The aforementioned Touch Bar MacBooks from previous years have been officially labeled as obsolete.
If you've got an old MacBook from 2015 or 2016 gathered dust in your closet, it's time to bid it farewell. Apple updated their list of obsolete products last week, including several MacBook Air and Pro models from those years, along with three iMacs that have been around since 2012. It's a sad reality that these elderly devices, like the iPhone 5S, will eventually join the ranks of forgotten tech.
The affected MacBook models range from 13-inch to 15-inch Air and Pro, sporting that age-old touch bar or the less appreciated 12-inch Retina screen models that needed a dongle for multiple cable connections. Gizmodo wasn't particularly fond of those early Retina MacBooks back then.
The updated list includes:
- MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016)
- MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, 2 Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, 4 Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
- MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016)
- MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
- iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015)
- iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)
- iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015)
The iMac models from 2015 leave a more significant impact on Apple enthusiasts. With the introduction of the 4K display at 21.5 inches, these large-screen devices underwent a significant transformation. Fast forward to 2023, the 24-inch iMacs with M3 boast the same design but now sport a 4.5K Retina display or 4480 by 2520 resolution.
More Macs are following suit and moving into the "vintage" list. These include the 2018 13-inch MacBook Air, the 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro, and the 2018 13-inch MacBook Pro. The 2018 Pros, featuring Intel's 8th-gen CPUs, were quite powerful, albeit a source of controversy due to cooling issues and allegations of underperformance compared to competing PCs.
Despite reaching the end of their life cycle, all these vintage Macs are still repairable to a certain extent, as long as spare parts are available. Obsolete products, on the other hand, are any longer eligible for repairs or replacement. Apple designates a product as obsolete after five years of distribution. Although we may not see the first M1 MacBooks joining the obsolete list anytime soon, the clock is ticking.
Enrichment Data:
A MacBook or iMac is declared obsolete by Apple when it no longer meets the minimum system requirements for the latest operating system or stops receiving essential security updates. Here are the specific factors:
- Operating System Compatibility: Apple withdraws support for older Macs that can't run the latest operating systems, thus deeming them obsolete.
- Security Updates: Macs that have reached their end-of-life cycle no longer receive security patches, making them more susceptible to security risks.
- Software Compatibility: New software releases may not work on older Macs, limiting their functionality and pushing them towards obsolescence.
- Hardware Upgrades: While upgrading the RAM and hard drive can extend a Mac's life, operating system and software compatibility remain the primary factors for determining its obsoletion.
The 2018 13-inch MacBook Air and the 2018 13-inch MacBook Pro are expected to join the list of vintage Macs soon, as per Apple's five-year lifecycle rule. The future of these MacBooks and other obsolete products is uncertain, as they will no longer receive essential security updates or be eligible for repairs. Despite this, tech enthusiasts might be interested in using vintage MacBooks like the MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016) or the MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015) for future technology projects, or they may decide to place them in a dustbin as they become increasingly outdated.
