Hack an iphone?

Ok so not a Windows question but a computing question. The smallest iphone (the one I have) won't be supported after September. I have three of them in the house as the other two have upgraded to bigger phones. I don't want a bigger phone. Off the wall idea, but would there be any way to hack the three little ones so they'd run IOS 16? I have three perfectly good, working, small iphones and don't want a bigger one! If we can run Windows 11 on unsupported hardware ..............

Not much out there on it as is with Windows but some say you can use jailbreak. Here's the article for ipad but would think iphone would be the same if one wants to risk it. As long as my old iphone 6 will talk, I'll keep using it. How to Update Old iPad to iOS 16 | Install iPadOS 16 on Unsupported iPad

Yet this article says ios16 can not be jailbreaked as of yet. https://www.getdroidtips.com/how-to-jailbreak-ios-16/
With Apple, who the heck really knows?

@Hazel123 My sister just bought the new iphone mini. In size there's not much difference in it and my old iphone. You might look into it.

Hazel123 said:

Ok so not a Windows question but a computing question. The smallest iphone (the one I have) won't be supported after September. I have three of them in the house as the other two have upgraded to bigger phones. I don't want a bigger phone. Off the wall idea, but would there be any way to hack the three little ones so they'd run IOS 16? I have three perfectly good, working, small iphones and don't want a bigger one! If we can run Windows 11 on unsupported hardware ..............

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If your phones in question are 6s, or 7 models currently on iOS 15, they cannot be upgraded to iOS 16, they will however continue to receive security patches for years to come. If the phone is an 6, or earlier, all bets are off. I haven't heard anything about those models being cut off from security patches. I just had a look at a few apps to see what the oldest version of iOS permitted for compatibility, turns out it's iOS 11.

Thanks all. Everything before Iphone 8 will be unsupported as of September. From what I've read, not safe to use after that and no guarantee of security patches.

Glasskutter, thanks, I did look at the iphone mini - it is the smallest one and not too bad but still wider and harder to type on. I have very small hands and short thumbs. It's possible but I'd have to find a whole new way of typing on a phone to avoid strain, and unlearn muscle memory! Which is so tedious I almost can't be bothered. Main issue also is it has an oled screen. I'd have to try one to see if I'm one of the people that has pwm issues! I prefer lcd screens. But yes it's the only "small" phone out there. Apart from this :) Which I found. No idea how reliable it would be though. I wondered if jailbreaking would allow ios16 to run. And as I have three of the original Iphone SE (the small 4" screen ones)..................and my favourite size of phone.

There is not enough info out there about security patches after ios16 - they seem to want you to think the phones won't be safe and you need to upgrade.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B19ZK93W/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A16IDWVFTWTL33&psc=1

I still have an old iPhone 5s which I use as a backup phone to receive security texts & authentication for my laptop. Never had any problems due to the lack of OS updates.

glasskuter said:

@Hazel123 My sister just bought the new iphone mini. In size there's not much difference in it and my old iphone. You might look into it.

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So I have tried one and I very much like the size - not quite as small as I'd have liked - but unfortunately, after a day or two, I cannot get on with the Oled screen and did find I got headaches and eye strain. I tried all the fixes but no difference. The difference going back to an LCD screen was very noticeable and much more relaxing.

So frustrating, but it's going back. I have sent for a Nokia candy bar phone. As there isn't a smartphone small enough with an lcd screen (although apparently Apple might be changing from Oled screens in the next couple of years). Well there is - there's the Cubot pocket phone. Not sure about that. I'll see how I get on with a dumb phone! The only thing I will really miss is the ability to google a place I want to call and just tapping on the phone number from the google search.

I did love my phone but not at the expense of eye strain and headaches thank you. It was an unpleasant experience.

Stepson has the Iphone XR which is lcd and I'm fine with that - except it's just too damn heavy to hold for any length of time (wrist problems).

I could just keep using the old one I know, but I do banking on it via an app and not sure that would be secure once not supported. I don't think they're even planning on continuing with security updates.

glasskuter said:

Not much out there on it as is with Windows but some say you can use jailbreak. Here's the article for ipad but would think iphone would be the same if one wants to risk it. As long as my old iphone 6 will talk, I'll keep using it. How to Update Old iPad to iOS 16 | Install iPadOS 16 on Unsupported iPad

Yet this article says ios16 can not be jailbreaked as of yet. https://www.getdroidtips.com/how-to-jailbreak-ios-16/
With Apple, who the heck really knows?

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Thanks for that article. Reading through it only allows adding features from the later os rather than the ios upgrade and security updates. But thanks anyway.

Sorry it didn't work out for you.

People always laugh at me and my use of a cell phone. I hate phones. Any kind of phone. Guess it's because for the majority of my life one was glued to my ear. I talk when I want to call, not when someone wants to call me. That's it. I absolutely despise texting so I don't do it. Because of my hate/hate relationship with phones, I wouldn't even have a data plan except it's included in the pre-paid plan I got when my sister gave me her old iphone. The damn thing is off most of the time...or the battery is down because I forgot to charge it.

I'm one of the very small minority who still has a land line since as a phone company retiree I get it free. It's the only number I give out to anyone.
I tell everyone "If I answer, I'm home and feel like talking. If I don't, I'm gone or not in the mood. Call back or better yet, send me an email."
When they respond with "I'll just send you a text."
"Uhhhh....No, not if you expect a response."

They look at me like I'm crazy.

Lol - I don't use mine that much myself. Also rarely text. However I've been using a mobile instead of a landline for years and since having an iphone, I am basically hooked on having a mini computer on me for looking things up when out and about and checking email. Rather than it actually being a phone.

Before getting this little iphone se we still used Nokia's - and I took a small netbook everywhere with me (this is still possible but it's very slow and of course dependent on wifi being available). Mind you I could still use google maps and email on the old nokia but it was tediously slow and a tiny screen.

I am considering the idea of going back to a basic nokia phone and having an ipad mini instead of an iphone. As it's the smallest portable "computer" it seems - with a data tarriff. But then I'd have two sim card tariffs to pay!

The new iphone SE is the next smallest phone. OH just upgraded to that but I find it too uncomfortable and heavy to hold - it's wider and heavier than the iphone mini (which was about my limit).

Actually I'm really annoyed about the whole oled screen thing in phones! It's put me off using a smartphone at all! Except I know I'm ok with lcd screens (which the ipad mini has).

Sorry - this is a windows forum - but Windows make nokia phones now . Don't suppose there's a windows tablet as small as the iphone mini? The surface go seems to be the smallest equivalent and quite expensive.

Hazel123 said:

Ok so not a Windows question but a computing question. The smallest iphone (the one I have) won't be supported after September. I have three of them in the house as the other two have upgraded to bigger phones. I don't want a bigger phone. Off the wall idea, but would there be any way to hack the three little ones so they'd run IOS 16? I have three perfectly good, working, small iphones and don't want a bigger one! If we can run Windows 11 on unsupported hardware ..............

Click to expand...

Hello there. Not a direct answer but as an iPhone lover I can tell you this:
I had the iPhone 5s and iPhone SE 2016 which are both those tiny boxy phones, which ended up loosing support at iOS 12 and 14/15 - can't remember. In the end I upgraded to the iPhone SE 2020, which I love!! it is a bit bigger, but still just 4.7" which is perfect for me, and has a great camera and support to probably about iOS 19/20. Great investment. Now they only sell the iPhone SE 2022, same body yet different chip giving it 5G. If you don't want to spend the £400, look at refurbished SE 2020s for around £150

James said:

Hello there. Not a direct answer but as an iPhone lover I can tell you this:
I had the iPhone 5s and iPhone SE 2016 which are both those tiny boxy phones, which ended up loosing support at iOS 12 and 14/15 - can't remember. In the end I upgraded to the iPhone SE 2020, which I love!! it is a bit bigger, but still just 4.7" which is perfect for me, and has a great camera and support to probably about iOS 19/20. Great investment. Now they only sell the iPhone SE 2022, same body yet different chip giving it 5G. If you don't want to spend the £400, look at refurbished SE 2020s for around £150

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Cheers. That is exactly what we did. OH has the SE 2020, I have the SE2022. It's a bit bigger but it's ok. Camera is way better I got used to the bigger size and it only really bothers me if texting but I rarely do that and moved the keypad over to one side so it's smaller, so that works for me now. Still have 3 SE 2016's in a drawer and wondering what to do with them! Paperweight?

Hazel123 said:

Cheers. That is exactly what we did. OH has the SE 2020, I have the SE2022. It's a bit bigger but it's ok. Camera is way better I got used to the bigger size and it only really bothers me if texting but I rarely do that and moved the keypad over to one side so it's smaller, so that works for me now. Still have 3 SE 2016's in a drawer and wondering what to do with them! Paperweight?

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I also have spare SE 2016s and I was thinking, since the camera quality is pretty decent perhaps dashcam? Or just different angles in videos to make it more interesting. I didn't realise the Se 2022 is bigger?

Yes it's the same size as the iphone 8. SE 2020 and SE2022 are virtually the same size but SE 2022 is very slightly thinner and lighter but same dimensions virtually - same as the iphone 8 more or less. I phone 12 and 13 mini are longer and narrower. I preferred that size but didn't want the Oled screen. The SE's are the only ones without the Oled screen now.

I like the SE 2022 a lot now I'm used to it though. Despite having very small hands. It's manageable.

Hazel123 said:

Yes it's the same size as the iphone 8

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I realise there is a size difference between the SE2016 and SE2020, and SE2022, but what I wasn't sure of is whether you meant, when you said:

Hazel123 said:

OH has the SE 2020, I have the SE2022. It's a bit bigger but it's ok.

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That the Se2022 was bigger than the SE 2020. I realise now what you meant is that the SE2020 and SE2022 is bigger than SE 2016.

Sorry I just edited my earlier post

Se 2020 and 2022 are about the same size but SE 2022 is very slightly lighter and slimmer (depth wise). But both about the same dimensions as the iphone 8.

Hazel123 said:

SE 2022 is very slightly lighter and slimmer (depth wise).

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Didn’t realise this, actually. I didn’t need the 5g features of se 2022 as I don’t live where 5g is available (I think)

I don't need the 5g either but it will get updates for longer and it was just that slightly bit lighter which was better for me. From what I've read, people who have the 5g often turn it off anyway as it drains the battery so much.