How long do iPhones last? The honest lifespan guide for 2026

An iPhone doesn't die of old age. It retires — from a tired battery, a cracked screen someone declines to fix, or the end of iOS updates. None of those happen on a fixed schedule, which is why 'how long do iPhones last' has a better answer than the usual shrug: six to eight years of software support, batteries that are consumable, and hardware that outlives both if you let it.

The software clock: six-plus years of iOS

Apple supports iPhones with major iOS updates for roughly six to seven years from launch — the longest commitment in the industry until Google and Samsung matched it recently. On current form, an iPhone 13 (2021) should see updates toward the end of the decade; an iPhone 15 or 16 has most of a decade of software life ahead.

Security patches typically continue even after major updates stop, so an iPhone remains safe to use beyond its last big iOS version. The practical rule: buy a model launched within the last three years and software support will not be the reason you replace it.

The battery clock: consumable by design

Lithium batteries fade with charge cycles, not calendar years — typically dropping to about 80% of original capacity after 500 full cycles, which most people reach in two to three years. Below 85%, heavy users notice; below 80%, everyone does.

The crucial point: this clock resets. A battery replacement costs from around £49 and makes a three-year-old iPhone feel new again. Batteries retire iPhones only when owners don't realise how cheap the fix is.

Which refurbished iPhones have the most life left

Best value per remaining year in 2026: the iPhone 14 (from £242 here) and iPhone 15 (from £356) — both years from the end of support, both with modern cameras and all-day batteries. The iPhone 13 (from £218) remains the budget sweet spot: still quick, still supported, still comfortably under £250.

The iPhone 12 (from £140) and SE 2022 (from £97) suit lighter users happy to trade years of headroom for a much smaller outlay — go in knowing they're closer to the end of the update road, and check the battery health figure on the listing, which we publish for every phone.

Making any iPhone last longer

Three habits move the needle. Keep charge between roughly 20% and 80% when convenient — full-to-flat cycles age cells fastest. Avoid heat while charging: sun, radiators, thick cases. And fix small faults early — a £59 charging-port repair today beats the water damage that follows a fraying cable tomorrow.