APPLE has released a list of old iPhones that it considers obsolete and could even come with possible security risks if still using them.
The tech giant has released a new iPhone every year since 2007, but once a new device is out, more focus is put on those compared to the old ones.
Apple will eventually stop making parts and updates become un-downloadable the older a device gets.
“Products are considered obsolete when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 7 years ago,” Apple said.
“Apple discontinues all hardware service for obsolete products, and service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products.”
Continuing to use an old phone can come with risks because security updates are not available so they’re susceptible to hacking.
The security updates come with fixes for vulnerabilities or bugs where a bad guy could gain access to a device.
The new iPhone 15 was released on September 22 which is an exciting event but means more old devices have been added to the obsolete list.
UPDATES
Apple’s updates are released with new features and to help iPhones run better but only the last few generations are eligible to download them.
For example, the new iOS 17 was released on September 18 and is the latest update that iPhones can have.
However, there are some devices that were not able to download the new update.
The iPhone 8 and later is not eligible for iOS 17.
This rule accounts for the oldest iPhones as well.
Old iPhones continue to run on old versions of iOS that may not be up to date with technology advancements overall, which can cause issues for the device.
OBSOLETE LIST
Here is a breakdown of iPhones that Apple considers obsolete.
iPhone 3G (China mainland) 8GB
iPhone 3G 8GB, 16GB
iPhone 3GS (China mainland) 16GB, 32GB
iPhone 3GS (8GB)
iPhone 3GS 16GB, 32GB
iPhone 4 CDMA
iPhone 4 CDMA (8GB)
iPhone 4 16GB, 32GB
iPhone 4 GSM (8GB), Black
iPhone 4S
iPhone 4S (8GB)
iPhone 5C
