October 8, 2014: Apple says it is “surprised” after GT Advanced Technologies, the supplier rumored to be manufacturing ultra-strong sapphire glass displays for the new iPhone 6, says it will file for bankruptcy.
The announcement appears to mark the end of the road for sapphire glass iPhone screens, a highly anticipated upgrade that promised to make devices more durable.
The iPhone 6 is now a “vintage” product. That doesn’t mean it’s now cool for hipsters to use one – it’s the classification Apple uses for products it stopped selling five years ago, and somewhat limits the repair options.
The iOS handset was hugely successful in its day, and probably still holds the title of the best-selling smartphone ever.
September 22, 2014: Apple notches a new sales record with iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, selling an astonishing 10 million units in the first weekend the handsets go on sale.
The eagerly anticipated smartphones bring a redesigned form factor that will persist for years. The most obvious change? Larger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays built to lure phablet fans. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus also boast an A8 chip, improved iSight and FaceTime cameras, and — significantly — Apple Pay.
“Sales for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus exceeded our expectations for the launch weekend, and we couldn’t be happier,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the time. “We would like to thank all of our customers for making this our best launch ever, shattering all previous sell-through records by a large margin.”
September 19, 2014: The iPhone undergoes its biggest upgrade — both figuratively and literally — since the original, with the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets.
The iPhone 6 brings a new 4.7-inch form factor, while the iPhone 6 Plus boasts a massive 5.5-inch design. The previous-generation iPhone 5 measured only slightly taller than its 3.5-inch predecessors. But with the iPhone 6, Apple abandons that strategy for the first time to take on big-screen Android “phablets.”
A UK consumer rights advocate filed a £750m claim accusing Apple of slowing down handsets as old as the iPhone 6. This is over “Batterygate,” a controversy that first erupted way back in 2017 and has long since been settled in the U.S. and other countries.
Even so, a bad decision from five years ago has come back to haunt the company.
The iPhone 6 Plus was a game changer for Apple back in 2014. But it’s riding off into the sunset now that it’s been added to Apple’s list of vintage products, limiting its repair options.
And the iPad 4 from 2012 is now officially obsolete.
iPhone 6 Plus will be added to Apple’s vintage products list at the end of this month, according to a leaked internal memo. The device, which made its debut in 2014, may be more difficult to repair as official parts dry up.
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were the first to introduce Apple Pay and significantly larger displays to Apple’s smartphone lineup. They remain two of the company’s most successful devices to date.
iPhone models that can’t install iOS 14 or iOS 15 can still get protection from the infamous Pegasus spyware thanks to iOS 12.5.5. Apple released this update Thursday for devices as old as the iPhone 5s to close a security hole in active use by hackers.
The same update can also be installed on older iPad and iPod touch models.
Woot’s insane deals on iPhone refurbs keep on coming, and today’s might just be its best yet. With prices starting at a mere $39.99, there’s never been a better time to pick up a backup — or treat your kid to their first phone.
The only downside to this sale is that it’s good for one day only, and stock is selling quickly. Act fast or miss out!
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Apple has reportedly reached an agreement to pay up to $500 million to settle a class-action lawsuit in which it was accused of secretly throttling iPhone CPU speeds.
According to Reuters Apple reached a preliminary agreement for the lawsuit on Friday night. U.S. District Judge Edward Davila still has to approve it, but if the settlement goes through, some U.S. iPhone owners could get paid $25 per iPhone that Apple throttle.
If you owned one of these iPhones covered in the lawsuit, a check might be coming your way:
