For those of you that are still clinging onto your original iPhone (and I know there are a few of you), Apple have announced that their retail stores will soon consider the original iPhone obsolete and apply a rather attractive ‘Vintage’ status to it, which is sure to increase the value of the device on the second hand market with collectors.
Released in 2007, the original iPhone (then simply called iPhone) revolutionised the entire smartphone market, bringing Apple into a market it would begin to dominate, sparking an whole lineup of future iProducts, in a strategy that would see Apple make billions.
However, for the device that started it all, Apple will soon follow in AT&T’s footsteps and officially not support the device – meaning you’ll no longer be able to just walk into an Apple Store and ask for help in a restore, or get it repaired.
It should come of no surprise that a device 6 years old is now being sent to the grave. With only 128MB of RAM and 2G connectivity, the original iPhone is very outdated. You just have to look at Android and see some of the flagship devices that have been abandoned only a few months after launch, even Windows Phone with the Lumia 800, so for Apple to keep support for 6 years after the device launched is quite impressive.
However, as pointed out my 9to5Mac, Apple will apply the ‘vintage’ status to the original iPhone, and will still be covered if you have an AppleCare agreement, meaning if you call AppleCare directly it will still be possible to get the original iPhone repaired, so not all hope is lost.
The change is expected to happen on June 11th 2013.
I would love to hear if you’re still rocking the original iPhone. Are you surprised Apple are no longer supporting the device?