The release of Apple's latest mobile operating system is leaving owners of older devices behind, but a Cupertino policy for these devices means that they will not be rendered "obsolete."

iOS 7 is a huge departure from the previous verisons of the operating system. As such, only the most recent devices posess the hardware to utilize it. That means only the iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad Mini and fifth-generation iPod Touch are capable of the upgrade.

However, owners of older devices will still be able to purchase and use apps, thanks to Apple's change in policy. Previously, users would get a message informing them that the app they're trying to download was not supported by their device. Now, they recieve a similar message and a link to the "last compatible version" of the app.

As with all things technological, eventually the older devices will no longer support the most current software. Apple's new policy allows schools to get a little more use before having to upgrade.