Apple Classified These Two IPhones As ‘Vintage’ (and What That Means)
Every tech product you own has a “lifespan,” and I don’t mean how long you use it before it stops working, you break it, or you decide to buy a new one. Instead, it’s how long the device will be officially supported by its manufacturer — a time frame that may be shorter or longer than how long it actually lasts. Apple guarantees that it will continue to support products for at least five years after it stops selling them . After those five years, Apple may consider the device “vintage.”
Apple recently classified two more of its products as vintage : the iPhone 7 Plus (2016) and some iPhone 8 models (2017) — while the 64GB and 256GB iPhone 8 models are now vintage, the 128GB is not. The last time Apple did this, it labeled the iPhone XS Max (2018) and iPhone 6S Plus (2015) as vintage. Additionally, Apple now classifies two previously “vintage” iPads as “legacy” — the iPad Air 2 (2014) and iPad mini 2 (2013).
So what exactly does it mean for an Apple product to be classified as “vintage,” and what happens when a vintage product becomes “obsolete”?
What does it mean when Apple classifies a product as “vintage”
“Vintage” in Apple land doesn’t actually mean that a product is “old” or that you should stop using it, nor does it mean that you can sell it to collectors for a profit. When an Apple device becomes “vintage,” Apple no longer guarantees that the product can be repaired at an Apple Store or other authorized service center. In many cases, Apple also stops issuing scheduled software updates for that device.
Apple’s official definition of vintage is a product that the company stopped selling more than five years ago but less than seven. Because the company stops selling some devices earlier than others, you end up with some interesting discrepancies when it comes time to label devices as vintage. Apple has been selling the 128GB iPhone 8 longer than other storage options, so it’s not eligible for this vintage label yet. (You can find a full list of all vintage and obsolete devices on Apple’s support site .)
Despite the cutback in support, older Apple devices will still work (the reclassification isn’t some kind of internal kill switch), and some devices may even continue to receive system updates if they support the latest operating systems or if a serious security vulnerability needs to be patched. (Despite its vintage status, the XS Max supports iOS 18 , for example.) You may even be able to get it repaired if parts are available. Just don’t be surprised if an Apple Genius or Apple-authorized provider turns you down.
Once a product reaches seven years of age, it moves from the vintage category to another category: obsolete.
Apple’s “Outdated” List
Like vintage products, devices listed as “obsolete” will work as normal as long as the hardware is in working order. However, obsolete products lose almost all hardware support. The only exception is MacBooks, which can accept battery replacements for up to 10 years after the product was last sold.
You shouldn’t expect the latest version of iOS to run on an older iPhone, and software updates are likely to be a thing of the past, too. However, in rare cases, Apple may provide security updates for older iPhones: all iPhone 6S models still receive security updates, including the 32GB 6S Plus, which is now obsolete. These changes in service priorities can be frustrating if you’re still using older technology and don’t want to upgrade, but the policy makes sense given the current market reality: With the speed at which both hardware and software are updated, diverting resources to keeping older devices afloat is difficult and expensive. However, even if an Apple Store refuses to repair your iPhone 8, independent repair shops may still be able to help you for a while — even when the 8 eventually becomes “obsolete.”