A new update to YouTube's application will render it incompatible with certain smart TVs or iOS devices released in 2012 or earlier.
Planned obsolescence, here we come! According to a recent report from Engadget, users with older iOS devices or smart TVs will soon be out of luck if they want to use the YouTube app. A new update to YouTube’s application (or more specifically, to the app’s API, or application program interface), will render it incompatible with certain smart TVs or iOS devices released in 2012 or earlier.
Supposedly, the new version of the YouTube app will not be supported on first or second generation Apple TVs, or on smart TVs from Sony or Panasonic that are more than two and a half years old. Certain Blu-ray players will also be adversely impacted by the update.
If your device cannot support the new YouTube update, you will receive the following message from the app:
“YouTube is upgrading to a newer version, which is not supported by this device or app. To learn more and see where you can watch YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/devicesupport.”
Older iPhones, iPods, or iPads released in 2012 or before may also have issues. However, users will be able to circumnavigate the problem by upgrading to iOS 7 or 8, which will in turn support the newer version of YouTube. Apple TVs, or smart TVs using the Google TV operating system, can also be updated to use the new YouTube app. And if all else fails, you can still try just loading YouTube videos in your internet browser.
Still, while this update doesn’t necessarily mean that YouTube will become completely unusable for people with older devices, it does underline a troubling issue with planned obsolescence that will likely become more common in the coming years. 2012 was not that long ago, after all, and plenty of devices from that year are still in use.
Even if many users do replace their smartphones every two years, most consumers are undoubtedly looking for a longer lifespan from their TVs. And if smart TVs can only remain “smart” until companies like YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon decide to update their apps and stop supporting older devices, then is there any compelling reason to buy a smart TV in the first place?
