Apple today updated its list of vintage and obsolete products to add the iPhone 6 because it has now been more than five years since the device was last offered for sale. The iPhone 6 has something of a unique launch situation, so the timing of its addition to the list is a little bit off.
The iPhone 6 was released in September 2014 alongside the iPhone 6 Plus. It was sold in 2015 as a lower-cost option following the launch of the iPhone 6s, and then discontinued in 2016 alongside the launch of the iPhone 7. It was reintroduced as a low-cost iPhone in select countries in 2017, and it continued to be sold until September 2018.
The iPhone 6 Plus, the sister phone to the iPhone 6, was added to the vintage list earlier this year.
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were notable for being the first devices to offer support for Apple Pay and for marking the first year that Apple offered the iPhone in multiple size options. Apple has continued on with the multi-size release strategy since the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launch.
The vintage products list features devices that Apple stopped distributing for sale more than five years ago and less than seven years ago. Apple provides service and parts for vintage devices for up to 7 years, or as required by law, but repairs are subject to parts availability.
Obsolete products are products that Apple stopped distributing for sale more than seven years ago. All hardware service is discontinued for obsolete products, with the exception of Mac notebooks eligible for battery-only repair.
In addition to adding the iPhone 6 to the vintage list, Apple has moved the 2012 iPod nano 7 and the fifth-generation iPod touch from the vintage list to the obsolete list, while the 2015 iPod nano models are now listed as vintage. The fourth-generation iPod shuffle from 2012 was moved to the obsolete list, and the 2015 version is now listed as vintage.
