Apple has already announced that iOS 11 support will be limited to 64-bit devices only. In other words, all 32-bit devices including the 4-inch iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c will not be compatible with Apple's newest mobile operating system.
Although iOS 10 did support a few older devices running on 32-bit processor architecture, Apple developers have removed these devices from iOS 11 compatibility list as it is coded for the 64-bit architecture for improved performance and better optimization.
For those who are still wondering if their iOS device is compatible with iOS 11, here is the final list of supported iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices that can run the latest iOS firmware:
iPhone
• iPhone X
• iPhone 8
• iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 6 Plus
• iPhone SE
• iPhone 5s
iPad
• iPad (9.7-inch)
• iPad Pro (9.7-inch)
• iPad Pro (12.9-inch)
• 2017 iPad Pro (12.9-inch)
• 2017 iPad Pro (10.5-inch)
• iPad mini 4
• iPad mini 3
• iPad mini 2
• iPad Air 2
• iPad Air
iPod touch
• iPod touch 6th generation
Although a few legacy devices are missing from the above compatibility list, we can still see that the list is quite extensive.
Those who would love to continue receiving software support from Apple will have to upgrade their iPhones and iPads to either an iPhone X, iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus. Otherwise, they will be stuck on older firmware like iOS 9 or iOS 10 forever.
