Motorola cycles product lines (at least on the high tier) about every five years or so. They also typically have a parts/service availablity policy to support products for x years after the last one is shipped (hence the two dates). After that, when parts run out...thats it.
However, in the last few years they have been just cutting off service all together (IE won't even touch stuff) even though the "part" might be a software upgrade which is BS. But, they are not out of line in the business model of any other company. If you keep the same products out there, you lose marketshare and profitability. On the otherside - we don't need to drop $2,000+ (x) number of radios every year in our budget because we are a slave to innovations - even if we don't need the new product.
Internally, the XTS/XTL 1500/2500 are the same radio - different firmware/software revisions but the hardware (internally) is the same. The accessories between them is all the same. The 1500/2500 series came out after the 5000 and I'd expect it to have a little longer service life. The annoucement stated that there is no annoucement on the 2500 line.
Essentially:
XTS/XTL5000 = APX7000/XE
XTS/XTL2500 = APX6000/XE
XTS/XTL1500 = APX4000
Is this like GPS unit that you buy that has the "lifetime maps" feature? You read the fine print and it says something like 'when we stop providing updates, your unit is at the end of its life'.
Well, at least for most GPS units, it depends on the map provider data they use. Garmin changed theirs years back when they went to the Streetpilot series (C series?) from the more legacy units such as the III, III+, V etc (the first attempt at car navagation before the color units came out).
With Motorola these days, part of it seems to be innovation, another part greed. They are really pushing for digital, and phase 2 trunking - which is where the $$$ is.
