KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Apple announced on Tuesday its design for the new line of iPhones. While many are excited for the unveiling of the new technology, others are concerned about the ways in which their older iPhones might be impacted.
A 2014 study from a Harvard Ph.D. student shows Google searches for "iPhone slow" spike whenever a new iPhone is released. Tech experts say it's because software is designed for the newest iPhone. That means your older model may not be optimized for the latest update.
"They kind of phase out their own equipment," Scott Russell, who owns iRepair Kansas City, said.
According to Russell, an iPhone 4 or 5 might not work with the software designed for the 8. Other tech experts told us the same thing.
"Apple wants you to buy their latest and greatest because that's how they maintain their edge," Michael Weston of Kansas City iPhone Doctor said.
However, Weston did want to make it clear that he doesn't buy into the theory that Apple is building malware to purposely crash your older phone.
"Any company that builds a software to crash your old hardware is not going to be in business for a long time," he said.
Both Russell and Weston said your iPhone could run forever without the iOS updates, but many apps require the latest software to function. People who wish to use them realize they need the freshest Apple product on the market.
"I understand that it moves at a pace that's very quick, and so in order to be able to be compatible with the new software, you've got to upgrade your phone as well," Brandon Wells, who plans to purchase the iPhone X, said.
41 Action News reached out to Apple for comment on the compatibility issues on Tuesday, but we have not heard back. The iPhone 8 will be available on September 22, but those hoping to buy the high-end iPhone X will have to wait until November.
