Apple has announced that it is discontinuing another of its older iPhone models. What does it mean if your model is on the list?
Keeping up with the constant release of new iPhone models can be exhausting. It’s been months since you updated your phone, and it feels like the tech giants are already announcing new and even flashier models.
Maybe you’re tempted to jump off the never-ending iPhone race and make do with your current phone, which after a few years might lag a bit or the battery might not be what it used to be. Well, at least you’ll save money, right?
Unfortunately, the rework approach also has a shelf life, as Apple consistently makes older devices “obsolete.”
(Faris Hadziq/SOPA Images/LightRocket, Getty Images)
What happens when your mobile phone gets old?
It may sound dramatic, but when your phone gets old, it doesn’t just explode in a cloud of smoke.
It just means that if your phone breaks, you’re screwed because Apple no longer has the parts to repair it.
“Products are considered obsolete when Apple discontinued them more than seven years ago,” reads the description on Apple’s website.
“Apple has discontinued all hardware service for obsolete products and service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products.”
Of course, you can always order parts and repair it yourself or take it to a third-party repair shop, but if something goes wrong you’ll have to deal with it yourself.
What mobile phones are currently on the list?
As a general rule of thumb, products are typically discontinued approximately 10 years after they were manufactured, and here is a current list of discontinued models:
- iPhone
- iPhone 3G (Mainland China) 8GB
- iPhone 3G 8GB, 16GB
- iPhone 3GS (Mainland China) 16GB, 32GB
- iPhone3GS (8GB)
- iPhone 3GS 16GB, 32GB
- iPhone 4 CDMA
- iPhone 4 CDMA (8GB)
- iPhone4 16GB, 32GB
- iPhone 4 GSM (8GB), black
- iPhone4S
- iPhone4S (8GB)
- iPhone5C
- iPhone5S
- iPhone6 plus
Which phones are set to join the list?
(Wang Gang/Visual China Group, Getty Images)
If you’re an iPhone 6 owner, you might want to consider your upgrade options.
Launched in September 2014, this phone (16, 64, and 128GB models) has long been classified as a vintage model, but those days seem to be over.
It hasn’t been officially added to Apple’s obsolescence list yet, but reports from The Sun and MailOnline hint at that direction.
It might be time to treat yourself to a new phone.
LADbible has reached out to Apple for comment.
