Apple has updated its list of vintage and obsolete products to announce iPhone 5 to be categorized as vintage in the United States and obsolete across all other countries.
Launched in 2012, iPhone 5 was a milestone and one of the most popular flagship iPhones. It was the first iPhone to feature a large display of a whopping 4-inches, where Apple decided to move away from the standard 3.5-inch screen featured for five generations of the mobile device. Beyond iPhone 5, Apple adopted the larger screens moving towards the phablet trend that can now be seen in the latest 6.5-inc iPhone XS Max.
iPhone 5 introduced a number of technologies which included a retina display and a lightning port. It was also the first Apple device to support 4G LTE connectivity. When Apple released iOS 11 in 2017, it ended iOS support for iPhone 5 and other legacy devices that featured 32-bit processors.
When a product rolls out, Apple supports with parts maintenance and repair for at least five years after the end of production. Later, Apple routinely transitions these products to obsolete or vintage, as new hardware versions are released.
Apple categorizes devices as vintage when they have been in production for over five years but less than seven. Vintage devices are excluded from continuing repair and maintenance support in regions where local laws prevent such laws.
