Your 2017 MacBook Pro Is Obsolete – Here’s What Happens Next
Apple quietly labels older MacBooks obsolete. Here’s what users need to know about service, repair availability, and future updates.
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Apple has officially updated its product classification list, designating several older devices as vintage and obsolete. The list now includes the 2017 MacBook Pro models with Touch Bar, the early 2015 MacBook Air 11-inch, and the iPhone 8 Plus.
The company has marked the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2017), MacBook Pro 13-inch with four Thunderbolt 3 ports (2017), and MacBook Air 11-inch (early 2015) as obsolete. These laptops, part of the redesign Apple introduced in 2016, feature the Touch Bar—an OLED strip above the keyboard replacing physical function keys with software-based controls. The models also reflect Apple’s controversial butterfly keyboard design, which led to widespread complaints and a $50 million class-action settlement.
The iPhone 8 Plus, offered in 64GB and 256GB configurations, has been classified as vintage. Apple applies this status to products discontinued more than five years but less than seven years ago. Red editions of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus were already on the vintage list. The iPhone 8 series was introduced in 2017 and remained available until the release of the second-generation iPhone SE in 2020.
Apple defines a product as obsolete when it has been out of production for seven years or longer, at which point hardware and software support ends. Vintage devices, however, may still qualify for limited repairs, depending on available parts.
The 11-inch MacBook Air, first unveiled in 2010 with a tapered unibody frame, was discontinued in 2016 after regular updates over six years.
