Apple's new operating system, iOS 16, has been released. It promises to provide users with a more secure and customized experience than ever before. However, the truth is that within minutes of its launch, iOS 15.7 has become one of the most popular topics on social networks.

Hundreds of users have found, when wanting to upgrade their operating systems, an option that at first glance makes little sense. Here we tell you everything you need to know.

Upgrading your iPhone to iOS 15.7 or iOS 16 is a big decision, and there are many factors to consider. But first things first: you will need to update to one of these operating systems, because they fix 11 security issues. Some of the other 10 flaws are pretty serious—they could allow an attacker to take control of your device.

So, what are the differences between iOS 15.7 and 16? Which one is right for you?

iOS 15.7: The Untold Story

For the first time, Apple has released an “latest version” of its operating system at the same time as presenting its most recent update.

Apple has issued iOS 15.7 for two reasons. First, it knows that many people don’t update to major new software versions because they want to avoid bugs. Second, this is evidence of Apple’s intention to continue updating iOS 15 at least for a while, as it did with iOS 14 last year. This is good news for anyone with an older iPhone that can’t run iOS 16.

Second, Apple released iOS 15.7 in response to an already exploited security issue. It deemed the issue serious enough to warrant a concurrent update alongside iOS 16. This is actually the second concurrent update for an exploited issue: The last update (iOS 15.6.1) fixed two security flaws that were being used in real-life attacks.

The impact of the vulnerability fixed in iOS 15.7 is “as severe as they come”, says security researcher Sean Wright. “Anything that has the ability to execute commands with kernel privileges allows an attacker to have full control over the device.”

So iOS 15.7 is for people with older iPhones and those who are more cautious updating to new software versions.

iOS 16 Updates

In iOS 16, Apple has added several new features to the iPhone. These include the ability to unsend messages and emails, Passkeys and Safety Check.

The new iOS16 includes Lockdown Mode, a highly targeted security setting that makes the iPhone nearly impossible to use but also extremely safe from attacks.

If you want to try out the new features of iOS 16 while also fixing those 11 security issues, it makes sense to skip iOS 15.7 and upgrade to iOS 16. We haven't had any issues yet, but others have reported minor problems.

iOS 15.7 vs iOS 16

There are at least three ways to approach your decision about which of Apple’s updates to go for:

1. There's no doubt about it: iOS 15.7 is an update that will bring several improvements to older devices, making them more secure and functional than before.
2. Patience: If your iPhone is eligible for iOS 16, but you don’t have a backup, don’t have enough space to install the new version, or just want to wait for a more refined version of the new OS, it’s best to opt for iOS 15.7 from now on so as not to ignore the security improvements it proposes.
3. The wait is over! If you can’t wait to find out what’s new in iOS 16, and you don’t mind finding a few bugs along the way, choose this option. Test versions of iOS 16 have shown that the system is especially stable. If your iPhone or iPad is eligible, there should be no major problems. It’s important to note that the security updates proposed by iOS 15.7 are already included in version 126.