Make last app version before OS requirement jump available on App Store

Originator:help.you.i.can
Number:rdar://11052482 Date Originated:2012-04-14
Status:Open Resolved:
Product:App Store Product Version:
Classification:Feature (New) Reproducible:
 
As users adopt new iOS versions en masse, as a developer I start to drop supporting older iOS versions at one point. With the growing iOS device ecosystem, users clinging to their old devices are no longer able to update to the latest version. This is fine. What also will happen is that older iOS devices find its way into poorer countries, into the hands of users new to the iOS platform. These users are mostly left in the dust because they can't upgrade their old devices.

Hence I think it could be good for Apple, App Store users as well as developers if the last version before an OS version jump would still be available via iTunes. This could be hidden, e.g. only visible if the user visits the store from an older device, or readily available for users willing to downgrade.

I am writing this as a medical App developer, thinking about older iPhone and iPod models finding its way into Africa, where users will not be able to benefit from our apps because we have moved on to iOS version 4 or even 5. Our oldest versions supported iOS 2 and these versions would still be better for these users than nothing.

Comments

Implemented in iOS 7

This has been added with the launch of iOS 7, but Apple hasn't yet closed the bug.

By help.you.i.can at Oct. 16, 2013, 2:41 a.m. (reply...)

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