Apple loves to surprise users with new high-end products, and in order to do that it must make sure that older ones are discarded.
That's wh, on Dec. 8, 2015, markets from Asia-Pacific, the United States, Canada, Japan, Latin America and Europe will stop providing service or repairs to the a list of older devices. A number iPods, Macs and Beats gizmos will be labeled as "obsolete" or "vintage", meaning that no Apple retail store or authorized third-party will agree to fix them after that date.
If you're the "lucky" owner of such a device and it needs repair, be sure to get it to an Apple Store or an authorized repair shop by the beginning of December.
The Macs that get no more repairs starting next month due to their Obsolete or Vintage status are:
• MacBook (13-inch, early 2008)
• Mac Pro (Early 2008)
• MacBook Pro (17-inch, early 2009)
• MacBook Air (original to Late 2008)
• iMac (17-inch, Late 2006)
The process works like this: Apple stops building certain devices and five to seven years after the production stopped, the respective product gets the outdated status. If you're curious what other gadgets are on the list, you may read it here. Spoiler alert: the original iPhone (first generation) is on it.
If you're wondering about the difference between obsolete and vintage status, here's the deal. Vintage products have between five to seven years since they were discontinued, whereas obsolete items have exited the production chain more than seven years ago. In some countries or states such as California and Turkey, a certain level of hardware service is available even after the seven-year period has expired.
In the current vintage and obsolete list, Apple clients will also find:
• Apple Cinema Display (early 2007)
• Time Capsule 802.11n (the first two generation models)
• iPod touch (original to third generation)
A premiere for the company is the consistent number of Beats items, which Apple conveniently inherited when it bought Beats Electronics:
• Beatbox Portable (first generation)
• Wireless (first generation)
• Heartbeats (first generation)
• iBeats
• Diddybeats
• Beatbox
On Dec. 8, 2015 all of the items that are mentioned in the internal memo will be listed as obsolete or vintage and this might motivate their owners to look at more recent iOS products for the Christmas shopping spree.
