What year will the iPhone 12 be outdated?

As of this writing, Apple is no longer offering the following phones: iPhone 11, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. So all of the above iPhones are officially discontinued. 

It might seem odd that Apple would discontinue two of its highest-end phones that are just a year old. However, the move mirrors exactly the same cuts Apple made last year with the discontinuation of the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max.

If you are still looking for one of these discontinued phones, you’ll need to go to a third-party retailer like Amazon or Best Buy, which should continue to sell them until they are out of stock. But if these don’t appeal to you, take a look at what Apple now has to offer.

Update: See our iPhone 14 launch live blog for all the new iPhone 14 reviews, tips and more. 

Apple’s new iPhone lineup 

What year will the iPhone 12 be outdated?

(Image credit: Future)

Announced at the company’s September 7 event, there are now four brand new iPhones. The $799 iPhone 14 is the entry-level option now — no new mini. Instead, Apple went big with the $899 iPhone 14 Plus, which features a 6.7-inch screen and a larger battery than the base model.

The top-of-the-line models remain the Pro and the Pro Max. The $999 iPhone 14 Pro and $1,099 iPhone 14 Pro Max got some serious upgrades over their predecessors. They feature a new A16 Bionic chipset, a 48MP main camera and the notch has been replaced by the Dynamic Island. You can even potentially get the iPhone 14 Pro for free with trade-in deals. 

Outside of the new models, Apple is keeping around last year’s iPhone 13 which is still one of the best phones available. The iPhone 13 price is now reduced to $699, or you could pick up the iPhone 13 mini for $599.

The iPhone 12 also starts at $599, though at this point it may not be worth it to get this two-generations older phone just to save some money.

Finally, the iPhone SE 2022 is also available and features a lot of power for just $429, but it's screen is quite small at 4.7 inches. There are rumors the next iPhone SE will get a bigger screen using an iPhone XR-like design.

If you are looking to upgrade your iPhone, make sure to check out our iPhone 14 preorders page to ensure you get a good deal. Apple is offering as much as $1,000 off their new phones, so there are definitely opportunities to save some money and get a new phone.

Next: Our News Editor thinks the iPhone 14 upgrades are so minimal — you should just get the discounted iPhone 13.

If you're still using an ancient iPhone, you may be trying to decide whether an immediate upgrade to an iPhone 12 makes sense. 

Sarah Tew/CNET

Using an old, outdated iPhone?

One of the best reasons to snap up a new phone is if your current one is hopelessly outdated. If you're upgrading from an older iPhone, like the iPhone 11, and are trying to decide between the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13, the iPhone 13 is probably the better bet. 

The iPhone 13 mirrors last year's iPhone 12 lineup with standard, MiniPro and Pro Max versions. (Here are all the differences between the iPhone 13 models, and here are CNET's reviews of the iPhone 13, 13 Mini13 Pro and 13 Pro Max.) Both iPhone lineups are compatible with iOS 15.  

Apple's 2021 iPhone comes with a collection of useful updates. The iPhone 13's battery life is supposed to be more than two hours longer, it offers double the storage space at the base level and features better cameras than the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13's A15 chip is also a year newer than the iPhone 12's A14 Bionic chip, meaning it's likely you'll receive future iOS updates a year longer if you go with the iPhone 13. 

Read more: All the iOS 15 settings you should change to fine-tune your new iPhone 13

But, there are always exceptions. The iPhone 12 is a great phone that still has plenty to offer in terms of performance and camera capabilities. For owners of older iPhones like the iPhone X series, going for the iPhone 12 gives you an advanced A14 Bionic chip, plus an OLED screen. Just those two enhancements represent a massive upgrade over phones from just a few years ago.

That said, if your phone still turns on and functionally does everything you need it to do, just get the iPhone 13. Phones as far back as the 2015 iPhone 6S are able to run iOS 14 and are compatible with iOS 15, so there's no reason to make the jump unless your phone is truly broken. (However, Apple only provides software updates to its phones for a finite amount of time, so wait too long and eventually you'll be locked out of the latest OS.)

The need for 5G speed

5G wireless isn't available everywhere and its capabilities have been a little overhyped. That said, the iPhone 12 was the first iPhone compatible with 5G. So if you have a burning desire to connect to 5G cellular networks and have access to one, then the iPhone 12 will scratch that itch immediately. Of course, the iPhone 13 also links to 5G, so opting for either would fulfill your 5G desires.

What year will the iPhone 12 be outdated?
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Living with a damaged iPhone screen is never fun.

Jamea Martin/CNET

Cracked screen, failing battery and other reasons to get that new iPhone now

Living with a device that's been damaged or functions poorly is rough. For example, it's hard to ignore a fractured screen since you see the defect daily. The same is true of a failing battery that can't hold as much charge as it once could. If your iPhone suffers from these types of frustrating issues, an immediate upgrade may be justified. However, with all the upgrades for the iPhone 13, you may want to buy the 2021 iPhone instead.

What year will the iPhone 12 be outdated?
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The iPhone 12's ceramic shield screen held up well during our torture tests.

Chris Parker/CNET

iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 have a ceramic shield display

One of the iPhone 12's big improvements is the material of its display. Apple calls it "ceramic shield" glass. Made by Corning, the ceramic shield glass covering the phone's display is harder than most metals. Indeed, we can confirm the iPhone 12's ceramic shield's toughness. When we put the iPhone 12 to the test, the handset came through with flying colors. The iPhone 13 also has the same ceramic shield glass on its display. So if you're a huge klutz prone to slips and drops, springing for either the iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 is a wise move.

New features for the iPhone 13 

The iPhone 13 comes with a few brand-new features that the iPhone 12 lacks. The new iPhone is the first to boast a 120Hz display and an option for 1TB of storage for its Pro models. Right now the iPhone 12's screen has a 60Hz refresh rate. The faster refresh rate will translate to smoother, snappier scrolling through apps and websites. 

Apple gave the iPhone 13 an enhanced camera system. All four of the iPhone 13 models have an improved 12-megapixel main camera and a better ultrawide lens and sensor. The new hardware paired with the phone's A15 Bionic chip means a handful of improvements and new features, including being able to capture 47% more light. The iPhone 13 also features a new cinematic mode to make your videos appear more film-like, and the Pro and Pro Max models will gain the ability to capture ProRes videos later this year.

What year will the iPhone 12 be outdated?

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Price may be the deciding factor

As the saying goes, money talks. The standard base model of the iPhone 13 costs $799 for 128GB of storage, which is $100 more than the starting price of the standard base model of the iPhone 12 with 64GB of storage. But, if you compare the current price of the 128GB storage option for both phones, there's only a $50 difference between the iPhone 13 and $749 iPhone 12 and the new features on the iPhone 13 seem to justify the increase in price.

How many years will iPhone 12 be supported?

Release
Released
Supported
iPhone 12
2 years ago (23 Oct 2020)
Yes
iPhone 12 Pro
2 years ago (23 Oct 2020)
Yes
iPhone SE (2nd generation)
2 years and 8 months ago (24 Apr 2020)
Yes
iPhone 11
3 years ago (20 Sep 2019)
Yes
Apple iPhone - endoflife.dateendoflife.date › iphonenull

Will the iPhone 12 be phased out?

The company has reportedly discontinued production of iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, and iPhones 13 Pro and Pro Max.

Which iPhones will stop working in 2022?

What iPhones will not work in 2022? This means any phones introduced in 2016 or earlier, including the iPhone 6S, iPhone SE and iPhone 7, won't be getting Apple software updates anymore. It's not an unexpected move, given that the company regularly retires software support on older devices.

Is iPhone 12 worth it in 2022?

TL;DR: Yes. If you're looking for an affordable iPhone with a great camera, long battery life, and a high-quality display — a used iPhone 12 is absolutely worth it, especially when you consider the savings associated with buying a gently used model.