Tech

Apple declares one of its most popular iPhones is now ‘obsolete’

  • Apple regularly adds products to its ‘obsolete’ list 
  • A recent addition to the list includes an incredibly popular iPhone model 
  • Apple no longer makes parts for items on the list 

Published on Jun 05, 2024 at 12:09 PM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid

Last updated on Jun 05, 2024 at 9:19 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Tom Wood

Apple has announced that one of its popular iPhone models is now officially ‘obsolete’ and it could be bad news if you happen to own one. 

As everyone knows, time, tide, and smartphone upgrades wait for no one, and every so often a brand new handset launches while some of the older ones are quietly retired. 

This isn’t a big deal if you’re the sort of person who likes to upgrade the minute a new iPhone drops, but if you prefer to save your cash and are happy to rock around with an older model then I could have some bad news for you. 

READ MORE! Apple unveils important ‘safety button’ all iPhone users should know about

Once an iPhone is 10 years old, the tech giant stops making parts for it – effectively meaning if you break it after that point, you’re in a bit of a pickle as you won’t be able to get it fixed. 

Apple calls this old tech – which also includes Apple Watches, iPads, and Macbooks – ‘obsolete’ and explains on its site that you won’t be able to purchase new parts for them should anything go wrong. 

The company explains: “Apple discontinues all hardware service for obsolete products, and service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products.”

A recent addition to this ever-growing list is the popular iPhone 5s – which had record-breaking sales for Apple  – and the iPhone 6. Ouch. 

Apple iPhone 5s is declared 'obsolete'
Unsplash

So if you’re still clinging to your 5s, it might be time to consider getting yourself an upgrade to a newer piece of tech – but if you insist on keeping your old one, you may be interested in these tips on how to boost your battery.

For those interested, here’s the full list of obsolete iPhones: 

  • 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 Plus

According to Apple, products are considered obsolete when it stopped distributing them for sale over seven years ago.

Interestingly, before Apple brands them obsolete they go through a brief period of being ‘vintage’ – Apple explains: “Products are considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than five and less than seven years ago.”

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With a background in both local and national press in the UK, Claire moved to New Zealand before joining the editorial team at Supercar Blondie in May 2024. As a Senior Content Writer working on New Zealand Standard Time (NZST), Claire was the first writer on the team to make the site’s output a slick 24/7 operation covering the latest in automotive news.