iPhone 12 Pro How much longevity does the 12 Pro have?

[NewBench]

As title really. How much longer should a 12 Pro be good for?

Seems ridiculous that I'm asking how long a not-even 2 year old device will last but as I'm sticking with the 12 Pro and not upgrading to the 14 I'm just wondering, especially with iOS 16 not being available for the 7 (a 6 year old phone). I'm assuming the 12 Pro should be supported for at least another 4 years?

Not just in terms of iOS compatability, but real day-to-day usage. Will the 12 Pro still be a capable device without any noticeable slowdown in say a year or two? Right now side by side with a 13 Pro, aside from ProMotion I don't see any difference in speed of opening apps, running multiple apps etc.

I could see myself sticking with this phone for a while.

 

[mdhaus72]

Every iPhone is totally fine for several years. People don't HAVE to upgrade every year or two...Those in that camp just choose to do so either because they psychologically always want the "latest and greatest" so-to-speak or there is one or two key features that they convince themselves are completely needed (and they are not).

So yes, you will be totally fine with your 12 Pro. I just upgraded my oldest daughter's phone because she had been given a hand-me-down iPhone 6 several years ago. It got to where the battery was terrible and she literally couldn't run a lot of apps that she wanted because it was too old. My youngest daughter just got her first cell phone...a hand-me-down iPhone 8. Does it have the latest features? Of course not...but it's a totally serviceable phone and it does everything she needs and wants.

So just relax and enjoy your 12 Pro. It will get software support for several more years and frankly, there is likely very little, if anything, that will come out during that time on future models that is truly revolutionary.

 

[jav6454]

iPhones are meant to last 3-4 years. People just jump on the yearly or every 2 year upgrade cycle needlessly.

 

[krspkbl]

i have 12 Pro Max and i'm very happy with it still. my plan was to skip 13 and, when my AppleCare expires in November, get 14 but honestly? i don't see any read need to upgrade to a 14. i know we don't know the exact specs yet but we can kinda guess based on rumors.

i'm on the iOS 16 beta and haven't noticed any performance degradation issues. battery life actually seems better. my battery health is at 93% (bought it at launch). if i keep it another year until late 2023 then i might get down to 80% health and if so i can just get Apple to replace the battery if it becomes an issue.

i don't use my phone for anything intensive. i rarely play games and if i do it's lite stuff like chess, tetris, pool. i don't go hard with games like Genshin, Wild Rift, Diablo, etc. i don't rely on the camera much except for taking photos of my cats and scanning documents. i mainly use Safari, Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, Spotify, banking apps, mail, notes, reminders, etc.

the only differences really between the Pro + Pro Max that would affect performance and how long it lasts is the Pro has less RAM and a smaller battery (but also a smaller screen). i think if you do experience any issues it'll not be anything too serious. worst case you might see Safari reloading tabs more often and apps loading a bit slower. if the battery degrades to 80% you can pay apple to replace the battery.

OS wise the 12 line up should be supported until iOS 19 (2025) or even iOS 20 (2026). i'm assuming that in worst case scenario:

8/X - ditched with iOS 17
XS - ditched with iOS 18
11 - ditched with iOS 19
12 - ditched with iOS 20

you just need to decide for yourself based on what performance you find acceptable for your usage. i would say there is absolutely no reason you can't keep your 12 Pro for another 2 years. with a battery replacement you could use it for another 3-4 years.

i'll likely skip the iPhone 14 and wait for the iPhone 15 and iOS 17 in 2023. by then i'll have kept my phone for 3 years. but who knows, maybe this time next year i might decide to keep it another year until iPhone 16/iOS 18 in 2024

 

[StaceyMJ86]

Wait until the announcement to see if it’s worthy for you to upgrade. If not, have Apple change the battery once it hit 80%. My launch day12 Pro Max has been a great phone for me besides the battery life. I have to charge my phone 2-3 times before bedtime and my battery health is at 82%, so I’m definitely upgrading to the 14 Pro Max mainly for the better battery life, and keeping my 12 Pro Max as a backup phone.

 

[blaugrana69]

If you're willing to change the battery a long time ! Do think the 12 series was really let down by the battery. Starting to tell on my 12 Pro (purchased December 2020).

 

[mittencuh]

My 12 Pro Max still seems super quick and snappy. I was having MagSafe charging issues this summer and the fix included a new battery which is still at 100% health. The only thing that would really make me upgrade to the 14 Pro would be a much improved zoom capability as I am a huge aviation nerd and live directly under one of the approaches/departures of my closest big airport.

 

[benjalamelami]

As title really. How much longer should a 12 Pro be good for?

Seems ridiculous that I'm asking how long a not-even 2 year old device will last but as I'm sticking with the 12 Pro and not upgrading to the 14 I'm just wondering, especially with iOS 16 not being available for the 7 (a 6 year old phone). I'm assuming the 12 Pro should be supported for at least another 4 years?

Not just in terms of iOS compatability, but real day-to-day usage. Will the 12 Pro still be a capable device without any noticeable slowdown in say a year or two? Right now side by side with a 13 Pro, aside from ProMotion I don't see any difference in speed of opening apps, running multiple apps etc.

I could see myself sticking with this phone for a while.

A recently developed high end phone should last 4 years easily. That is what I have in mind every time I update.

 

[Tmacc47]

As title really. How much longer should a 12 Pro be good for?

Seems ridiculous that I'm asking how long a not-even 2 year old device will last but as I'm sticking with the 12 Pro and not upgrading to the 14 I'm just wondering, especially with iOS 16 not being available for the 7 (a 6 year old phone). I'm assuming the 12 Pro should be supported for at least another 4 years?

Not just in terms of iOS compatability, but real day-to-day usage. Will the 12 Pro still be a capable device without any noticeable slowdown in say a year or two? Right now side by side with a 13 Pro, aside from ProMotion I don't see any difference in speed of opening apps, running multiple apps etc.

I could see myself sticking with this phone for a while.

You may have to replace the battery in the process, but the phone can last 5-6 years, if you want it to!

 

[Citizen45]

The A14 is a beast. It’s what the M1 was based on.

The iPhone 12 Pro has 6GB RAM. That’s the same as the 13 Pro.

The only thing you might need to worry about is replacing the battery.

Otherwise you should get five years of solid use out of it.