Apple iPhone 6 Plus
How long will it last?
Our estimateSupported until January 2023 · Buy-by January 2021
Apple doesn't publish an end date, but iPhones have a consistent ~9-year update track record — on that basis the iPhone 6 Plus should be supported until around January 2023. Buying it today still gets you about -3.4 years of safe use (Apple's written legal minimum is 5 years).
Source: Apple's documentation · last verified 2026-06-12 · how we compute this
Our verdict
Apple's first big-screen iPhone, now well past its last update and best left in the drawer.
Pros
- Large 5.5-inch screen with optical image stabilization
- Big 2915 mAh battery for its era
- Still functional for basic offline tasks
Cons
- No security updates since iOS 12.5.7 in early 2023
- Only 1GB RAM and an 8MP camera that feel very dated
Full specifications
Display
💡 Bigger numbers = smoother scrolling (Hz) and easier outdoor reading (nits).
| Screen | 5.5-inch LCD (Retina HD IPS), 1920x1080, 60Hz |
Performance
💡 The phone's brain — it decides speed today and how well it ages.
| Chipset | Apple A8 |
| RAM | 1GB |
| Storage | 16GB / 64GB / 128GB |
Cameras
💡 Megapixels aren't everything — lens variety matters more day-to-day.
| main | 8MP |
| front | 1.2MP |
Battery & charging
💡 Capacity in mAh — bigger usually means longer between charges.
| Battery | 2,915 mAh |
| Charging | Lightning wired (up to ~12W) |
Build
💡 Size, weight, and the materials between your phone and the floor.
| Dimensions | 158.1 × 77.8 × 7.1 mm |
| Weight | 172 g |
| Materials | Aluminum unibody, glass front |
| Water resistance | None |
Software & connectivity
💡 The software it ships with, and how far it can upgrade.
| Software | iOS 8 at launch |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Lightning |
| Update policy | ~5 years of updates (our estimate from Apple's track record — written minimum is 5 years) |
Better-value alternatives
Similar price, lower cost per month of safe ownership.
Frequently asked questions
How long will the iPhone 6 Plus get updates?
Support effectively ended. Its final update was iOS 12.5.7 in January 2023, so it no longer receives regular security patches and should not be relied on for sensitive tasks online.
Can the iPhone 6 Plus run iOS 13 or newer?
No. The iPhone 6 Plus is capped at iOS 12, with iOS 12.5.7 as its last release. iOS 13 and later require the newer iPhone 6s or above.
Is the iPhone 6 Plus safe to use online in 2026?
Not really. Without recent security updates it is vulnerable, so avoid using it for banking, email or other sensitive accounts and treat it as an offline-only device.
Compare it
Specs are collected from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers and change often. Support end dates follow each brand's official policy (or, for Apple, its documented historical pattern). Last verified 2026-06-12.