On the path to obsolescence
The iPhone 6S (above) is now officially ‘vintage’ – despite not looking radically different to today’s iPhones
- Apple has just labeled the iPhone 6S as “vintage”
- The same designation has been applied to the 2018 Mac mini
- This means repairs are more limited should something go wrong
Are you still using aniPhone 6Sor a2018 Mac mini? If you are, we’ve got some bad news:Applehas just declared both products to be “vintage” on itsvintage and obsolete products page, which means you’ll get much more limited service and repairs for them if anything goes wrong.
The iPhone 6S andiPhone 6S Pluswere released in 2015 and came with a few notable milestones. They were the first iPhones to come with Apple’s 3D Touch tech, while they were also the last to featureheadphone jacks.
In addition, Apple strengthened the chassis of the devices to prevent the kind of ‘bendgate’controversy that befell the iPhone 6. The iPhone 6S was last offered for sale by Apple in 2018.
The 2018 Mac mini, meanwhile, was the last Mac mini to come with anIntelprocessor rather than anApple silicon chip(the first of which – the M1 – debuted in 2020). And it was the first (and so far only) Mac mini to come in a space gray finish.
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What does this mean for you?
The 2018 Mac Mini (above) has joined the iPhone 6S on Apple’s perilous ‘vintage’ list
Other than taking many of us on a trip down memory lane, this news has some practical implications for those who are still running an iPhone 6S or 2018 Mac mini.
Apple labels a product as “vintage” when at least five years have passed since the company last offered it for sale. Products that last went on sale seven or more years ago are designated as “obsolete.”
Now that the iPhone 6S and Mac mini have been declared “vintage,” that means your repair options are more limited. You can get them fixed at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs), but only if the required parts are available. Third-party shops might be able to repair your device if Apple or its AASPs won’t.
The next step – declaring a product to be “obsolete” – means that Apple Stores and AASPs generally will not repair your device, with Apple declining to provide replacement parts. In that case, you have no option but to either rely on a third-party repair shop or upgrade your device.
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So, if you are still using an iPhone 6S or 2018 Mac mini, you’ve still got a little longer before Apple stops offering repairs. That said, with these devices getting long in the tooth – and products like theiPhone 16andM4 Mac minioffering far better performance – now might be a good time to look at upgrading to one of thebest iPhonesandbest Macsyou can get.