How long is a new iPhone actually supposed to last?

Owing to tighter memory supplies, Apple has hiked prices for its iPads and Mac computers. The iPhone is likely next, so if you've been eyeing an upgrade for a while, now's probably a good time. Whether you're thinking about upgrading to a new device or planning to squeeze a few more years out of your current one, it would help to know how long you can expect your iPhone to last.

There's really a two-part answer here. The first is how long your iPhone will remain functional before it needs to be replaced. The other is how long you can go before the newer, more enticing iPhone features become too difficult to pass up. If you're looking to hold on to your phone for as long as possible, you've made the right choice going with the iPhone. Apple's commitment to long-term software support has been unmatched for a long time. Newer Pixel and Samsung smartphones have started offering up to seven years of OS updates, but we're still a few years away from seeing whether these promises are actually fulfilled.

Apple, on the other hand, just announced in its WWDC 2026 keynote that the newest version of iOS will extend its support all the way back to the iPhone 11 — a smartphone from 2019. With updates come new features, but more importantly, security patches that protect you against newly discovered vulnerabilities. Based on Apple's software support history, a newer iPhone 16 or iPhone 17 model should be well supported through at least 2031.

Read more: 10 underrated Apple Watch features you can set up in minutes

Factors that affect an iPhone's lifespan

Software support is only one factor that determines how long smartphones last. In fact, I know plenty of folk who haven't updated their iPhones in years, and they rarely have complaints about reliability. Most third-party apps don't instantly drop support for outdated versions of operating systems either. As an example, for WhatsApp to be functional, you need an iPhone running iOS 15.1 or newer — that's like an iPhone 6s from more than a decade ago.

A roadblock you're more likely to hit earlier is battery degradation. Apple says that the batteries in the iPhone 15 series (and presumably newer models) are designed to maintain around 80 percent of their original capacity after 1,000 charge cycles. My experience lines up with this claim. My iPhone 15 Pro Max is currently sitting at a battery health of 83 percent with 950 charge cycles. 

If your device is a couple of years old, swapping its battery for a new one may improve performance noticeably. However, at a certain point, the rest of the hardware in your phone would have aged enough that a new battery alone won't offset the slower processor and limited RAM.

The "Batterygate" controversy resulted in multi-million dollar class-action lawsuits, and Apple has since made performance management and battery health metrics much more transparent. If your iPhone's battery health dips below 80 percent, you will be prompted to get it replaced. Your iPhone will also dial back on performance, but you can now turn the setting off.

Modern iPhones are built to last

Aside from Ingress Protection ratings and scratch-resistant displays, iPhones have improved a lot when it comes to build quality. I've used my iPhone mostly without a case, and there's not a single scratch on its body. Apple ditched titanium for a unibody aluminum build with the iPhone 17 Pro series, and although there have been a few reports of the orange colorway developing a pinkish tint over time, the phones themselves remain durable.

Public sentiment around iPhone longevity is positive. Many users on Reddit say they've held onto the same iPhone for five years or more, with a battery replacement being the only significant expense needed to keep it running. Yes, Apple will continue to lock a few software features, like the more customizable version of Siri AI, behind newer iPhone models, and yes, there will be hardware additions like Camera Control, but none of that should be reason enough to replace a perfectly functional iPhone.

That said, something I don't see discussed often is how demanding the latest version of iOS is. Liquid Glass looks beautiful, but it renders its transparency effects in real-time, which can be taxing on older hardware. In fact, I was surprised that my iPhone 15 Pro Max, which was marketed to handle AAA games, consistently dropped frames and ran hot with day-to-day usage on iOS 26. Apple indirectly acknowledged the performance complaints surrounding iOS 26 by spending most of the iOS 27 reveal talking about performance and stability improvements. In my testing, my older iPhone does run noticeably more smoothly on iOS 27, despite it being an early beta build.

Found this useful? Sign up for Engadget's free newsletter for more tech news and guides delivered straight to your inbox. You can also follow us or add Engadget as a preferred search source on Google.

Read the original article on Engadget.