Update: This transition has been delayed – ForeFlight Mobile 5.4 will work on iPad 1. If you are using an iPad 1 in the cockpit today, please note that this change will take place at some point in the relatively near future (though that date is not yet set). If you have questions/concerns, please email us at team@foreflight.com.
ForeFlight Mobile 5.3.3 the last update for iPad 1, iPhone 3 owners
We have had a super productive 2013 so far and have even more exciting new features on deck. We are really happy with the results and will share the details with you soon!
Over the past two years, Apple has made significant improvements to the iOS operating system. These improvements make it simpler for developers to add high-performance, elegant features, improve application stability (i.e. fewer crashes), and prepare for iOS 7 and new devices. Taking advantage of these additional capabilities and improving performance means dropping support for older hardware.
The sky ahead requires that we break ties with older iOS systems and hardware so that we can push forward faster. The next major version of ForeFlight Mobile – version 5.4 – will require iOS 6 or greater. This means that ForeFlight Mobile 5.4 will only work on iPad 2, iPads with Retina displays, iPad minis, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and iPod touch 4th generation or newer. If you have an older device that will no longer have the ability to run future updates of ForeFlight Mobile, we recommend updating to version 5.3.3 this week (instructions here). Version 5.3.3 will no longer be available for download from App Store after 5.4 is released.
With iOS 6 as the minimum supported version, we will access technologies that take advantage of the incredible capabilities of the iOS devices, speed up development of new features, and make ForeFlight Mobile even more stable (it is pretty darn stable today!). This boils down to a faster, more feature-packed ForeFlight Mobile.
The iPad 1 (the model released in 2010) will not run ForeFlight Mobile 5.4 or later. However, it will continue to run version 5.3.3 or below. iPad 1 devices will still receive database updates. We recommend updating to a newer iPad to get the latest and greatest ForeFlight has to offer and to benefit from a much more fluid and enjoyable experience with all your apps.
If you use one of the supported devices but still have iOS 5 installed, updating to iOS 6 is free and easy to do. If you use an older device that is not supported – like an iPad 1 – you can continue to run ForeFlight Mobile 5.3.3 but will not receive future software updates.
As always, customers will receive the ForeFlight Mobile 5.4 for free. We will announce the new features in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!