Apple is keen to refresh it aged old hardware. The Mac Mini, for instance, received a significant spec bump at Apple's big October 30 iPad Pro event. Older hardware is bound to be obsolete and Apple is doing the same with the iPhone 5. That's right, this week Apple has updated its list of vintage and obsolete products which now includes the iPhone 5. As of October 30, the smartphone is now categorized as vintage in the United States. Let's see some more details on it.
iPhone 5 Added To Apple's Vintage And Obsolete Product Category
For those of you who are not familiar with Apple's repair support for a specific product, the company provides parts and repairs for at least five years after it ends its production. After this period the product is transitioned into the vintage or obsolete category.
As for what the difference is between obsolete and vintage, the latter suggests a product which has not been manufactured for five years and obsolete is when a product is discontinued for seven years. Once a product is marked as obsolete, Apple ends all hardware support for it. For the iPhone 5, Apple has marked the device as vintage in the United States and obsolete in the rest of the world.
The difference between the two categories complies with the laws of California and Turkey where manufacturers are required to provide support for their products for two years at the very least after it has been marked as obsolete. Since the Turkish laws only mention iPads and Macs, Apple has categorized the iPhone 5 as obsolete in the country as well.
Apple is still supporting the iPhone 5s with iOS 12 so the device is safe as of now. There will be more to the story, so be sure to stay tuned in for more. This is all for now, folks. Share your views on the iPhone 5 falling under the 'Vintage and Obsolete Products' list.
