Technology giant Apple has moved its flagship smartphone iPhone X to the most restrictive level of its product support policy, ‘Obsolete’, after which Apple has ended official hardware repairs and replacement parts for the device.

According to reports, Apple’s support documents now describe the iPhone X as ‘Obsolete’. Under this status, Apple and its authorized service providers generally do not repair or provide replacement parts for the device.

The decision means that users who are still using the iPhone X will face difficulties in getting official Apple repairs in case of problems such as a damaged screen, a dead battery or a faulty charging port.

Apple usually declares a product ‘obsolete’ after more than seven years have passed since it was last distributed and sold. However, the final decision is made by the company itself. The iPhone X was introduced in November 2017 and was discontinued about 10 months later in September 2018.

The ‘obsolete’ status is stricter than Apple’s ‘vintage’ status. In some cases, vintage devices can be repaired, provided that the required parts are available.

Why was the iPhone X important?

The iPhone X introduced a major change in Apple’s smartphone design. It was the first iPhone to include Face ID and an OLED display, while eliminating the traditional Home button and Touch ID in favor of a notch display that stretched almost from edge to edge.

The iPhone X thus not only changed the design of Apple’s flagship iPhones but also had a significant impact on the design trends of the smartphone industry for the next several years.