Apple stops technical support three its most widespread devices

Apple has officially announced that several of its famous devices are nearing the end of their lifespan in terms of technical support and maintenance services.

The company added a number of legacy products to its "Vintage" and "Obsolete" product lists, meaning owners may soon find it difficult to repair their devices or obtain spare parts or official support from Apple.

Among the newly affected products is the 13-inch MacBook Air released in 2017, which Apple classified as a "vintage" product, making the possibility of repairing this laptop dependent only on the availability of spare parts in Apple stores or through authorized service providers.

The company also moved all versions of the iPad mini 4 and the 32GB Apple TV HD to the "Obsolete" products list, a stricter classification that completely deprives these devices of any official repairs or technical support.

It is noteworthy that the Apple TV HD was launched in 2015, and its production was discontinued seven years later following the launch of the third generation of Apple TV 4K in 2022, but currently only the 32GB version is officially classified as obsolete.

Apple relies on a clear time standard in its classification system, as products are considered "vintage" once the company stops distributing them for more than five years. As for "obsolete" products, they are those for which more than seven years have passed since Apple stopped selling them, at which point the company stops all hardware maintenance services for these products, and service providers are not allowed to order spare parts for them.

Apple explains that customers can usually obtain repairs and parts for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and others for at least five years after the last sale, and this period may extend in some cases to seven years depending on local laws and parts availability. In fact, some Mac laptops may remain eligible for battery repair only for up to ten years after the end of sales.

Despite this, once products are classified as technically obsolete, Apple eventually stops providing maintenance and repair services entirely. However, the company indicates that affected devices still receive software updates, and can often be maintained through Apple's network of more than 5,000 authorized repair locations, as long as parts are available.

This announcement came after Apple discontinued 15 devices last March, just one week after revealing new devices.

As part of this process, the company quietly removed a group of older devices from its lineup, a common strategy Apple uses when introducing new technologies, meaning these devices are no longer available for purchase.