The iPhone 11 Pro was released in 2019 and still received iOS 26 this year although it could be cut off from next year's major iOS 27 update. Today, Apple added the device to its vintage products list, which is where the Tech Giant's devices go when they have been distributed for sale for more than 5 years ago, but less than 7 years ago. Yes, being placed on the vintage list is the first step to eventually ending up on the obsolete list. But it also means something if your vintage iPhone needs a repair.
What it means when your iPhone or other Apple device becomes a vintage product
You see, Apple iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple Vision Pro, and Beats products owners can obtain parts and service for vintage devices for a minimum of five years from an Apple service provider. So that means that a vintage product like the iPhone 11 Pro could still be repaired and serviced subject to the availability of parts. As long as such parts can be obtained, a device on Apple's vintage list can be fixed for as long as required by law, or seven years.
The iPhone 11 Pro is now a vintage model. Image credit-PhoneArena
Once your Apple device has been distributed for sale for 7 years, it is placed on the obsolete list. Once your Apple device becomes obsolete, Apple discontinues all hardware service for these products, and parts for them cannot be ordered by service providers. Mac laptops can have an extended battery-only repair period running for up to 10 years from when the product was last distributed for sale. This is subject to parts availability.
Apple added these devices to the vintage list today
Besides the iPhone 11 Pro, other Apple devices were added to the Vintage list today including 2019's Apple Watch Series 5, 2020’s 13-inch MacBook Air with Intel, the iPad Air 3 with Cellular from 2019, and the 128GB iPhone 8 Plus model from 2017. With today's announcement, all iPhone 8 series models have gone vintage.
Would you automatically upgrade an iPhone that became vintage or obsolete?
Vintage no, obsolete yes.
0%
Vintage no, obsolete no.
66.67%
Vintage Yes, obsolete no.
0%
Vintage yes, obsolete yes.
33.33%
The thing to remember about having an Apple product you own hit the vintage list is that the possibilities for repairing that particular device are getting smaller. It also means that there are just two more years before all of the products named in the above paragraph become obsolete which, as we've already pointed out, is another kettle of fish entirely.
Apple iPhone and iPad models on the worldwide vintage and obsolete lists
Apple's support page lists the following iPhone models as vintage:
iPhone 4 (8GB)
iPhone 5
iPhone 6s (16GB, 64GB, 128GB)
iPhone 6s Plus
iPhone 7
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 7 (PRODUCT)RED
iPhone 8 (64GB, 128GB, 256GB)
iPhone 8 (PRODUCT)RED
iPhone 8 Plus (64GB, 128GB, 256GB)
iPhone 8 Plus (PRODUCT)RED
iPhone X
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
The same support page lists the following iPhone models as being obsolete:
Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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