Apple’s iPhones have a reputation for years of support after their releases. By support, I mean iOS software updates, bug fixes, and security patches. The whole essence of this kind of support is that iPhones do not become obsolete quickly, because they continue to receive new features for years. The question is, How many years of iOS software updates do iPhones get?
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How many years does Apple continue to update an iPhone with iOS software updates after release?
Typically, it is five years, though there is no official statement to this effect. In some cases, Apple has issued iOS software updates for longer than that. But it is safe to keep your eyes on five years. Let’s explore the implications of this on each iPhone.
May 2024 Update: Thanks to the UK’s Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) regulation, Apple has issued an official stement to say that its official support policy is “a minimum of five years from the first supply date.” That’s a minimum of five years from when each model first ships. So, now we have a clear, official line from Apple.
How many years will the iPhone 15 Pro Max get iOS updates?
The iPhone 15 Pro Max and it’s siblings, the iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and the iPhone 15, all hit the market with iOS 17. Five years of updated means each of them will get up to iOS 22, at the least. They will get iOS 18, iOS 19, iOS 20, iOS 21, and iOS 22. You can read my iPhone 15 Pro review or watch the video review.
How many years will the iPhone 14 Pro Max get updates?
If you own one of the iPhone 14 series, your device will get updated to iOS 17, iOS 18, iOS 19, iOs 20, and iOS 21. Yes, 5 years of iOS software updates.
What of iPhone 13 series and older iPhones?
The iPjone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max all were released with iOS 15. They have received iOS 16 and iOS 17 already, as at press time. They will get updated all the way to iOS 20.
The iPhone SE 2022 was also released with iOS 15 and so will get the same supported updates as the iPhone 13 series.
Similarly, iPhone 12 series will get updated all the way to iOS 19, and iPhone 11 series will get updated to iOS 18.
Like the iPhone 11 series, the iPhone SE 2020 was released with iOS 13 and so will also get updated with versions 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 of iOS.
As at 2024, iPhone X, XS, and XR models, along with older models like the iPhone 9, 8, 7, and 6 series, have reached the end of their support cycles. As such, they are no longer being supported with iOS software updates.
All of the above projections are based on the proven 5-year update cycle for past Apple iPhones. Apple might change things up a bit, especially now that competitors like Samsung and Google are officially supporting their devices for up to 7 years of Android software updates.
That’s it. I hope you have a firm idea now about which updates your iPhone model will get. Let me know if you have any questions: just leave a comment below and I will see if I can assist you with a helpful answer.