How to test 3.5" screen layouts in Xcode 8?

Question

Xcode 8 removes the iPhone 4 and 4s simulators, leaving no devices with 3.5" screens. However, Apple still requires compatibility with 3.5" devices, and just rejected one of my apps because some graphical elements were misaligned on 3.5" screens. I no longer own a 3.5" iPhone. How can I test my app on a 3.5" screen to pass this review?

Answer 1

If you want to test the 3.5" experience with Xcode 8, you will need to test on an iPhone 4s simulator device. Such devices do not support iOS 10 (which is what comes with Xcode 8). You will need to install an older iOS Simulator Runtime from Xcode's Preferences (in the Components tab) and of course set your project's deployment target accordingly.

Answer 2

iOS 10 doesn't run on any 3.5-inch devices. So you don't need to be compatible with 3.5-inch devices unless you are using a Deployment Target of iOS 9 or before. But if you are using a Deployment Target of iOS 9 or before, you can download an iOS 9 simulator and now you can install e.g. the iPhone 4s simulator. Here's the proof in a screenshot:

So the premise of your question is false, and your solution is unnecessary.

Answer 3

Since this is an iPhone only app, running it on an iPad displays it in a 320x480 (3.5") window. So I can test the 3.5" screen size on an iPad!