And these iPhones are listed as Vintage, which means they not been sold for more than five years (but less than seven years). Apple will still service these products. That means that, from the end of 2021 Apple may only service the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 Plus if it has the required parts.
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But all these goodies will only be available to people with the iPhone 8 and later models. This means any phones introduced in 2016 or earlier, including the iPhone 6S, iPhone SE and iPhone 7, won't be getting Apple software updates anymore.
It's bad news if your iPhone is older than the iPhone 8—Apple has ended support for the iPhone 7 and older, so you won't be able to upgrade your iPhone software to iOS 16. But even if you have a newer iPhone, you still may not get the full iOS 16 experience.
Today, both devices support Apple's iOS 15 software. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus did not get upgraded to iOS 16 when it was released in late 2022.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be discontinued in 2022. We will have iPhone 14 and iOS 16 in the fall, which will mark the iPhone 7 support ends. Before the formal announcement of iOS 16, it was believed that the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, and older phones would not be eligible for the upgrade.
Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 series models will get updated till iOS 16 (will be released in September of 2022). And after that iOS 17 will come in 2023, so Apple will drop both iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus users for iOS 17.
Until iOS 16 was released in September 2022, a used iPhone 6S was still able to run the most recent Apple mobile operating system: iOS 15. It is the oldest iPhone to receive the iOS 15 update (the iPhone 6 is stuck on the last version of iOS 12).
As of today, Apple is still supporting the 8 and 8 Plus with software updates, and the devices are running the most current version of iOS 16. Some early models of the iPhone received regular software updates for about 3 years, however, that update time has gotten longer as newer and newer models have been released.
The devices were discontinued in 2019 with the release of iOS 13, which requires an iPhone 6s or later. Even so, Apple still provides security patches for devices running iOS 12, which includes not only iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus but also iPhone 5s.
Apple's traditional software support extends to "only" five years of OS updates and six total years of continuous support since the launch of an iPhone.
With iOS 15, Apple supported devices as old as the second-generation iPhone SE, including the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
This period can increase to a total of seven years based on specific parts and availability. So from the above hypothesis, Apple will likely stop fully supporting iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus around 2025. However, it's also possible that the company might decide to add a year or two of coverage.
The bottom line: The iPhone 13 is a huge jump from the iPhone 8. Everything about this phone will feel fast and new: the much larger and bolder screen, Face ID, the speedier processor, its longer battery life and of course the substantially upgraded cameras.
In fact, Apple cut off support for the iPhone 6 two years ago with the release of iOS 13. This is a big problem for owners, and not just because you miss out on new features. You'll also be overlooked for key security updates, which puts you at greater risk of being hacked.
Does it still get updates in 2022? The last version of iOS to support the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is iOS 12. However, even though iOS 13 launched in 2019, the iPhone 6 didn't stop receiving updates. Patches have continued to be released for iOS 12, and the latest version, 12.5.
With iOS 15, Apple supports iPhones all the way back to the iPhone 6S, introduced in 2015. By the fall of 2022 when iOS 16 is released, that model will be seven years old.
All the iPhone models being discontinued
iPhone 12 mini, released in 2020. iPhone 13 Pro, released in 2021. iPhone 13 Pro Max, released in 2021.
You might not notice immediately if your phone is out of date. The most obvious sign you're on old software might be when you look for new apps to download. Many apps will simply be incompatible due to the software and hardware limitations on your phone and you won't be able to install them.