As good as Apple's current iPhone lineup is - and you can find some of the models Apple sells among its best phones - the days for some iPhones are limited. Every fall, Apple releases a new model. Some iPhones usually remain at reduced prices, but others show up unceremoniously at the door

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This is the fate that awaits some of Apple's current phones in just a few months. That means that one or more of the current iPhones you can purchase from Apple will disappear without a trace.

So which one will it be?

Considering how Apple has released iPhones in the past, and the rumors regarding the release of the iPhone 13 this fall, one can make a fairly reasonable guess as to which iPhone might not be around much longer. Such information can influence your iPhone purchase choices.

If there is a chance that a model you have had your eye on may be on the cusp of being eliminated, you will know sooner or later that it is time to purchase that particular model. (That is, even if a particular iPhone model drops out of Apple's lineup, you may still be able to find it through a wireless carrier or retailer.) Or, if you prefer a model that is likely to remain unsold for the foreseeable future, you could hold off on buying it for a few months and get it when Apple drops the price.

I just received an invitation to an Apple event on September 14, so we'll hear more about Apple's plans for the future of the iPhone.

With the launch of the iPhone 12 last fall, Apple dropped two models from its lineup: the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max gave way to the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, both debuting with the same $999 and $1,099 debuted with starting prices of $999 and $1,099, respectively.

Three iPhone models remained after the introduction of the iPhone 12. iPhone SE retained its position as the cheapest iPhone, available for $399. iPhone 11 and iPhone XR also remained, but with a $100 price cut. As a result, the iPhone 11 and iPhone XR were priced at $599 and $499, respectively. iPhone 12 lineup starts at $699 and includes the iPhone 12 mini.

Turning the clock back another year from the launch of the iPhone 11, Apple followed a similar pattern. iPhone XR was kept in line with the iPhone 8, which was released two years earlier.

In other words, there is a clear pattern in Apple's lineup where more expensive phones tend to be replaced by more recent models. The less expensive iPhones are maintained for another year or two, often at a reduced price.

Apple keeps its iPhone launch plans top secret, but rumors have no such obligation. Most Apple watchers expect the company to repeat its iPhone 12 launch strategy with the release of the iPhone 13 this fall.

A possible wildcard would be a 5.4-inch phone. According to reports, the iPhone 12 mini did not sell well, and for a while it was rumored that Apple would ditch the compact design for an iPhone 13 release. Subsequent rumors suggest that the iPhone 13 mini is still on track, but given how passionate fans of the best small phones are about the easy-to-hold design, it is assumed that a mini model will appear alongside the other three iPhone 13 options.

As noted above, it is widely expected that Apple will keep the price of the iPhone 13 models unchanged - $699 for the mini, $799 for the standard model, and $999 for the Pro version is a starting point. This is important to take into account because it sets the standard for what new prices Apple could set for older iPhones.

Given how Apple has handled the iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone X, and iPhone XS Max over the past two release cycles, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are living on borrowed time. One would have to think that it would certainly make sense to drop them once the iPhone 13 arrives on the scene. Continuing to sell older Pro models at reduced prices could cannibalize iPhone 13 Pro sales. In addition, the $799 iPhone 13 and $999 iPhone 13 Pro do not leave much room to include the older iPhone 12 Pro models at a reduced price.

The more difficult question is whether Apple will keep the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini in the lineup alongside the new iPhone 13 model. You would think they would keep one of these two models, but not both. And given the reported slow sales of the iPhone 12 mini, the iPhone 12 mini seems like the model that should be dropped.

In this scenario, the iPhone 12 would survive, but would be priced as low as $599, lower than the starting price of the iPhone 13 model. Of course, that would be a $200 price cut from the iPhone 12's current price, a bit steep given Apple's recent history of $100 price cuts on older iPhones. Still, it seems more likely than keeping the two 5.4-inch models as part of the iPhone.

As for the older model, it is not hard to imagine the iPhone XR being dropped without fanfare. The model will celebrate its third birthday in the fall, which is the period Apple prefers to keep its phones the longest. It is also worth noting that the new Digital Key feature planned for Wallet in iOS 15 is not supported on the iPhone XR. It is not hard to imagine that Apple only wants to sell phones that take full advantage of the new phone software.

The iPhone 11 and iPhone SE remain, both of which have the advantage of running on the A13 Bionic processor. This chip is powerful enough to support all of iOS 15's features, with the exception of the 5G performance enhancements that Apple has promised as part of the update. iPhone 11 will adopt the iPhone XR's current $499 price, while iPhone SE will continue to sell for $399 It may.

Of course, none of this is set in stone, and Apple usually follows its own advice when it comes to setting its product lineup. Still, when the iPhone 13 debuts this fall, don't be surprised to see some old favorites stick around while other phones exit the stage.