Apple will update iPhones for at least 5 years in rare public commitment
Enlarge (credit: Apple)
Apple has taken a rare step and publicly committed to a software support timeline for one of its products, as pointed out by MacRumors. A public regulatory filing for the iPhone 15 Pro (PDF) confirms that Apple will support the device with new software updates for at least five years from its "first supply date" of September 22, 2023, which would guarantee support until at least 2028.
Apple published the filing to comply with new Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) regulations from the UK that went into effect in late April. As this plain-language explainer from the Center for Cybersecurity Policy and Law summarizes, the PSTI regulations (among other things) don't mandate a specific support window for manufacturers of Internet-connected devices, but they do require companies to publish a concrete support window and contact information for someone at the company who can be contacted with bug reports.
As publications like Android Authority have pointed out, five years is less than some Android phone makers like Google and Samsung have publicly committed to; both companies have said they'll support their latest devices for seven years. But in reality, Apple usually hits or exceeds this seven-year timeline for updates-and does so for iPhones released nearly a decade ago and not just its newest products.