
The specific legal requirement in the UK that has influenced Apple to commit to a minimum support timeline for its devices is the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act. This law aims to address the lack of quality control over security standards in smart products and requires manufacturers to inform customers at the point of sale how long they will support devices with updates1.

Apple has committed to providing security updates for the iPhone 15 models for a minimum of five years from their release, according to a recent public regulatory filing1. This commitment speaks primarily to security updates, with the clock starting in September 2023 when the iPhone 15 first launched.

Apple's commitment of five years of support for the iPhone 15 is less than what Samsung and Google promise for their flagship devices. Both Samsung and Google guarantee seven years of security and Android OS updates for their respective flagship devices. However, it's important to note that Apple has a strong track record of providing security updates for its iPhones, often surpassing the five-year mark. While the guaranteed support timeline is shorter compared to Samsung and Google, iPhone users can potentially keep their phones for just as long or even longer due to Apple's history of providing updates beyond the guaranteed period4.