November 20, 2024, 10:57 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Apple is known for supporting its devices for a long time. However, it has now been revealed that the company is discontinuing update support for the iPhone 6s Plus and Xs Max, among others.
Manufacturers of modern technical gadgets no longer simply launch their products on the market and sit back when the work is done. For smartphones, smartwatches, and similar devices, companies provide years of support for hardware and software to maintain top performance. Unfortunately, support always runs out at some point. This is also common for Apple. The iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone Xs Max have now been added to the list of products whose regular support is now disappearing.
iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone Xs Max are now “vintage”
Manufacturers cannot offer support for every single product forever; there simply isn’t enough capacity. And, of course, the main focus is always on the latest release. This also applies to Apple, which uses a two-stage system that each device goes through on the way to the end of support – “vintage” and “obsolete.”
On a corresponding Apple info page, the iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone Xs Max are now considered “vintage” worldwide. This means that at least five years have passed since the official end of sales. The iPhone Xs Max was released in autumn 2018, and the 6s Plus in September 2015. As a result, the manufacturer is now only offering repairs subject to the availability of spare parts. In previous years, owners could still expect regular service.
End of the line: “obsolete”
After two more years, and therefore seven years after the end of sales, both models will become “obsolete.” Then there will be no more technical support at all. It is interesting to note that other variants of the iPhone 6 generation are already “obsolete.” Thus, the standard iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s (32 GB), and iPhone 6s Plus (32 GB) can be found on the list without support. As MacRumors classifies, the smaller versions of the Xs and 6s are also still not listed in the “vintage” range – but that shouldn’t be the case for long.
The iPhone 6s models are among the most successful in Apple’s history to date, with a total of 174 million units sold, according to the Daily Infographic. Only the regular iPhone 6 generation is better, with 222 million sales. However, the Xs and Xr devices are also featured in the list of the best-selling smartphones of all time, with a total of 151 million units sold.
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Apple Watch Series 2 also affected
It is not only older iPhones that are now affected by the end of support. Several versions of the Apple Watch Series 2 are now also considered “obsolete” and can, therefore, no longer be repaired through official channels. Specifically, the following versions are affected:
- Apple Watch Series 2 (2nd generation), aluminum, 38mm
- Apple Watch Series 2 (2nd generation), aluminum, 42mm
- Apple Watch Series 2 (2nd generation), stainless steel, 38mm
- Apple Watch Series 2 (2nd generation), stainless steel, 42mm
The variants with ceramic cases are not yet considered “vintage.”