End of support for two iPhones, a MacBook and other devices
At the turn of the year, Apple is putting some popular products aside and putting them on its “vintage” list. Included are iPhones, an Apple Watch and a special MacBook. For owners, this means limitations in hardware support.
Apple is shutting down support
Apple keeps saying goodbye to older devices. Last year it affected over 20 products. Just in time for the start of 2026, the Cupertino-based company is now putting a number of other prominent devices on the proverbial sidelines and reducing support. This affects products from 2019 and 2020, which are now officially given “Vintage” status. Products are considered “vintage” if they were discontinued for sale more than five and less than seven years ago. Official repairs from Apple or authorized service providers are no longer guaranteed for such devices. They will only be carried out as long as the corresponding spare parts are available in stock. There is no longer a binding promise for hardware service, which can become a problem if defects occur.
The following devices are considered vintage as of December 31, 2025:
- MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020)
- Apple Watch Series 5
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 8 Plus (128 GB variant)
- iPad Air 3 (Wi-Fi + Cellular models)
Last remnants of the Intel era
The MacBook Air (Retina, 13 inch, 2020) is particularly symbolic. It is the last MacBook Air that was delivered with Intel processors before the manufacturer initiated the switch to Apple Silicon with the M1 chip and thus fundamentally changed the architecture of its computers. The laptop had an unusually short market presence of only about eight months. It is considered by experts to be a transitional device that suffered from thermal problems. The built-in Intel chip produced more waste heat than the slim housing could efficiently dissipate, especially since the fan was not directly connected to the heat sink.
The M1 model that followed in November 2020 used the same housing, but thanks to the efficiency of the new chip, solved all heat problems and almost doubled the battery life. In addition, all variants of the Apple Watch Series 5 have also been included Vintage list recorded. The smartwatch was a technical milestone at the time, as it was the manufacturer’s first watch to have an always-on display. The iPhone 11 Pro is also affected. While the larger iPhone 11 Pro Max was partially retired last September, the smaller sister model is now following suit. The iPhone 11 Pro was the first smartphone from Apple to have the suffix “Pro” in the name and to have a camera system with three lenses.
Software support and obsolescence
Classification as “Vintage” does not necessarily mean the immediate end of software support, but it often indicates the beginning of a withdrawal. The iPhone 11 Pro is in an interesting position here. Although hardware repairability is now limited, the device still supports the latest iOS. Experience has shown that iPhones often receive security updates for several years beyond their vintage status, even if new key functions are withheld from older models.
The situation is often different with Mac hardware, where new macOS versions increasingly exclude Intel chips in order to fully exploit the functions of the Apple Silicon architecture. In addition to the main devices, the company is also retiring specific accessories. An almost forgotten detail of the company’s history is the Beats Solo3 Wireless in the “Mickey Mouse 90th Anniversary Edition”. This special edition is now considered completely obsolete.
Anyone who owns these collector’s items will now have to resort to third-party providers in the event of defects, as official support has finally ended. Devices are generally considered obsolete seven years after the official end of sales. During this phase, hardware repairs will stop altogether and service providers will no longer be able to order parts. A notable exception is Mac laptops, which have an extended battery-only repair period of up to ten years. However, the prerequisite here is that the corresponding batteries are still available.
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