iPadOS 27 Drops Older iPads, Stirring Downgrade Debates
iPadOS 27 will no longer support iPad models with the A12/A12X chips (iPad 8th gen, iPad Air 3, iPad mini 5, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st gen, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd gen), leaving several 6–8 year old devices behind despite iOS 27 supporting older iPhones. The piece suggests two possible mitigations: allow downgrades from iPadOS 27 by enabling iPadOS 26 on eligible devices (Apple currently unsigns older firmware, and older iPadOS security updates exist); or, though unlikely, extend iPadOS 27 to those older devices. The author notes a precedent in 2022 when Stage Manager was expanded to older iPad Pro models and wonders if a similar reversal could happen. It also points out Apple continues security updates for iPadOS 18 (e.g., 18.7.9), indicating older devices aren’t entirely abandoned. The article frames the situation as a debate between forward progress and keeping older hardware usable.)
