There was a time when even the best Android phones were no match for Apple’s iPhones in terms of software support. Unlike Android manufacturers, Apple shies away from explicitly mentioning how long its phones will be supported for, but it generally provides five to six years worth of updates, and a few of its handsets were supported for seven years. So, does Apple have no official support policy? It kind of does, according to a new report.As spotted by Dave Kleidermacher, the VP of Engineering for Android Security & Privacy, Apple is now required by the new UK’s Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) act to disclose its support period (via Android Authority). According to a compliance statement published by Apple for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the “defined support period” is a “minimum five years from the first supply date.” The “first supply date” for the phone is September 22, 2023, which is when it was released.On paper, this puts Apple behind Google and Samsung, both of which have committed to supporting their phones for seven years.
That said, since five years is the lower limit, there’s no stopping Apple from supporting its phone for as long as the best Samsung and Google phones. According to the PSTI, the “defined support period” is the “minimum length of time, expressed as a period of time with an end date, for which security updates will be provided.”
Apple generally supports its phones for five to six years though and if it intends to stick with this practice, Google and Samsung already have it beat as far as support policy is concerned.
Whether most consumers will want to keep a phone for seven years is a discussion for another day, but at the time of purchase, most people appreciate having the best of everything.