This does not mean that those who own the iPhone 13, the iPhone 15 Pro, or the iPhone 15 Pro Max need to get rid of their phones right away. In fact, the three iPhone models will still receive iOS and security updates. And the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max still support Apple’s AI initiative known as Apple Intelligence. The trio should also receive iOS and security updates for a few years yet.
Apple introduced the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max on Monday. | Image credit-Apple
Apple Intelligence will debut on the iPhone 16 line with the release of iOS 18.1 which is expected to be released in October. Additional AI capabilities will become available with the release of iOS 18.2 in December.
Just because Apple is discontinuing the iPhone 13, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the phones won’t be considered obsolete until seven years have gone by since the phones were last distributed by Apple. That means we should see those three iPhone models become obsolete in 2031. Once an Apple product is obsolete, all hardware services are discontinued and service providers are not allowed to order parts for this product.
But before those three iPhone models are labeled obsolete, they can be declared Vintage. These are products that Apple stopped distributing more than five years ago but less than seven years. Vintage products can still be repaired by Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers as long as the parts needed to fix the devices are available. From 2029-2030, the iPhone 13, the iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be Vintage models.
I just bought my iPhone 15 Pro Max last year and already we’re talking about it becoming Vintage and then Obsolete.
