If you have a Mac that dates back to 2009-2011, you will soon become the proud owner of a vintage Apple product. That’s because Macs produced in these years are about to officially become obsolete. Apple no longer wishes to provide support for two MacBook Pros, a Mac mini, and the MacBook (the older one), said a news report, adding that these devices would join the elite list of vintage Apple products.
Reportedly, four devices will no longer be eligible for hardware service or new parts after December 31, 2016. This means that neither Apple nor its authorised service providers will be able to fix these devices next year, if they happen to develop a problem.
So, if you have any of the following products, you should get them checked before the year runs out.
- MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011)
- MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)
- Mac mini (Early 2009)
- MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2009)
These Macs will be classified as either vintage or obsolete in the United States, Canada, Japan, Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region by the end of this year.
However, there are some places that are exempt from this ruling. For instance, if you bought your Mac in the state of California, you would still be eligible for repairs until the end of 2018, to comply with state laws. Similarly, if you bought your Mac in Turkey, you will be able to get it serviced for the next two years, as is mandated by the local statute.
According to Apple, vintage products are those that have not been manufactured by Apple for between five and seven years. Obsolete products are those that were discontinued by Apple more than seven years ago. Apple and Authorized Service Providers make no distinction between obsolete and vintage products outside of Turkey and California.
Apple’s Mac mini and the 13-inch MacBook models from 2009 fall in the ‘obsolete’ category, while the 15-inch and 17-inch Macbook Pros from 2011 fall in the ‘vintage’ category.
If you are from the elite Apple clan, you‘d know that putting Macs and other products on the chopping block is a standard practice for Apple every 5-7 years. In mid-October, Apple added many of its products to the list, most notably the 2010’s iPhone 4 — a huge favourite that had survived many years of use.
If you have any of these products, I hope it works fine for the longest time possible. But when an issue arises and you are in need of repair or servicing for the Mac, head straight to your local repair shop because the Apple service center won’t be able to help you. Sad, but true!
