Apple is very likely to announce the iOS 17 software update at its WWDC23 event in June 2023, but there is already plenty of confusion about which devices will be able to install it.

While Apple is normally very good at supporting older hardware when it announces new software, a report claims that might not be the case this time around. If true, Apple will not offer iOS 17 to those with the iPhone 8 or iPhone X as well as three different iPads. But a second report poured cold water on that, saying that those devices will still get iOS 17 this autumn. Right now, it's impossible to know which of those two reports is accurate.

Will it or won't it?

The first report came via MacRumors and a Twitter leaker who claimed that the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 updates would not support some key devices including the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. The first-generation 9.7-inch iPad Pro, 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and fifth-generation iPad tablets were also listed as being cut adrift by iPadOS 17.

However, a new report on the MacRumors forum says that news is "simply incorrect." This account, which has a good track record, claims that all of the devices that ran iOS 16 will also be able to install iOS 17. This is from the leaker who shared details about the iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island before it was announced by Apple.

That makes plenty of sense given the fact that Apple is already rumoured to be aiming to add quality-of-life improvements to iOS 17 rather than any huge new features, but we'll have to wait and see - it's impossible to know which leaker is on the money until more information is made available. Or, just as likely, Apple announces these things on 5 June.

Apple's WWDC23 event is also expected to see the unveiling of the Reality Pro headset, a mixed-reality headset that is thought to cost upwards of $3,000 and have batteries that last just two hours. The same event will also see Apple announce tvOS 17, macOS 14, and watchOS 10 if previous years are any indication.