Apple Obsolete List: Apple keeps its old products in different categories based on their life and service availability.

(What is Apple's Obsolete List)

Apple Obsolete List: If you have a years-old iPhone, MacBook, or other Apple device, you've likely heard of the Obsolete Product List at some point. Apple periodically adds older devices to this list. However, this doesn't mean your old device will stop working. Let's find out when the company decides to discontinue a product.

What is Apple's Obsolete List?

According to reports, Apple categorizes its older products based on their lifespan and service availability. One of the main categories is Obsolete. Once a product reaches this list, Apple stops providing official hardware service and parts for that device.

This clearly means that if any product reaches this list, then if any part of your phone gets damaged, the company will not be able to provide that part.

When is an Apple product Obsolete?

According to Apple, a product is typically moved to the Obsolete category after more than seven years have passed since it was discontinued. However, this process varies by product and region.

It's important to understand that product launch dates and product end-of-sale dates are different. Therefore, when determining a product's Obsolete status, Apple specifically examines the date when that model was last available for sale.

What changes after Obsolete?

It's worth noting that Obsolete has the biggest impact on hardware repairs. Apple typically discontinues hardware service for such products, and registered service centers don't provide parts.

The company recently added the iPhone X, launched nine years ago, to this list. Yes, the company recently added the iPhone X and the 15-inch MacBook Pro, launched in 2018, to the Obsolete list. This means the company has officially discontinued hardware repair support for both devices.

Do software updates also stop immediately?

For your information, being added to the Obsolete list and losing software support are not the same thing. Adding a device to the Obsolete list does not mean that software updates for that device will stop immediately.

However, devices this old normally have already stopped receiving new iOS, macOS, or other major software updates. Security updates and app support also gradually drop off after that.