Apple iMac 2019: The last 21.5-inch Intel Mac is now officially vintage
Five years after stopping sales, Apple officially declared the 21.5-inch 4K iMac from 2019 to be a vintage model. From now on, repairs in the stores will only take place based on strict availability of remaining spare parts.
The era of Intel Macs is slowly coming to an end
Apple has added the 21.5-inch iMac from 2019 to the list of vintage products worldwide. The move affects the variant with a 4K Retina display and marks the slow end of the company’s Intel-based desktop computers. The classification occurs exactly five years after the device was last regularly sold through official sales channels. The computer appeared in the familiar silver aluminum casing that Apple introduced in 2012. The base model had an Intel Core i3 processor, eight gigabytes of RAM and a one terabyte hard drive. However, with the rapid switch to Apple silicon processors the following year, the Intel model quickly lost its relevance.
What vintage status means
As Macrumors reported, the formal downgrade will change the situation for owners of the iMac, especially in the case of hardware defects. Apple Stores and Authorized Service Providers accept repairs vintage products still available, but this only happens with reservations. The repair is strictly dependent on whether the required spare parts are in stock. From this point on, customers no longer have a guarantee of a successful repair.
Software and future use
On the software side, users of the computer also have to accept significant restrictions. The current MacOS Golden Gate operating system no longer offers support for Intel Macs. The iMac from 2019 therefore remains permanently on the older version MacOS Sequoia. After all: Apple will continue to deliver important security updates for the aging system until 2027. After seven years without official sales, Apple finally classifies the device as obsolete.
This will happen in 2028. From that moment on, the company will completely stop producing spare parts and will no longer offer official repairs. Owners should therefore have any upcoming repairs carried out promptly.
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