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1st January 2025
03:50pm GMT
New Year's is a time for resolutions, to start fresh and create some good new habits. But for some it might also usher in the need to purchase a new phone.
That's because changes to WhatsApp's backwards compatibility mean that a lot of people's phones will officially be too old to work with the instant messaging system.
It's worth noting that this mainly true of phones that are particularly old, so it might not apply to everyone, but for those thrifty few who still own an older device, listen up because it might be time to pack it in.
The first compatibility update drops today, which will mainly affect Android KitKat OS users, Metro reports.
Usually, most phones are able to update their OS no problem, but some devices will be unable to update away from KitKat.
The full list of all known phones this applies to are:
Later in the year, iPhone users with devices of a similar age will also be hit with the same issue.
Around May 5, iPhones on iOS older than 15.7 will be unable to use the app.
These phones include the iPhoe 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus.
So maybe a January deal isn't a bad idea to try and get a new phone upgrade before the effect takes place.
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