José is a tech journalist with ten years of experience covering Apple, AI, mobile innovation, and major industry shifts. He currently reports for BGR.com, where he writes daily stories about product launches, software updates, and the cultural impact of consumer technology.
Jan. 27, 2026 11:19 am EST, Apple released iOS 26.2.1 to add compatibility to this new item tracker. However, that wasn't the only software update for iPhone devices released this week. The iPhone 5S, unveiled almost 13 years ago, and the iPhone 6 also received new software updates with iOS 12.
5.8. With this update, Apple ensures that iMessage, FaceTime, and device activation on the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 continue to work for years to come, as iOS 12.5.8 extends the certificate required for all three features. Without the extension, they would have stopped working, but now they will keep working well after January 2027. Even if requirements for developers, and even Apple itself, have made these iPhones practically unusable after so many years, the company still offers basic services, including iMessage, FaceTime, and, ultimately, the ability for them to be activated and synced with an Apple Account. This shows that while some companies can launch and completely brick a product in over a year, such as Humane's AI Pin, Apple continues to support its iPhones for way longer than other manufacturers.Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images isn't as explicit as other tech companies about how long it will support an iPhone's lifespan, it told U.K. authorities in 2024 that it would offer security updates to its devices for a "minimum five years from the first supply date." However, even devices that eventually become obsolete continue to receive important security updates. For example, in March 2024, Apple released a security update to iPhone 6S models, which was released nine years before that. The iPhone 5S also received other security updates since it got discontinued, as Apple issued a patch in November 2020. Even though software updates for older hardware get harder to release due to an inferior user base and ultimately iPhone users upgrading to newer models, it's interesting to see that Apple continues to offer at least some basic capacities to the legacy gadgets so many years after their release.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Robert Eggers’ Werwulf Movie Gets Exciting Update Ahead of 2026 Release DateRobert Eggers' upcoming werewolf movie, titled Werwulf, hit a big milestone this week, getting an exciting update ahead of the film's release
Read more »
Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Highly Anticipated Supernatural Folk Horror Gets a Major UpdateAaron Taylor-Johnson recently starred in 28 Years Later.
Read more »
Amy Adams' New Star Wars Movie Gets Game-Changing UpdateAmy Adams on the red carpet
Read more »
Will Poulter’s MCU Return Gets Disappointing UpdateComingSoon.net features the latest movie trailers and news, TV updates, video game reviews, anime releases, and more.
Read more »
![Courteney Cox’s True Crime Dark Comedy ‘Evil Genius’ Gets an “Absurd” Update [Exclusive]](https://i.headtopics.com/images/2026/1/26/collider/courteney-cox-s-true-crime-dark-comedy-evil-genius-courteney-cox-s-true-crime-dark-comedy-evil-genius-285DA971CFD86A63EE396144779C332E.webp?w=640)
Courteney Cox’s True Crime Dark Comedy ‘Evil Genius’ Gets an “Absurd” Update [Exclusive]Rob London is a writer at Collider who focuses on horror, science fiction, and obscure and classic movies. He has written for Marvel Comics.
Read more »
Apple TV's Hit Comedy Masterpiece Gets the Season 2 Update We’ve Been Waiting ForDave Franco in The Studio
Read more »