Apple quietly adds three products to 'vintage and obsolete' list leaving owners struggling to get support
Three incredibly popular items in Apple's back catalog have just been added to the dreaded 'vintage and obsolete' list, meaning you might not be able to source a repair for the gadget going forward.
There will always reach a point in a gadget's lifespan where it's no longer up to scratch, and it's usually up to the owner whether they're willing to source a repair or go out and buy the latest and greatest brand new as a replacement.
It obviously costs far less money in a lot of cases to opt for a repair – although some are a lot more expensive than you might think – yet actually getting the parts necessary to make an old piece of tech feel new can be a challenge.
This is especially the case for older Apple products, as the tech giant frequently moves outdated gadgets into categories that prevent repairs from being conducted, leaving owners with little choice other than buying a new device outright.
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Unfortunately, as reported by the Daily Mail, three fan-favorite items have just had their repairability statuses threatened by a new move from Apple, as the company has quietly transitioned them into 'vintage' or 'obsolete' lines going forward.
This affects older devices in the MacBook, Apple TV, and iPad lines released as recently as 2017 — although two out of the three made their way to shelves over a decade ago now, so the removal of support shouldn't exactly come as a surprise.
Starting out with the more positive news of the three, the only device to become 'vintage' is the 13-inch MacBook Air released by Apple in 2017 — and this status means that repairs are only eligible if parts remain through Apple's official support services or authorized service providers.
It might not necessarily be a signal to panic if you've got this particular laptop, but if you've noticed something wrong with it already and are yet to get it fixed, it might be worth checking it out sooner rather than later as there's a risk the parts won't be there anymore.
The same luck won't apply to owners of either the Apple TV HD 32GB or the iPad mini 4, as both of these gadgets are now classified as 'obsolete' by Apple, meaning that there's no support or repairs available through official means anymore.
It's to be expected now that it has been 11 years since both devices were released, but it could be a sign that it's time for an upgrade as you won't be able to breathe new life into the device going forward.