An Apple memo has indicated plans by the company to phase out iPhone 6 Plus mobile phones to its ‘vintage product list’ before the end of the year. Macrumors reported that Apple will be rendering the iPhone 6 Plus as a ‘vintage’ phone on December 31.
What does this mean for iPhone 6 Plus users and others with vintage iPhones? When an iPhone becomes vintage, it will not receive software updates and owners may not have their devices fixed by Apple or Apple’s authorised repair providers. However, Apple already stopped software support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus mobile phones with the release of the iOS 13 operating system in 2019. The iPhone 6 will not be added to the vintage products list yet, said Macrumors.
Apple considers their devices to be vintage when more than five years and less than seven years have passed since the company stopped selling them. Current vintage iPhones include the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C. There is a further category for older devices: obsolete. Apple categorises devices ‘obsolete’ if the company stopped distributing them for sale more than 7 years ago. Having debuted in September 2014 and discontinued in 2016, the iPhone 6 Plus would reach obsolete status in 2023.
Once a product is obsolete, Apple discontinues hardware service for some of these products. Apple writes: “Apple discontinues all hardware service for obsolete products, with the sole exception of Mac notebooks that are eligible for an additional battery-only repair period. “Service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products.”
*Global financial digest
