Guide
How long do
iPhones last?
Apple has typically kept iPhones on new iOS versions for about seven years. Most people replace theirs sooner, and often the reason is the battery, a $89 to $129 fix at Apple. Here's how long yours likely has left, using real battery data from thousands of phones.
Updated 9 November 2026 ยท US repair prices, before sales tax
An iPhone has two clocks
The software clock is how long Apple keeps sending new iOS versions. Apple doesn't promise a number, but the pattern has been about seven years: iOS 27 still supports the iPhone 11 from 2019. Apple has also often kept shipping security fixes for a while after a phone stops getting new versions.
The battery clock runs faster. Apple says batteries in iPhone 14 and earlier are designed to keep 80% of their capacity after 500 full charge cycles, and iPhone 15 and later after 1,000. Below 80%, the phone lasts less of the day and iOS may limit peak performance. Unlike the software clock, this one can be reset: a new battery makes the phone feel close to new again.
Where each iPhone is today
| Model | Released | iOS updates left | Median battery health | Below 80% | New battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 11 | 2019 | about 1 yr | 76% | 67.2% | $89 |
| iPhone 11 Pro | 2019 | about 1 yr | 75% | 60.9% | $89 |
| iPhone 11 Pro Max | 2019 | about 1 yr | 77% | 59.9% | $89 |
| iPhone 12 mini | 2020 | about 1 yr | 78% | 61.9% | $89 |
| iPhone 12 | 2020 | about 1 yr | 80% | 45.4% | $89 |
| iPhone 12 Pro | 2020 | about 1 yr | 79% | 58% | $89 |
| iPhone 12 Pro Max | 2020 | about 1 yr | 79% | 52.9% | $89 |
| iPhone 13 mini | 2021 | about 2 yrs | 81% | 44.4% | $89 |
| iPhone 13 | 2021 | about 2 yrs | 82% | 39.6% | $89 |
| iPhone 13 Pro | 2021 | about 2 yrs | 79% | 52.9% | $89 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max | 2021 | about 2 yrs | 83% | 29.3% | $89 |
| iPhone 14 | 2022 | about 3 yrs | 85% | 15.9% | $99 |
| iPhone 14 Plus | 2022 | about 3 yrs | 85% | 8.4% | $99 |
| iPhone 14 Pro | 2022 | about 3 yrs | 83% | 27.7% | $99 |
| iPhone 14 Pro Max | 2022 | about 3 yrs | 84% | 13.9% | $99 |
| iPhone 15 | 2023 | about 4 yrs | 87% | 5.9% | $99 |
| iPhone 15 Plus | 2023 | about 4 yrs | 88% | 0.7% | $99 |
| iPhone 15 Pro | 2023 | about 4 yrs | 87% | 2.2% | $99 |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | 2023 | about 4 yrs | 87% | 2.1% | $99 |
| iPhone 16 | 2024 | about 5 yrs | 93% | 0% | $99 |
| iPhone 16 Pro | 2024 | about 5 yrs | 92% | 0% | $119 |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | 2024 | about 5 yrs | 96% | 0.3% | $119 |
Battery health: median of iPhones traded in to Envirofone and tested on arrival, mostly in 2025โ26 (Envirofone iPhone Battery Health Index, September 2026, CC BY 4.0). Phones that are traded in may not match every phone in use. Updates left is our estimate from Apple's past pattern, not an Apple promise. Newer models aren't in the index yet.
What the numbers say
- Batteries cross 80% at about five to six years. The typical iPhone 12 from 2020 is at 80%, and the iPhone 11 from 2019 at 76%.
- So the battery usually wears out before the software does. Most of these phones still have one or more years of iOS updates left when the battery gets tired.
- One battery replacement can line the two clocks up. A phone that's three or four years old with a worn battery can often last until its updates end after one $89 to $129 repair.
What actually ends an iPhone
- Updates stop. Without new iOS versions, apps slowly drop support. That's the real end for most phones.
- An expensive accident. Apple's other-damage fee for water or Face ID damage runs from $399 to $899 on non-folding models, close to the price of a new phone.
- A feature you can't get. Apple Intelligence needs an iPhone 15 Pro, or any iPhone 16 or newer. No repair adds it.
A tired battery alone is rarely a reason to replace the whole phone.
See how many years your exact iPhone has left, and what keeping it costs.
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