Help choosing an Iphone: Software and hardware lifespan

Although nobody here can speak for Apple, an examination of MacTracker suggests that iPhones typically get four to six major iOS updates before hitting "the end of the line." Thus, if you want a phone that is likely to receive more updates in the future, look at how many updates the model has already received.

• iPhone SE (3rd generation) (2022) originally ran iOS 15.4, so it has received four major updates (16, 17, 18, 26). I would not expect it to get more than one or two more.
• iPhone 15 originally ran iOS 17, so it has received two major updates (18, 26).
• iPhone 16e originally ran iOS 18.3, so it has received one major update (26).

Also:

• iPhone SE (3rd generation) (2022) has 4 GB of RAM
• iPhone 15 has 6 GB of RAM
• iPhone 16e has 8 GB of RAM, and is the only one of these three phones that supports Apple Intelligence. (There are some feature omissions relative to the regular iPhone 16, such as no 0.5x camera, and no MagSafe charging.)

iPhone SE 2022 and iPhone 15 are both discontinued. If you're looking for a phone which will stand the test of time, I'd cross off any iPhone model which is discontinued off my list. The 16e is the closest to the iPhone SE 2022 as it actually replaced the SE as Apple's budget iPhone.

Any brand new iPhone you can purchase from Apple will last a long time, if well cared for. We're seeing phones from 2019 (iPhone 11) which got the newest iOS 26 this year, so at least 6 years can be expected in terms of major iOS updates.

What should be the most important to you are features you'd like to have on your phone and MEMORY as that is often the most overlooked, but to me most important thing to consider. Once purchased, the memory on an iPhone can never be made larger. And as technology continues to advance, updates use more and more memory.

So, use this compare iPhone Models tool and make sure you buy an iPhone with the most memory you can afford and you won't make a mistake --> iPhone - Compare Models - Apple

In terms of battery runtime, see the "Power and Battery" section of

Apple – Compare iPhone models

Bob Timmons wrote:

iPhone 15 is not discontinued......at least according to Mactracker. Do you have another source for information?

But Apple has discontinue iPhone 15. It's no longer sold by Apple and Apple discontinued it on September 9th, when iPhone 17 was announced. It may certainly be possible to find one with a carrier or other retailer, but you can't buy one from Apple.

When the 16e was released I tried for months to get a hold of SE2022, they are as rare as rocking horse droppings. Unless you want to buy used or "opened not used" forget the SE

iPhone 15 is not discontinued......at least according to Mactracker. Do you have another source for information?

Bob Timmons wrote:

iPhone 15 is not discontinued......at least according to Mactracker. Do you have another source for information?

Why you asking me? I never said that.

Things have remained the same as far as product lifespan and software support, so no significant issues there.

However, remember that the SE3 was discontinued in February 2025, so It is roughly a year behind either the iPhone 15 or iPhone 16e in terms of possible manufacturing dates.

I would not be thrilled buying a phone that that has possibly been sitting in a warehouse for a year or more, and have to wonder about how that might affect the battery. So, if that is meaningful to you, I think your choices are between the iPhone 15 and 16e.

The iPhone 15 is still being delivered, but what if you receive one that also has been sitting for a year or more? There's no way to know in advance when the actual iPhone that you buy was produced.

The 16e was originally shipped in February 2025, but I think your chances of receiving a "new" product are probably better with the 16e.

Feature wise, you'll have to compare the 15 and 16e to decide if there is a significant difference that would be meaningful to you.

Personally, I prefer to go with newer products (and newer batteries) so I would be looking at an iPhone 17 if I was in the market for a new phone. But, that's me.