The life span of most gadgets is – relatively speaking – rather limited.
Apple has different policies for ‘older’ products.
What it does is in two categories: Vintage products and obsolete products.
Here we explain what is actually Apple Vintage and obsolete products and what it means: What is Apple Vintage products? Apple Vintage products are one that does not get ordinary software products.
The feature that stands out about the iPhone, iPad or Mac is that it continues to get software updates for a minimum of five years.
But Vintage products do not stand up to get updates and Apple also does not promise repairs or services for these products.
On the support page, Apple explained, “The product was considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing it for sale more than 5 and less than 7 years ago.” This does not mean that the device will stop working but only that the save age is then rejected when the user does not get routine updates.
What are Apple products are outdated? While obsolete words may sound rather definitive in nature, Apple explained that “the product was considered obsolete when Apple stopped distributing it more than 7 years ago.” In other words, you don’t get updates and besides that Apple will not repair or serve them at all.
In fact, even service providers cannot order spare parts for obsolete products.
So every product that has been launched around 2013 or 2014 will likely – or it will be faster than later – on obsolete products.
Does Apple make exceptions to vintage and obsolete products? In all possibilities, Apple is rather tight about it and very few exceptions made.
However, there is something.
For example, Mac notebooks may qualify for the repair period only batteries expanded to 10 years since the time the last product is sold.
However, this depends on its availability.
What products are included in the vintage and obsolete category? Almost every Apple product – from the iPhone to Apple Watch – can be found on the list.
For example, the iPhone 6 Plus was included in the Vintage list in December 2021.
Likewise, the fourth generation iPad 2 launched in 2012 continued the obsolete list.
You will find many older MacBook models in the list.
The first generation Apple Watch is also on the product vintage list.
Apple regularly updated the list on one of the page support on the company’s official website.