Some 187,000 apps could be rendered useless with the launch of “iOS 11,” according to the app analytics firm Sensor Tower — as noted by AppleInsider. That is the update is when Apple plans to kill 32-bit support.
That seems like a reasonable time table. The next version of iOS 11 will almost certainly be previewed at Apple’s 2017 Worldwide Developer Conference, which will be held June 5-9.
Apple has supported 64-bit apps on iOS since the launch of the iPhone 5s in September 2013. However, the company has also required developers submit new apps with 64-bit support since February 2015 and app updates since June 2015.
While legacy 32-bit apps still in the App Store have continued to be supported, iOS 9 included an alert when first launching 32-bit apps that told users the legacy app may slow down device performance.
Sensor Tower’s figures represent about 8% of all apps now on the Apple App Store. However, the real-world figure could potentially be much higher though, “as the firm’s numbers are based on apps that were submitted prior to the Sept. 2013 launch of the iPhone 5s and haven’t been updated since,” notes AppleInsider.
