How Long Will Your iPhone 16 Be Good For?

The $799 iPhone 16 is undoubtedly one of the best smartphones from Apple, offering features like Apple Intelligence. However, $799 isn't a small amount, and if you're spending it on a smartphone, you would hope that it would last long enough to get your full money's worth out of it. The lifespan of any smartphone, including the iPhone 16, depends on two major things. First is definitely how well you use the smartphone, and second is how long it receives software updates from its manufacturer.

Receiving software updates increases the chances that any bugs or issues you're experiencing with the current software version on your iPhone 16 will be fixed in the new update. Unlike Google or Samsung, Apple never followed the approach of letting users know how long its smartphones would receive software updates. However, that changed after the UK's Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure regulation came into effect on 29th April 2024.

Thanks to the regulation, Apple now has to disclose how long it will offer software support to its smartphones. Unlike its competitors, Apple doesn't make support announcements when launching its devices; at least it didn't do so with the launch of the iPhone 16. That information is present deep inside Apple's Regulatory Information page. But worry not, you don't need to do the digging yourself, as we'll tell you how long your iPhone 16 will receive the software updates.

The UK's Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure regulation has been implemented to improve the security of consumer products like iPhones that come with the ability to connect to the Internet. The regulation forces manufacturers, Apple in this case, to provide details on how long its product will receive security updates.

To comply with the regulation, Apple now has a section in its Regulatory Information page that provides information on how long its devices will receive software support. According to the page, the iPhone 16 will receive software support from Apple for a minimum of five years from the first supply date. By supply date, Apple means the date on which the iPhone 16 went on sale. Since the iPhone 16 went on sale on September 20, 2024, it is guaranteed that the device will receive software support from Apple until September 20, 2029.

Apple

While you might think that Apple is providing two years less software support than its competitors like Apple and Google, it's important to note that Apple has promised to offer a minimum of five years of support on the iPhone 16. That means, if it wishes, it can expand the support for a couple more years. This wouldn't be something new for Apple, as its 2018 released product, the iPhone XR, is compatible with the iOS 18 update. That's a seven-year software update for a device, the same as its main competitors.

Receiving software updates from Apple will not help if you don't download the update on your device. So, make sure you're regularly checking for any available updates on your iPhone 16 and downloading it right away. These updates will help your iPhone fight against malicious threats that might try to get unauthorized access to your device.

In addition to that, you should also ensure you're using a case and screen protector to look after its physical protection. Using an iPhone with a case and screen protector increases the chance of your device remaining safe even if it falls from your hand by mistake.

Like all smartphones, the iPhone 16 battery health will degrade over time. Once you see that your battery health has gone below 80%, you should get your battery replaced. Generally, it will take years for battery health to reach the 80% mark, and when that happens, you'll see a 'Service' message when you try to check the battery health.

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You should also regularly keep deleting unnecessary files like photos and videos from your iPhone 16. If you don't do this, your smartphone's storage will get full, which will ultimately affect its performance. So it's better to regularly clean up your iPhone storage to receive optimal performance from it for a long time.

Lastly, you should clean the charging port of your iPhone 16 once in a while. Pocket fluff can sometimes get in the charging port and stop your iPhone from charging. You can use a wooden toothpick to get fluff or other dirt and debris out of your iPhone 16 charging port.