Apple's obsolete list is about to get bigger come June 30, and the last 17-inch MacBook Pro is among those reaching their end of life.
In fact, a number of older Apple devices will become obsolete on June 30, including select MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, AirPort Express, and iPhones.
For the MacBook Pro line, models becoming obsolete include the 13-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch models from late 2011, as well as the 17-inch model from mid-2009. The 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air models from mid-2011 are on the list as well.
What Does This Mean?
With these models becoming obsolete, it essentially means device owners will no longer be able to benefit from repair support at Apple Retail Stores and Authorized Service Providers.
Apple-centric publication 9to5Mac first broke the news, and AppleInsider later confirmed it based on an Apple internal document it saw. Apple's official vintage and obsolete products list doesn't list these devices yet, but the company will reportedly add them soon.
Other Apple Products Becoming Obsolete
Come June 30, Apple will also add the first-generation 802.11n AirPort Express from 2008 to its obsolete list. Unlike the more recent model of the standalone box, the 2008 AirPort Express has a wall-socket design.
At the same time, Apple is also obsoleting the old iPhone 3 GS from 2009. The third-generation iPhone will also join the obsolete status on June 30, in both the 16 GB and 32 GB models.
Apple typically reflects these changes on the vintage and obsolete devices list on its website, but otherwise it doesn't make any separate announcements or notify customers when it's moving a product onto this list.
Why It Makes Sense
Nevertheless, such transitions don't come as a huge surprise considering the age of the products. Apple generally makes devices obsolete roughly five to seven years since discontinuing manufacturing. Once a device has been discontinued for so long, parts become highly difficult to find and repairs are no longer practical. For this reason, owners of older Apple devices cannot benefit from official support and repairs once the devices hit the obsolete list.
It's worth pointing out, however, that this list has a couple of exceptions. In Turkey and California, these devices set to join the obsolete list on June 30 will instead transition into vintage status, which means that customers will still get limited support for two years once the devices have become obsolete everywhere else.
New MacBooks At WWDC 2017?
As some devices will take their final bow soon enough, others are just about to make their debut. Apple is expected to announce new MacBooks at its upcoming WWDC 2017 event in June and the new models should pack some extra oomph, especially since competition is heating up and rivals such as Microsoft are closing in.
The company is rumored to introduce a 12-inch MacBook, a new MacBook Pro, and a 13-inch MacBook Air at the conference next month. All models should sport notable improvements and good specs all around, but it's all still in the rumor state at this point. As always, we'll keep you up to date as soon as we learn more.
