This Flagship Apple iPhone Is Now 'Vintage,' Will Be Obsolete Soon — What It Means

On the heels of the iPhone 17 launch in September, when Apple unveiled its latest flagship — iPhone 17 Pro Max — the tech giant has added a Pro Max from the past into its vintage list. 

The iPhone 11 Pro Max is now on Apple’s vintage iPhone products list. This means if you’re still using the device, you might want to upgrade soon, since it will be obsolete too in a while. Additionally, Apple has moved one of its Watch series to the vintage list as well. 

The iPhone 11 Pro Max is the latest iPhone to be added to the vintage list of Apple products, after iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus were added at the end of August. The iPhone 11 Pro Max was released in 2019 alongside the iPhone 11 Pro. However, the iPhone 11 Pro has still not been added to the vintage list, which indicates it is being distributed to third-party retailers.

While the iPhone 11 Pro Max is now vintage, it is compatible with Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 26. Usually vintage iPhones don’t get updates for latest iOS versions.

Apple has included all Watch Series 3 models in the vintage list too. The Watch Series 3 was launched in 2017.

Apple usually marks a device as vintage once it has been unavailable for official sale for five years. iPhones designated as vintage can still receive repairs from Apple and authorised service providers. However, the feasibility of these repairs depends on the availability of replacement parts. Additionally, these devices generally do not receive updates for the newest iOS versions.

In two years, however, Apple will categorise the iPhone 11 Pro Max and Watch Series 3 as obsolete as well. The list of obsolete devices includes those no longer sold for seven years. This means that while spare parts may still be available, Apple will completely cease hardware support for the iPhone 11 Pro Max and Watch Series 3, putting them at risk and necessitating an immediate upgrade.