taken directly from Apple, not from me, not from
blogs, not from speculation.

Apple's own Platform Security Guide states, verbatim:

"Not all known security issues are addressed in previous versions."

Source: Apple Platform Security Guide
<https://support.apple.com/guide/security/sec87fc038c2/web>

That single sentence is Apple's official admission that:
a. Only the newest major OS receives *all* security patches.
b. The previous major OS receives *some* patches.
c. Older OS versions may receive *none* of the known fixes.

This is not interpretation. This is Apple's own policy.
You can verify this yourself in Apple's own CVE listings:

Apple Security Updates (HT201222)
<https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222>

Pick any recent set of patches and compare them. You will see:
a. The newest OS gets the full set of CVEs.
b. The previous major OS usually gets only a subset.
c. Older OS's often get nothing at all.

This is not speculation. This is Apple's own data.

Every "About the security content of..." page (HT201224) shows the same pattern. Apple patches a vulnerability in the newest OS, but the same vulnerability is missing from the older OS listings, even when those
older OS versions are still "supported."

Again, this is Apple's behavior, not mine.
Independent reporting simply summarizes what Apple already documented:

a. ScreenRant:
<https://screenrant.com/apple-product-security-update-lifespan/>

b. HotHardware:
<https://hothardware.com/news/apple-admits-only-fully-patches-security-flaws-in-latest-os-releases>

c. Ars Technica:
<https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/10/apple-clarifies-security-update-policy-only-the-latest-oses-are-fully-patched/>

None of these articles are inventing anything. They are quoting Apple.
Apple's deployment documentation reinforces the same policy:

About Software Updates:
<https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment/about-software-updates-depc4c80847a>

Apple expects organizations to migrate to the newest OS for full
security coverage. Older OS versions receive updates, but not full
parity. Apple has never claimed otherwise.

So here is the factual answer to the question:

Q: How many major OS releases does Apple fully support at once?
A: Apple fully supports exactly ONE major OS release at any time.

Not two. Not three. But only one. Just one. Never more than one.

This is Apple's documented policy.
a. It is visible in Apple's own CVE tables.
b. It is confirmed in Apple's own security guide.
c. It is reflected in Apple's own update behavior.

This PSA is not about opinions or preferences. It is about understanding
what Apple actually wrote, and observing what Apple actually does.

Discussion is welcome, but please base your replies on Apple's published documentation and Apple's published security data. If you believe Apple
fully supports more than one major OS release at a time, then please
cite Apple's documentation that says so.

Out of a million Apple owners, only a handful understand how Apple's
release and hotfix system actually works. Let's fix that.
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.ipad

On 20/03/2026 00:14, Maria Sophia wrote:

PSA: How many major OS releases does Apple fully support at once?

Out of a million Apple owners, only about 3 understand Apple releases.
I'm one of those three people, but this PSA is to help you understand also.

This PSA is intended to clear up a long-standing point of confusion about
how Apple handles iOS and macOS security updates. While this information
has been provided to you a thousand times, people still get it wrong.
From: Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: misc.phone.mobile.iphone,comp.sys.mac.advocacy
Subject: Re: How long did the iPhone X actually get full iOS support?
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2026 21:13:11 -0000 (UTC)
Message-ID: <10phot7$125qs$1@dont-email.me>

> An example is Apple has never in its history fully supported
> more than one concurrent major release...

False.

For iOS, Apple fully supports two versions at every new release between
September and December.

For macOS, Apple fully supports three concurrent versions.

Chris is wrong.

You're going back to your bad old tricks. Stop exploiting subthreads for
your own self-gratification.

If you can't respond respectfully within the subthread then don't
respond at all.

No one cares about your "PSAs".
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.ipad

Chris wrote:

No one cares about your "PSAs".

I get it that you don't like the subject matter, but the fact remains that Apple is the only consumer OS vendor who has never in its entire history
ever fully supported more than a single major OS release with complete
security patches.
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.ipad

On 3/20/26 9:11 AM, Maria Sophia wrote:

Chris wrote:

No one cares about your "PSAs".

I get it that you don't like the subject matter, but the fact remains that Apple is the only consumer OS vendor who has never in its entire history
ever fully supported more than a single major OS release with complete security patches.

That's a minor complaint compared to many "budget" Android devices that
never get an OS update and complete security updates seldom, if ever.
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.ipad

On 3/20/26 9:33 AM, Tom Elam wrote:

On 3/20/26 9:11 AM, Maria Sophia wrote:

Chris wrote:

No one cares about your "PSAs".

I get it that you don't like the subject matter, but the fact remains
that
Apple is the only consumer OS vendor who has never in its entire history
ever fully supported more than a single major OS release with complete
security patches.

That's a minor complaint compared to many "budget" Android devices that never get an OS update and complete security updates seldom, if ever.

Reply to my own post -

Motorola phones typically get only 1 OS update and 2-5 years of security updates. Then nothing. Also typical time frames for for Nokia and OnePlus.

Samsung is hardly = Android.

Meanwhile, iPhone XS/XS Max launched 9/21/18 is still getting security updates.

I repeat, lack up updates is a major reason I left Android.
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.ipad

Tom Elam wrote:

Motorola phones typically get only 1 OS update and 2-5 years of security updates. Then nothing. Also typical time frames for for Nokia and OnePlus.

Samsung is hardly = Android.

Meanwhile, iPhone XS/XS Max launched 9/21/18 is still getting security updates.

I repeat, lack up updates is a major reason I left Android.

Hi Tom,

Notice you left Android, you say, for lack of updates.

But it's clearly & obviously Apple who lacks the updates when you compare
with the direct competitors to the Apple iPhone and to the Apple iPads.

See my other post to your information where I do not disagree with you that Android has an ecosystem filled to the brim with $39.99 budget phones.

And those budget phones do not have the kind of support that the direct competitors to the iPhone have, namely these are the main competitors:
a. Galaxy S/Note series for phones
b. Galaxy Tab S series for tablets

Since you left Android for "lack of updates", maybe you should return.
1. Those devices have far longer full hotfix support than Apple does
2. Those devices concurrently support more major releases than Apple does
2. All Android 10+ devices get monthly core module updates forever

If you disagree, please respond to those three facts I raised above.
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.ipad

Tom Elam wrote:

On 3/20/26 9:11 AM, Maria Sophia wrote:

Chris wrote:

No one cares about your "PSAs".

I get it that you don't like the subject matter, but the fact remains that >> Apple is the only consumer OS vendor who has never in its entire history
ever fully supported more than a single major OS release with complete
security patches.

That's a minor complaint compared to many "budget" Android devices that never get an OS update and complete security updates seldom, if ever.

Hi Tom,

It's not a "complaint"; it's simply a fact.

And the fact is Apple's written promised support, which the UK extracted
out of Apple, by law, happens to be shorter than that of its competition.

And it happens to cover fewer concurrent releases.
And there is no concept of monthly updates forever for all recent devices.

However...

I never disagree with anyone who makes a sensibly logical statement.
So I agree with you that $39.99 budget Androids have lousy full support.

But on an Apple iPhone and iPad newsgroup, the devices to compare to are
the direct competitors to the iPhone & to the iPad. That's Samsung.

Specifically that's Samsung's high-end Galaxy series devices.
a. Galaxy S/Note series for phones
b. Galaxy Tab S series for tablets
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.ipad

On 2026-03-20 13:33:53 +0000, Tom Elam said:

On 3/20/26 9:11 AM, Maria Sophia wrote:

Chris wrote:

No one cares about your "PSAs".

I get it that you don't like the subject matter, but the fact remains that >> Apple is the only consumer OS vendor who has never in its entire history
ever fully supported more than a single major OS release with complete
security patches.

That's a minor complaint compared to many "budget" Android devices that never get an OS update and complete security updates seldom, if ever.

It's just the usual complete and utter know-nothing anti-Apple bollocks
by the brainless troll "Arlen" / "Maria" / "Marian" who hasn't got a
single clue about *anything* at all, let alone Apple products. :-\

Just ignore / killfile the ignorant moron.

--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.ipad

Your Name wrote:

Just ignore / killfile the ignorant moron.

The fact you desire to be woefully ignorant of how Apple major releases
work is one thing, but why do you attack intelligent people simply for discussing a basic question about iOS release strategy on an Apple ng?
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.ipad

Apple only promises five years, and zero specific numbers of iOS releases. Samsung's written S-series commitment is 7 years + 7 major releases.

This means if you buy a Galaxy S-series on Android 14, you are guaranteed
to receive Android 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and Android 21 for that phone.

In addition, Samsung guarantees 7 Years of Security Updates for that phone. This guarantees full support (meaning all known hotfixes) for 7 years from
the launch date for that Galaxy S (which is the main iPhone competitor.

That could actually be 8 releases as it's the classic fencepost math:
1. Launch Version: Android 14 (Year 0)
2. Upgrade 1: Android 15
3. Upgrade 2: Android 16
4. Upgrade 3: Android 17
5. Upgrade 4: Android 18
6. Upgrade 5: Android 19
7. Upgrade 6: Android 20
8. Upgrade 7: Android 21 (Final Year)

Apple's written commitment (from their UK PSTI regulatory filings) is revealingly much narrower than Samsung's written promise.

Apple only promises a minimum of 5 years of security updates.

There is no written guarantee that an iPhone will receive 5 years of major
OS upgrades. Under this promise, Apple could theoretically leave a phone on
a "legacy" version of iOS for years and only provide security patches for
that specific old version.

Below is a response to Tom with more specific details on this topic.

Tom Elam wrote:

In those days, Apple support was much better than Android support was.

Really? Where are the full OS version releases for the 2009 Samsung
phones after 2009? So any Donut minor updates count as full support when Apple's iOS full support only counts when a new version is released?
Apple also supports past releases with minor updates that you don't
count as full support. I do not count Donut updates as full support either.

Samsung's 7 year support claim is very recent. We have not actually seen what that actually means. 6 years from now will the flagship models
receive and be able to use the full OS updates? I'm betting that by 2033 current Galaxy models will have different hardware than the 2026 models. Will 2033 Android be compatible with 2026 phones? Will Samsung freeze hardware updates for 6 years? Will Samsung release different OS versions
for older phones, not full updates to the 2033 version?

I hope I live long enough to see how Samsung deals with this 7 year commitment and if Apple responds with a different policy.

Hi Tom,

I agree with you that Apple support used to be much better than Android.
I also agree with you that Apple support is much worse than Android now.

Times have changed.
And Apple isn't keeping up.

You don't have to take my word for it. Just take Apple's written word.
To comply with the UK PSTI Act in 2024, Apple was forced to publish a
"Defined Support Period" for the first time in it's entire history.

Apple Regulatory Filing A3287.
a. Apple's full-support commitment = Minimum 5 years of security updates.
b. Samsung Galaxy S series = 7 years of full OS and security updates.
Given Samsung is the most direct and most common iPhone competitor.

Apple officially committed to two years less than its competition.
a. Galaxy S series = 7 years & 7 major updates (concurrent!)
b. iPhone = 5 years (1 release only!)

And, at 5 years, that's only slightly more than the average iOS support.
c. iOS full support over 11 models averages 4.89 years

Given Android fully updates concurrent releases while Apple has never done
so, we aren't talking about "Donut" minor updates when we are discussing
full OS hotfix support, which means that all known patches are applied.

Samsung's written commitment for the S24 and newer (like the S26 out now) specifically states "7 Generations of Android OS Upgrades." This isn't a guess; it is a legal commitment made to consumers and regulators. If a
phone ships with Android 14, Samsung is legally and publicly committed
to providing every major version up to Android 21.

This difference is discussed in this related thread about concurrency:
Newsgroups:
misc.phone.mobile.iphone,comp.sys.mac.advocacy,comp.mobile.ipad
Subject: PSA: How many major OS releases does Apple fully support at once?
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2026 20:14:48 -0400
Message-ID: <10pi3ho$30ph$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com>

Also, Android has moved to a "Modular" architecture (Project Mainline).
Today, Google updates core security components via the Play Store,
independent of the manufacturer, which is the topic of another thread.
Apple has nothing like this modular-monthly-update-forever concept.

This difference is discussed in this related thread about concurrency:
Newsgroups: misc.phone.mobile.iphone
Subject: Does iOS have any hotfix support comparable to Android Project Mainline?
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:13:22 -0400\
Message-ID: <10phari$2vk1$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com>

The average of 4.89 years for the iPhone isn't a "troll dump" just because
you dislike reading about facts that don't come from Apple's propaganda.

If you dislike that Apple's full support period is only about 5 years, on average, for all the 11 iPhones that are no longer in full support, don't complain to me. Write a letter to Tim Cook saying he lied to you.

Apple's marketing is so brilliant at propagating mistruths, that you seem
to think that 4.89 years is not 4.89 years, yet you can't refute the math.

That 4.89 years is a historical fact based on every iPhone for which we
have a completed lifecycle. While you are apparently betting that Samsung
will fail their 7-year promise, rest assured it's obvious already that
Apple has already failed to hit even close to a 7-year average for "Full Support" over its entire 18.21-year history of data with dropped support.

Given I never disagree with a logically sensible statement of fact, I don't disagree that, historically, Apple was the king of support longevity.

But in 2026, the data shows that Apple's "Full Support" is a single-lane
road that ends abruptly, while Samsung has built a seven-lane highway.
--
The best marketing, such as Apple's marketing, encourages misundstanding.
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2