If your iPhone is Obsolete, or about to be given that label by Apple, you should replace it now
As an iPhone gets older it goes through several stages according to Apple. An iPhone is considered Vintage if it has not been sold for more than five years but less than seven years. Once the phone hits the seven-year mark since it has been discontinued, it is labeled Obsolete. An Obsolete iPhone no longer receives hardware service and parts cannot be ordered for obsolete iPhone models.
Obsolete iPhone handsets do not receive security updates from Apple which makes them security liabilities potentially leaving your financial apps vulnerable to attackers. And since they no longer are eligible to receive iOS updates, Obsolete iPhone models do not offer updated features and compatibility with the latest versions of iOS apps may be lacking.
If you're the type that buys a new iPhone as often as you change your underwear, this PSA doesn't really apply to you unless you change your underwear once every seven years or so. And if you wait that long between donning clean undies, you have a bigger problem than carrying around an unsupported iPhone. In all seriousness, if you wait until your iPhone is about to roll over and announce its last notification before buying a new one, you should check to see whether your current model is about to lose support.
Again, this isn't about having the latest features but is all about keeping the financial apps on your iOS-powered device protected from cybercrooks. So if your phone is on the following Obsolete list, it might behoove you to bite the bullet and buy a new phone:
OBSOLETE iPhone models in 2024
- iPhone (original)
- iPhone 3G
- iPhone 3GS
- iPhone 4
- iPhone 4S
- iPhone 5,
- iPhone 5C
- iPhone 5S
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone SE (1st generation)
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
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Things that are NOT allowed: