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iPhone Q&A
Update Published April 8, 2015
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Which iPhone models fully support iOS 8? For models that "partially" support iOS 8, which features are and are not supported?
Please note that iOS 15 is the current version of the iOS. However, the below Q&A has been updated subsequently and is quite useful for anyone who is running or who wants to run iOS 8 on an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.
On June 2, 2014, Apple announced iOS 8.
The company provided full compatibility details on September 9, 2014, and formally launched the operating system into the world on September 17, 2014.
New iOS 8 Features
With the slogan, "the biggest iOS release ever" -- at least partially alluding to the larger displays on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus -- Apple's pre-launch press release boasted:
iOS 8 delivers a simpler, faster and more intuitive user experience with new Messages and Photos features, predictive typing for Apples QuickType keyboard and Family Sharing. iOS 8 also includes the new Health app, giving you a clear overview of your health and fitness data and iCloud Drive, so you can store files and access them from anywhere. With more than 4,000 new APIs, iOS 8 allows developers to further customize the user experience with major extensibility features and robust frameworks such as HealthKit and HomeKit.
Another major new addition is the collection of "Continuity" features which Apple explains accordingly:
Continuity features in iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite bring your Mac and iOS devices together like never before. When your iPhone or iPad is near your Mac, Handoff lets you start an activity on one device and pass it to the other. Instant Hotspot makes using your iPhones hotspot as easy as connecting to a Wi-Fi network. Now the SMS and MMS messages that previously only appeared on your iPhone appear in Messages on all your devices. You can even send SMS or MMS messages directly from your Mac and make or receive iPhone calls using your Mac as a speakerphone.
iOS 8 Supported Devices
Apple notes that all devices that support iOS 7 also support iOS 8, except for the iPhone 4 (GSM) and iPhone 4 (CDMA/Verizon/Sprint), which can be identified by model numbers A1332 and A1349, respectively.
However, specific feature support varies among the devices that are supported, too.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPhone 5s Running iOS 8)
Identification Help
If you are not certain which iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad you have, these models can be identified externally by Model Number precisely enough to determine whether or not it is supported by iOS 8. The model number is printed in small type on the back of each device toward the bottom.
Specifically, these devices fully or partially support iOS 8:
Apple Device |
Model (External) |
If your device is not listed above, it is not an iOS 8 supported device.
Although the numbers above are sufficient for determining compatibility with iOS 8, iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad models also can be identified in software by Order Number, should the externally listed model numbers be difficult to read. The order number is referred to as "Model" within the iOS "Settings" app under General > About.
For example, in the US, this "Model" within the iOS looks like ME529LL/A, which specifically refers to an iPhone 5c (GSM/North America).
Everyi.com's Ultimate iLookup feature can identify these devices by the model numbers above, order numbers from around the world, and by device Serial Numbers, too.
iOS 8 Performance & Features Compatibility Chart
The slowest device compatible with iOS 8 is the iPhone 4S (A1387) -- with an 800 MHz Apple A5 processor and 512 MB of RAM -- but based on hands-on evaluation as well as independent test results, it is a bit slower running iOS 8 than iOS 7, but performance still is acceptable and it is compatible with almost all new iOS 8 features.
iOS 8 has two primary new features that have support for some devices and not others -- Health and Continuity -- as well as Apple Pay, which only works with NFC-equipped models like the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
However, interestingly, Apple also quietly added Panorama support to some iPad models with iOS 8.0.2 and there are other features that were first introduced with earlier versions of the iOS that still are not supported by some devices running iOS 8. These details are worthwhile to review, too.
iOS 8 feature support varies accordingly:
| AirDrop | Panorama | Siri | Health | Apple Pay | Continuity‡ | |
| iPad 2 | No | No* | No* | No | No | No |
| iPad 3rd Gen | No | No* | Yes | No | No | No |
| iPad 4th Gen | Yes | No* | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| iPad Air | Yes | Yes† | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| iPad Air 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes♦ | Yes |
| iPad mini | Yes | No* | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| iPad mini 2 | Yes | Yes† | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| iPad mini 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes♦ | Yes |
| iPhone 4s | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| iPhone 5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| iPhone 5c | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| iPhone 5s | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| iPhone 6 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone 6 Plus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iPod touch 5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| iPod touch 6 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
* Siri and Panorama are not supported on these iPad models running any version of the iOS.
† Curiously, Apple quietly added Panorama support to the iPad Air and iPad mini 2, but not any earlier iPad models, with iOS 8.0.2.
♦ The iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 models support Apple Pay within apps but not in retail stores.
Continuity Support‡
Support for specific Continuity features -- which work in conjunction with some, but not all, OS X Yosemite compatible Macs -- varies among supported iOS devices:
| Handoff | Instant Hotspot |
Phone Calls (from Mac) |
SMS | |
| iPad 4th Gen | Yes | Yes* | No | No |
| iPad Air | Yes | Yes* | No | No |
| iPad Air 2 | Yes | Yes* | No | No |
| iPad mini | Yes | Yes* | No | No |
| iPad mini 2 | Yes | Yes* | No | No |
| iPad mini 3 | Yes | Yes* | No | No |
| iPhone 5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone 5c | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone 5s | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone 6 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone 6 Plus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iPod touch 5 | Yes | No | No | No |
* iPad models with cellular connectivity support Instant Hotspot. "Personal Hotspot" service through a cellular company is required to use this feature, too.
iOS 8 Compatibility Summary
Ultimately, with the exception of Apple Pay support, iOS 8 is fully compatible with the iPhone 5 and later models, the iPod touch 5th Gen, and nearly fully compatible with the iPad 4th Gen and later models.
It is largely compatible with the iPhone 4s, iPad 2, and iPad 3rd Gen, as well, and these devices still can benefit a great deal from the improvements to Messages and Photos as well as QuickType and Family Sharing along with third-party enhancements.
At least once all the bugs have been addressed, iOS 8 will be an excellent upgrade, particularly for one also using an OS X Yosemite-powered Mac.
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