Apple declares beloved older iPhone obsolete – what that means

(NEXSTAR) – A popular iPhone model has been added to the list of doomed devices that have been deemed obsolete.

The iPhone 5s, released in September 2013, recently joined the click wheel iPod, the original iPad and a host of other now defunct Apple products.

When a product become obsolete, Apple explains, the Silicon Valley giant discontinues all hardware services, and service providers cannot order new parts. Products are considered obsolete seven years after Apple stops distributing them for sale.

While the vast majority of iPhone users have likely moved on to more recent iterations, there are plenty who never forgot how much they loved the 5s.

One Reddit user remembered the Space Gray model looking like “pure greatness.”

“Touch ID paved the way for every manufacturer and other biometric unlock methods, came with redesigned iOS 7, was lightning fast compared to other phones and … still had the headphone jack, its camera was so good with that true tone flash that it is still better than most lower class phones today,” wrote u/bora-yarkin.

Bora-yarkin and others mentioned the 64-bit processor that was the first of its kind in a phone.

While some may mourn the official demise of the 5s, the buzz is already growing for the rumored release of the iPhone 16 in September, 2024.

While it’s not yet clear what features will delight the masses, one thing is certain, the starting price will be vastly higher than that of the 5s, which started at $199 in 2013.

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