Apple just labeled the iPhone 11 Pro Max and Apple Watch Series 3 as vintage. Learn what this means for updates, repairs, and your device’s future.
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When Does an Apple Product Become “Vintage”?
Apple officially considers a device vintage once it has been off the market for at least five years. The next step, even more definitive, is the category of obsolete products, which are no longer eligible for repairs at all.
For devices marked as vintage, Apple and its authorized service providers may still offer repairs, but only as long as spare parts remain available. In short, every Apple product eventually ends up on this list as it ages through its lifecycle.
iPhone 11 Pro Max and Apple Watch Series 3 Join the Vintage List
It’s now official: the iPhone 11 Pro Max—Apple’s very first “Pro Max” model—and the Apple Watch Series 3 have both been added to the vintage category.
According to MacRumors, the iPhone 11 Pro Max remains compatible with iOS 26, which means it still enjoys solid software support despite its new vintage status. Interestingly, the iPhone 11 Pro, launched at the same time, is not yet considered vintage.
The Particular Case of the Apple Watch Series 3
The Apple Watch Series 3 has had an impressively long run. By Apple’s definition, a product becomes vintage when it has been discontinued for more than five years but less than seven.
Released in 2017, the Series 3 remained available for purchase until 2022, serving as an affordable entry-level option in Apple’s lineup. That unusually long availability explains why it is only now moving into the vintage category. In fact, the Apple Watch Series 4 was declared vintage before the Series 3, despite being a newer model, simply because it was retired from the market earlier.
