Apple has announced it will provide at least five years of iPhone security software updates from a device’s launch date, in response to a new legal requirement in the United Kingdom (via Android Authority).
Earlier this year, the U.K. introduced new Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) regulations, mandating companies selling internet-capable products in the country to meet specific security standards.
One PSTI requirement is that companies must define a support period, specifying the minimum duration for which security updates will be provided post-sale. The regulation defines a “security update” as a software update that enhances or protects a product’s security, including addressing security issues identified by or reported to the manufacturer.
In compliance with the PSTI, Apple has filed a public regulatory document for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The filing indicates the device’s “defined support period” is a “minimum of five years from the first supply date,” which is listed as “September 22, 2023,” the launch date of the iPhone 15 series.
Unlike Samsung and Google, Apple typically doesn’t specify its legacy software support for iPhone devices, so the five-year minimum is reassuring for users with older devices. However, as Android Authority notes, Samsung and Google guarantee seven years of security updates and Android OS updates for their devices, two years more than Apple’s commitment.
Despite this, Apple often provides security updates for older devices beyond the stated five-year period. For example, in March, Apple issued a security update for iPhone 6s models, which launched in September 2015, nine years ago.
Further back, in November 2020, Apple released an update to fix major security issues for the iPhone 5S, which was released in 2013, seven years after its launch. Thus, while the five-year minimum is now official, iPhone users can be reassured by Apple’s strong track record of supporting legacy devices well beyond this period.