Apple is expected to debut new M4 Macs in just a few weeks, but today it moved to end support for a variety of older Mac models. Nine Macs have been added to Apple’s ‘obsolete products’ list, and another three have been declared ‘vintage,’ per MacRumors. Here’s what that means.
Defining obsolete and vintage products
Before listing out the new obsolete and vintage products, it’s important to state what each term means.
According to Apple, devices are considered obsolete when “Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 7 years ago.”
A product joining the ‘obsolete’ list means it’s no longer able to be repaired by Apple, and third-party service providers won’t be able to order parts for repairs either.
The only exception is battery-only repairs for Mac laptops, which can be provided for up to 10 years from the last distribution date, pending parts availability.
A vintage product, on the other hand, is one that Apple stopped distributing for sale “more than 5 and less than 7 years ago.”
It is still very much eligible for parts repairs from Apple, but the vintage designation indicates parts availability may be limited.
The newest additions to the obsolete and vintage lists
Here is the full list of nine Macs that are now designated ‘obsolete’ by Apple:
- MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, 2 TBT3)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, 4 TBT3)
- MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016)
- MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
- MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016)
- iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015)
- iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)
- iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015)
These were formerly part of the vintage list, but now they are no longer eligible for Apple hardware repairs.
There are also three Macs joining the vintage list for the first time.
- MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, 2 TBT3)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, 4 TBT3)
If you have one of the Macs on the vintage list, and you think you may need a repair, it’s best to get that taken care of sooner rather than later.
You can browse the full list of obsolete and vintage products here.
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