A cybersecurity expert has warned that your personal information could be at risk if you are still using an out-of-date iPhone.
It’s wild to believe that it’s already been 17 years since the late Steve Jobs claimed that Apple would ‘change the world’ with the release of its original iPhone.
Since then, the tech giant has released a staggering 42 iterations of the mobile device in various unique colorways.
In recent years, users have seen the traditional headphone jack being removed as well as fingerprint scanning being replaced with facial recognition.
However, as new technology is ushered in, it means earlier phone models are no longer up to scratch and are considered ‘obsolete’ by Apple.
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While an older iPhone may work to call and text people, the company will no longer support it and you won’t be able to update it with the latest iOS security system.
Moreover, you won’t be able to get it repaired as the tech will be outdated and you become pray for hackers who use unpatched vulnerabilities in older iOS operating systems to steal your data,
According to a cybersecurity expert, you can uncover whether Apple believes your iPhone to be ‘obsolete’ by checking it against its recently-published list.
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The full list of devices no longer supported by the multinational corporation is below.
Apple obsolete iPhone model list
- iPhone
- iPhone 3G (China mainland) 8GB
- iPhone 3G 8GB, 16GB
- iPhone 3GS (China mainland) 16GB, 32GB
- iPhone 3GS (8GB)
- iPhone 3GS 16GB, 32GB
- iPhone 4 CDMA
- iPhone 4 CDMA (8GB)
- iPhone 4 16GB, 32GB
- iPhone 4 GSM (8GB), Black
- iPhone 4S
- iPhone 4S (8GB)
- iPhone 5C
- iPhone 5S
- iPhone 6 Plus
Furthermore, there are a handful of partially supported iPhones that occasionally receive security iOS updates.
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These are not considered part of Apple’s obsolete list but can leave your information vulnerable to hackers.
Apple 'vintage iPhone list
- iPhone 4 (8GB)
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 5S
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6s (32GB)
- iPhone 6s Plus (32GB)
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 8 Red
- iPhone 8 Plus Red
Speaking on why using an obsolete iPhone poses such a security risk, Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET said: “Obsolete devices including iPhones will all at some point see their free updates come to a halt, putting them at risk to any vulnerabilities that are found after that date.
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“Older iPhones still remain in circulation and once a vulnerability is located, it can rapidly be exploited by attackers and directed at anyone with devices left unpatched,” he told Forbes.
Furthermore, Moore added that while replacing a device is annoying, it will allow users to have a better grip on their intimate information.
You don’t have to purchase the brand-new iPhone 15 Pro though - you can buy any older model that isn’t on Apple’s obsolete or vintage lists and it should do the trick.