Future updates for X-Plane Mobile (XPM) will require a minimum Operating System (OS) of iOS 13 or Android 6.0. In other words, in order to get the latest and greatest features coming out, you’ll need to have a device with at least these OS versions.
What does this mean for my device?
If you already have iOS 13 or Android 6.0 or newer, there’s nothing you need to do. When new updates come out, you’ll get them! If you don’t have at least iOS 13 or Android 6.0 installed on your device but you can install it, please do so to continue enjoying the latest features in XPM.
If your device does not support the upgrade to iOS 13 or Android 6.0, you will be able to continue to use the product as-is. You will not lose your subscriptions or your purchases. The app will not stop working. You will however no longer receive updates and new features until you get a newer device, at which time you’ll be able to catch up through the app store.
Why is it necessary?
X-Plane Mobile is loaded with detail: our full 3D cockpits, our realistic sounds, our global scenery and more! These incredible details require memory (RAM). This isn’t the kind of memory that you can increase with an SD card. It’s the type of memory that cannot be changed by the user. Most of the mobile devices commonly used run X-Plane Mobile just fine, however there are a smaller percentage of older devices that have a small amount of RAM available. On these low-RAM devices, the OS itself uses half of the memory that the device has available to it, leaving other apps with what’s left over. If we are to continue adding more and more features to the product like we plan, we need to make sure there’s enough RAM available for us. Moving the OS requirements forward allows us continue adding new features for most users without affecting low-RAM devices.
We realize that mobile devices can be expensive and certainly do not expect everyone to have the latest and greatest devices, and we don’t take these decisions lightly when they do have to be made.
