Apple Says iPhone 11 Pro Max and Apple Watch Series 3 Now 'Vintage'

[goldmac2006]

It may be the last year of iOS compatibility for the iPhone 11 series.

I did predict one time that iOS 26 would drop the iPhone XR and iPhone XS series (and the 11s) altogether, due to the fact that they are similar to each other in terms of their chipset and their battery capacity. Glad I upgraded out my iPhone XR to the 15 Pro months prior to WWDC 2025.

 

[cbaca51]

Loved my 11PM. It served me well. One of the greatest iPhones in the modern era

 

[abcmax]

I'm still using the 256GB Midnight Green iPhone 11 Pro, but this year I'm upgrading to the base iPhone 17 in Mist Blue.

The iPhone 11 Pro was a great device. Night mode for the first time, 4K 60fps video with amazing image stabilization (OIS), an ultra-wide-angle camera, a 12MP front-facing camera, a great battery compared to its predecessors, and fast (for iPhones 😉) 18W charging.

I'm surprised how good this device still is.

The things I missed most were: the lack of HDR video and the lack of USB-C.

 

[HVDynamo]

I still remember going into fashion stores and seeing that green on many clothes…

You mean it’s been already 8 years since then? My God… I’m getting old faster than I thought.

The iPhone 11/Pro where released in 2019 (6 years ago)

 

[svish]

Good to know about the classification of devices. Surprisingly the 11 Pro Max continues to receive the latest iOS despite being vintage now. It might however not get the next version.

 

[Compote]

"Time for the Apple tax, peasants!"

 

[Compote]

so what makes the iPhone 11 base model and the standard size 11 Pro non-vintage? Also, isn't it supporting the latest iOS? How is such a product "vintage"?

I'm guessing what makes them not vintage is that Apple went on selling the 11 2 years after the 12 came out, whereas the 11 Pro/Max were discontinued immediately in September 2020.

 

[iFishishh]

I still remember going into fashion stores and seeing that green on many clothes…

You mean it’s been already 8 years since then? My God… I’m getting old faster than I thought.

Apple considers a product vintage after 5 years and obsolete after 7, so 8 years would make it essentially a paperweight in Apple's eyes.

 

[dead.cell]

I'm still using my Series 3 watch. Still gets a full day's worth (not including sleep) on a charge surprisingly, but if I don't keep it on the charger, the standby doesn't last more than a couple days. At this point, it's just slow. Just don't know whether I'll upgrade to the 11 or if I should try for the Ultra 3, namely for the battery and fact that I'll probably hold onto it another 8 years.

 

[Ted_Appleseed]

I skipped the 12 Pro because of the COVID lockdown, since I don't need 5G at home and don't go out a lot to take HDR videos. So, I had my 11 Pro Max for nearly 2 years. Upgrading from the 11 Pro Max to the 13 Pro Max was a big one - a new look, larger and brighter screen, smaller notch, HDR video recording, and MagSafe. I will miss my 11 Pro Max as my COVID phone, so as the Smart Battery Case that came with the camera shutter button, which was 5 years ahead of the Camera Control button on the 16 series.