Apple has updated its vintage and obsolete product lists, impacting support for older devices. According to a report from MacRumors, the iPhone XS Max (launched in 2018) and iPhone 6s Plus (launched in 2015) are now classified as "vintage." Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 2 has been added to the obsolete list. Here’s what these changes mean for Apple users.
Apple considers products "vintage" when they are over five years old but less than seven years past their last sale. Devices on this list typically see reduced support, meaning repair options through Apple or its authorized service providers may be limited. The iPhone XS Max and iPhone 6s Plus, once groundbreaking devices, now face these limitations.
Notably, the vintage category also includes the Apple Watch Series 2 with ceramic casing. Although still cherished by some users, these devices may become increasingly challenging to repair.
Products are deemed "obsolete" once they surpass the seven-year mark since their last sale. Devices in this category lose all support from Apple and its authorized partners, including parts availability for repairs.
The latest additions to the obsolete list include the aluminum and stainless steel variants of the Apple Watch Series 2, along with the 32GB variant of the iPhone 6s Plus. Users may still seek third-party repair options, but this often comes with cost and reliability concerns.
Apple has also removed the Lightning-to-3.5mm headphone jack adapter – a device previously critical for wired headphones compatibility on iPhones that lacked the port. There are reports that stock has recently finished in different online stores, thus, symbolically, the end of an era for the adapter.
In a departure, Apple is working on the second-gen version of its flagship product AirTag, known internally as the B589. Reporting in Bloomberg, Mark Gurman suggested that a new version of the device is expected to come out in 2025 with improved capabilities for monitoring and protection.
While Apple goes on paring down its current model lists, users of the older models such as those produced a few years back feel the paradigm shift to the newer technologies. Regardless of when one has to handle repairs of devices which are not so new anymore or when it is time to upgrade to newer devices, it is not a bad idea to be informed.