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iOS 13: Will your old iPhone and iPad run it, or is it time to buy a new one?

It's been a while since Apple dropped support for old hardware, but this year's release will see some devices rendered obsolete.
Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Senior Contributing Editor

Along with the unveiling of the new iPhone will come the official release date for iOS 13. For some iPhone and iPad owners currently running iOS 12, this release will render their hardware obsolete, pushing them towards the Apple Store to buy something new and shiny.

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If you're currently running one of the following devices, which are compatible with iOS 12, then iOS 13 will be the end of the line for you:

  • iPhone 5S
  • iPhone SE
  • iPhone 6/6 Plus
  • iPad Mini 2
  • iPad Mini 3
  • iPad Air (2013)

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The following iPhones will be compatible with iOS 13:

  • Unreleased 2019 iPhone
  • iPhone Xs
  • iPhone Xs Max
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone X
  • iPhone 8
  • iPhone 8 Plus
  • iPhone 7
  • iPhone 7 Plus
  • iPhone 6s
  • iPhone 6s Plus
  • iPhone SE

iPadOS (the new name for iOS for the iPad), is compatible with the following iPad tablets:

  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro
  • 11-inch iPad Pro
  • 10.5-inch iPad Pro
  • 9.7-inch iPad Pro
  • iPad (6th generation)
  • iPad (5th generation)
  • iPad mini (5th generation)
  • iPad mini 4
  • iPad Air (3rd generation)
  • iPad Air 2

If you own an iPod touch, then note that only the latest 7th generation model (released May 2019) is compatible with iOS 13. Everyone else is out of luck.

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Is your hardware compatible with iOS 13? If not, will you be buying a new Apple device, or will you be looking at something else? Let me know below!

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