Apple adds three more units to its list of Vintage iPhones and what this might mean to you
Apple adds three more units to its list of Vintage iPhones, and what this means to owners of these devices.
If you own an iPhone 7 Plus or an iPhone 8 with 64GB or 256GB of memory, you now have in your possession a handset that Apple calls "Vintage." However, in this context, being given that label by Apple is a dubious achievement for both the device and the device owner. That's because Apple slaps the "Vintage" label on iPhone models that it stopped distributing for sale more than five years ago but less than seven. Once it has been more than seven years since an iPhone was distributed for sale, that model is considered to be "Obsolete."
Vintage iPhones can still be repaired by the Apple Store or an authorized repair center as long as the parts necessary to repair the phone are available. This means that if the parts required to repair your vintage iPhone are not available, the repair cannot be made. In such a situation, you might be lucky enough to find an older authorized Apple service center with the needed parts in stock. Vintage iPhone models also do not receive regular software updates although in rare cases they might receive a security update that patches a severe vulnerability.
The iPhone 7 Plus has been given the Vintage label by Apple. | Image credit-PhoneArena
Obsolete iPhones cannot be serviced by Apple and authorized repair centers. Parts cannot be ordered for these models which also cannot receive any software updates including security updates that patch serious software flaws.
The following iPhone models have been classified as Vintage by Apple:
- Phone 4 (8GB)
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 6s (16GB, 64GB, 128GB)
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 8 (64GB, 256GB)
- iPhone 8 (PRODUCT)RED
- iPhone 8 Plus (PRODUCT)RED
- iPhone X
- iPhone XS Max
The following iPhone models have been classified as Obsolete by Apple:
- iPhone
- iPhone 3G (China mainland) 8GB
- iPhone 3G 8GB, 16GB
- iPhone 3GS (China mainland) 16GB, 32GB
- iPhone 3GS (8GB)
- iPhone 3GS 16GB, 32GB
- iPhone 4 CDMA
- iPhone 4 CDMA (8GB)
- iPhone 4 16GB, 32GB
- iPhone 4 GSM (8GB), Black
- iPhone 4S
- iPhone 4S (8GB)
- iPhone 5C
- iPhone 5S
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone 6s (32GB)
- iPhone 6s Plus (32GB)
The iPhone 7 Plus was discontinued on September 10, 2019, which was the day that the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max were announced. The 64GB, and 256GB iPhone 8 variants were discontinued on April 15, 2020, when the iPhone SE 2 was introduced. The second-generation iPhone SE model replaced the iPhone 8 in Apple's lineup at the time.
Apple added the iPhone 7 Plus and the 64GB, 256GB iPhone 8 to its list of Vintage iPhones on Wednesday, May 21st. You might notice that the 128GB iPhone 8 is not on the Vintage list. That's because Apple kept that model available longer than the other iPhone 8 variants so it is not yet ready to qualify for Vintage status. It should also be noted that the iPhone 8 (PRODUCT)RED models had already been on the Vintage list prior to Apple's latest announcement.
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