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Apple announces that it will no longer sell these three iPhone models

By Alan Friedman

Published: Sep 12, 2024, 12:50 AM

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A left hand is holding the iPhone 15 Pro Max with

While Apple did introduce its new iPhone 16 series on Monday and pre-orders are set to begin on Friday, the company officially discontinued some models. The iPhone 13, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max can still be purchased at third-party retail stores and at some stores, the three phones might be available with a sizeable discount. However, those three iPhones will no longer be sold by Apple.

This does not mean that those who own the iPhone 13, the iPhone 15 Pro, or the iPhone 15 Pro Max need to get rid of their phones right away. In fact, the three iPhone models will still receive iOS and security updates. And the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max still support Apple's AI initiative known as Apple Intelligence. The trio should also receive iOS and security updates for a few years yet.

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Go Pro Max without breaking the bank this year! The iPhone 16 Pro Max is currently available at the official Apple Store for up to $650 off with eligible trade-ins.

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Get the iPhone 16 Pro at Amazon with Boost Mobile

The latest AI-enhanced iPhone 16 Pro is available for purchase at Amazon with Boost Mobile. The smartphone arrives for less than $1, provided that you pick a wireless service plan by Boost Mobile ($65/mo) and activate your device.

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Get the iPhone 16 at Amazon with Boost Mobile

Get the iPhone 16 to experience Apple Intelligence and get things done effortlessly. The smartphone is available at Amazon with Boost Mobile for 100% off. You have to pick a Boost Mobile wireless plan ($65/mo). This bargain requires activation.

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This year, iPhone models from 2017 such as the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and the iPhone X are losing support for iOS 18 and the security updates. The oldest iPhones receiving iOS 18 will be the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. The three were released in 2018.

Apple introduced the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max on Monday. | Image credit-Apple

If you're in the market for an iPhone that supports Apple's AI initiative, you'll need to buy an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, an iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, or an iPhone 16 Pro Max; all of those models sport 8GB of RAM which is the minimum amount of memory that an iPhone needs to support Apple Intelligence.

Apple Intelligence will debut on the iPhone 16 line with the release of iOS 18.1 which is expected to be released in October. Additional AI capabilities will become available with the release of iOS 18.2 in December.

Just because Apple is discontinuing the iPhone 13, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the phones won't be considered obsolete until seven years have gone by since the phones were last distributed by Apple. That means we should see those three iPhone models become obsolete in 2031. Once an Apple product is obsolete, all hardware services are discontinued and service providers are not allowed to order parts for this product.

But before those three iPhone models are labeled obsolete, they can be declared Vintage. These are products that Apple stopped distributing more than five years ago but less than seven years. Vintage products can still be repaired by Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers as long as the parts needed to fix the devices are available. From 2029-2030, the iPhone 13, the iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be Vintage models.

I just bought my iPhone 15 Pro Max last year and already we're talking about it becoming Vintage and then Obsolete.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.