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Understanding the Significance: Apple Declares Additional Macs as Obsolete - Insights & Consequences

MacBook Pro 2018 15-inch Silver laptop computer.

Jason Cipriani/ZDNet

Apple has quietly designated nine Mac models as obsolete and three MacBooks as vintage. These changes were initially spotted by MacRumors on the tech giant’s support website.

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Before going over the new entries, it’s important to define the terms . “Obsolete”, in this context, means a product that Apple stopped selling over seven years ago. As a result, the company will no longer offer repairs or hardware services . Third-party service providers can’t even order parts for the devices.

There is one exception to the rule. If you bought one of the affected MacBook models within the past 10 years, you “may be eligible for an extended battery-only repair” – so long as supplies last. Apple will not be manufacturing any more batteries.

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“Vintage”, on the other hand, refers to a product that Apple stopped selling over five years ago, but “less than seven”. The major difference here is the tech giant will still offer parts and service. However, the availability of the components can differ.

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With the explanations out of the way, here is the list of all the obsolete Macs:

21.5-inch iMac from late 2015
21.5-inch Mac with the 4K Retina display from late 2015
27-inch Mac with the 5K Retina display from late 2015
13-inch MacBook Air from early 2015
13-inch MacBook Pro with the Retina display from early 2015
12-inch MacBook with the Retina display from early 2016
13-inch MacBook Pro with two Thunderbolt 3 ports from 2016
13-inch MacBook Pro with four Thunderbolt 3 ports from 2016
15-inch MacBook Pro from 2016

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The following list covers all of the vintage products:

13–inch MacBook Pro with two Thunderbolt 3 ports from 2017
13-inch MacBook Air with the Retina display from 2018
13-inch MacBook Pro with four Thunderbolt 3 ports from 2018

Owners of a vintage MacBook should get any repairs done as soon as possible. That 2017 MacBook will be joining the obsolete list some time next year. Then in 2026, the other two are making the jump. Obsolete Mac users are sadly out of luck, unless you can find a third-party provider already possessing the part you need or you can find something on eBay.

It’s a disappointing situation for some people although it’s not surprising. Apple doesn’t really focus on “old” devices, preferring to instead focus on the “new”. Recent rumors claim the tech giant is set to unveil the M4 Mac Mini in October . It’s possible Apple is freeing up room and resources for the upcoming model.