iPhone models are released annually, and old versions are slowly becoming obsolete. For a pre-owned device business owner, it is crucial to understand these trends to ensure that you have only in-demand iPhones in stock. Read our list of obsolete iPhones to increase the profitability of your inventory.
How Often Do People Replace Their iPhones?
According to a CIRP report published in 2023, iPhone owners tend to keep their devices for longer and replace them more rarely. For example, in 2019, 25% of people, who upgraded to a newer model, owned their previous iPhone for three or more years. In 2023, this percentage increased to 33%.
Additionally, iPhone users replace their devices less often than Android users do. Therefore, 61% of people who replaced their old iPhone with a new one owned it for more than two years. In contrast, for Android owners, this number is 43%.
CIRP provides one more interesting insight: when upgrading their iPhones, people usually stick to the same model tier they had before. Apple phones can be divided into three major groups: SEs, base tier, and premium tier (such as Pro and Max models). More than 60% of buyers choose a newer model from the same tier as their previous device.
Obsolete vs. Vintage iPhones
Apple has two types of outdated devices: obsolete and vintage. These categories include all company products, including Macs, iPods, iPads, and Apple Watches. However, in this article, we will focus only on iPhone models.
So, what's the difference?
Obsolete iPhones
Apple considers the products obsolete after seven years have passed since they were last distributed. For these models, the company doesn't perform hardware repairs, and Apple service providers aren't able to order their parts.
Vintage iPhones
Apple devices are considered vintage when their distribution ended more than five years but less than seven years ago. Depending on parts availability and legal requirements, the company may provide hardware service for such products.
What are Obsolete and Vintage iPhone Models in 2024?
Apple regularly updates the list of outdated devices. Here are the models considered obsolete and vintage as of April 26, 2024.
Obsolete iPhones
- iPhone
- iPhone 3G (China mainland) 8GB
- iPhone 3G 8GB, 16GB
- iPhone 3GS (China mainland) 16GB, 32GB
- iPhone 3GS (8GB)
- iPhone 3GS 16GB, 32GB
- iPhone 4 CDMA
- iPhone 4 CDMA (8GB)
- iPhone 4 16GB, 32GB
- iPhone 4 GSM (8GB), Black
- iPhone 4S
- iPhone 4S (8GB)
- iPhone 5C
- iPhone 6 Plus
Vintage Products
- iPhone 4 (8GB)
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 5S
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6s (32GB)
- iPhone 6s Plus (32GB)
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 8 Red
- iPhone 8 Plus Red
Should Used Device Business Operate with Such Devices?
As devices become obsolete, people will likely sell them and update for newer models. This way, the outdated devices will enter the pre-owned phone market. Although their low price might be appealing to business owners, before purchasing obsolete devices, they should consider the following disadvantages:
- These iPhone models don't receive iOS updates. Therefore, they miss improvements and functions brought with each newer iOS version. Lacking updates also results in security risks that increase the possibility of your data being compromised.
- WhatsApp and Instagram don't support obsolete iPhones. When operating systems become outdated, these and other applications stop or limit their work. This makes the user experience of the device worse, negatively impacting the price.
- Inability to update iOS and decreased battery life may result in overall poor device performance. Websites and applications will take longer to load and might crash or lag.
- Due to Apple having stopped distributing parts for obsolete iPhones, further repairs will be difficult. In case the device stops working because of hardware issues, Apple-authorized service providers won't be able to help. However, even independent repair providers might have trouble finding needed non-original parts. Moreover, parts produced by non-authorized manufacturers are usually not a good idea: for more information, read our article on non-original iPhone displays.
For businesses, all these features mean low revenues and long sales cycles. Therefore, operating obsolete or vintage iPhones isn’t the best option for either retailers or wholesalers.
How to Ensure You Always Have In-Demand Models in Stock?
The must-have tool for boosting your inventory is analytics. NSYS All-in-One is an ecosystem that provides advanced reports to improve your decision-making.
NSYS All-in-One consists of five interconnected services in one place:
- NSYS Buyback: Automated system for buyback and trade-in management in store, plug & play solutions for a trade-in web-widget, or your own branded mobile app.
- NSYS Autograding: AI-powered solution for consistent phone grading. Inspect the cosmetic condition of used and refurbished devices automatically.
- NSYS Diagnostics: Trusted software for mobile device diagnostics. More than 60 automated and semi-automated tests for iOS and Android devices.
- NSYS Data Erasure: Solution for secure data removal from mobile devices. Compliant with NIST, ADISA, and R2.
- NSYS Inventory: The first inventory management system designed specifically for the used device industry.
Click the button below to try NSYS All-in-One for your used device business!
