Adrian Weckler: Should you worry if your iPhone is too old for the latest upgrade?
'Planned obsolescence' is a charge that has been levelled at tech companies like Apple, with good reason – but there's still plenty of life in old devices
Today at 21:30
Do gadget makers deliberately make products break or become almost useless after a few years to encourage a new cycle of purchases?
That's the theory known as 'planned obsolescence' and it's a regular charge made against the tech industry. I was thinking about this last week when Apple announced its latest round of software updates for iPhones, MacBooks and iPads.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Find hidden discounts with brainy new phone trick that instantly slashes cost of shopping – I've already tried it out
WHO doesn't love a discount? Sadly they're hard to find – but a new iPhone trick has you covered. Apple has just announced a clever upgrade for millions of 7 Your iPhone has a new feature coming that lets you 'highlight to search' Credit: Apple 7 You'll be able to quickly track down items that you want to buy Credit: Apple 7 Then you can snap up the one with the best price Credit: Apple I took a trip to Apple Park HQ in California this week, where I was able to check out some of the One of the big changes was an improvement to Visual Intelligence, which is an iPhone feature that 'scans' what you're looking at through the camera. With the new update, you can now 'scan' what you're looking at on screen. That means you can take a screenshot of an object you like the look of, and have it 'scanned' by Read more on Apple HOW NEW VISUAL INTELLIGENCE WORKS Imagine you've seen a lovely lamp in the background of a picture. You can screenshot it, and then use Visual Intelligence by scrubbing your finger over the lamp (or circling it works too, I found). Your iPhone will then surface that exact lamp and/or ones that look exactly like it. It'll list them alongside their prices on Google, Etsy, and other supported shopping apps on your phone. Most read in Phones & Gadgets So you can then find the exact type of lamp you're looking for, and nab it from wherever is offering the best price. It won't just work with lamps: you could do this with a pair of trousers, or a drinks coaster, or even a sofa. Apple interview with Greg Joz Joswiak on new artificial intelligence, screening, hold assist, carplay, liquid glass and ios updates And even if you don't want the exact item, you can find similar ones – making it the ultimate "dupe" hunter. I tried it out at And it offered very similar alternatives – all of which were varying in price. It was quick and easy, and took me from seeing the item to finding it on sale in a matter of seconds. 7 7 7 You can imagine this being a godsend for trying to find a nice jacket that you saw a celeb wear, or snapping up a nice bowl that you saw at a hotel on holiday. HOW TO ACCESS VISUAL INTELLIGENCE TODAY So when can you use it? Well Visual Intelligence is already available now, but it's only for telling you about items you've snapped a pic of – like identifying a dog breed, for example. The new screenshot-scanning feature is coming in iOS 26. IOS 26 SUPPORTED DEVICES – THE FULL LIST Here are the iPhone 16e iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhone 14 Plus iPhone 14 Pro iPhone 14 Pro Max iPhone 13 iPhone 13 mini iPhone 13 Pro iPhone 13 Pro Max iPhone 12 iPhone 12 mini iPhone 12 Pro iPhone 12 Pro Max iPhone 11 iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone SE (3rd gen) iPhone SE (2nd gen) Picture Credit: Apple If you want to use Visual Intelligence with your camera today, you'll need to press the Camera Control button. That's the button on the side of the If your iPhone doesn't have that, you can instead customise the Action Button or Lock Screen to do Visual Intelligence instead – or you could add it to your Control Centre. That's what you'll need to do if you've got an iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max. 7 The new Visual Intelligence features are arriving with the upcoming iOS 26 update for iPhones Credit: Apple If you have an older iPhone, this feature won't work – as it relies on Apple Intelligence. Then just snap a pic and you'll be able to get info about what you're seeing. When iOS 26 lands later this year (likely in September), you'll just need to take a screenshot of an image, rub your finger on the item, and then search it using the built-in tool.
The Irish Sun
12 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Apple is offering MORE money for your old iPhones – but there's only days left to claim up to £660 before prices fall
APPLE has raised its in-house trade-in values for dozens of iPhone models - meaning customers can get more money for their old gadgets. But iPhone owners only have a few more days to make use of the offer before Apple drops its trade-in prices again. Advertisement 2 So if you've got some old handsets wasting away in a drawer somewhere at home, now is the time to trade them in Credit: Getty 2 Apple's Trade In is a service which allows you to exchange an old device for a price cut on a brand new one Credit: Getty So if you've got some old handsets wasting away in a drawer somewhere at home, The offer spans 27 iPhone models - from the iPhone 8 right up to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Even older devices like the iPhone 13 can earn you up to £270 in store credit - helping you shave a significant amount off your next Apple purchase. Advertisement READ MORE ON APPLE The iPhone 8 will only earn £50 in store credit, though, as it heads onto The tech giant has upped trade-in prices in several countries as well as the UK, including the US, , Japan, France, Germany , Australia, Italy, Spain and China. However, the deal is only available until June 18, After this date, prices will sink back to their usual levels. Advertisement Most read in Phones & Gadgets While third-party trade-in services generally offer higher trade-in values, store credit can be helpful to die-hard Apple customers. Doomed gadgets to STOP working properly in 2025 closures – phones, laptops & even home thermostats to go wrong in weeks Apple's Trade In is a service which allows you to exchange an old device for a price cut on a brand new one. The service is available both in store and online. Apple's new iPhone trade-in prices Apple have raised the amount of money you can earn when trading in your phone. The amount you'll get depends on your phone's condition, but some devices can be worth £660 in store credit. Here are the new trade-in values of Apple's iPhones: iPhone 15 Pro Max - Up to £660 from £655 iPhone 15 Pro - Up to £565 from £555 iPhone 15 Plus - Up to £425 from £420 iPhone 15 - Up to £410 from £395 iPhone 14 Pro Max - Up to £480 from £470 iPhone 14 Pro - Up to £435 from £425 iPhone 14 Plus - Up to £340 from £330 iPhone 14 - Up to £350 from £310 iPhone SE (3rd generation) - Up to £130 from £120 iPhone 13 Pro Max - Up to £355 from £345 iPhone 13 Pro - Up to £305 from £295 iPhone 13 - Up to £270 from £260 iPhone 13 mini - Up to £215 from £205 iPhone 12 Pro Max - Up to £285 from £255 iPhone 12 Pro - Up to £235 from £205 iPhone 12 - Up to £170 from £160 iPhone 12 mini - Up to £135 from £125 iPhone SE (2nd generation) - Up to £65 from £55 iPhone 11 Pro Max - Up to £170 from £160 iPhone 11 Pro - Up to £150 from £135 iPhone 11 - Up to £120 from £110 iPhone XS Max - Up to £120 from £100 iPhone XS - Up to £85 from £70 iPhone XR - Up to £100 from £85 iPhone X - Up to £60 from £50 iPhone 8 Plus - Up to £65 from £50 iPhone 8 - Up to £50 from £40 The new prices will be valid until June 18 and range from £10 to £30 increases. Alternatively, if your device is no longer available for credit, then you can hand it over to Apple for recycling. Advertisement Your device might not be available for credit if it is too old and has been added to Apple's doomed 'obsolete' list. "Products are considered obsolete when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than seven years ago," the company writes on its "Apple discontinues all hardware service for obsolete products, and service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products." It means it can't be repaired, as Apple no longer has the parts. Advertisement Apple also doesn't accept iPhones with a broken screen or other significant damage. In both cases, Apple will only recycle the device for you. iPhone tricks to try today Here are some of the best... Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen, then tap in the bar and type a currency (like €200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency Check if you're due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you're down to 80% capacity. If you're below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier
Irish Independent
18 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Adrian Weckler: Should you worry if your iPhone is too old for the latest upgrade?
'Planned obsolescence' is a charge that has been levelled at tech companies like Apple, with good reason – but there's still plenty of life in old devices Today at 21:30 Do gadget makers deliberately make products break or become almost useless after a few years to encourage a new cycle of purchases? That's the theory known as 'planned obsolescence' and it's a regular charge made against the tech industry. I was thinking about this last week when Apple announced its latest round of software updates for iPhones, MacBooks and iPads.
