Apple Watch Series 4, 15-inch MacBook Pro are now vintage: What it means

Apple has updated its lists of vintage and obsolete products, classifying all variants of the Apple Watch Series 4 as vintage. Additionally, Apple has also added the 2019 15-inch MacBook Pro to the list of vintage products. This classification depends on when a product was last distributed for sale and impacts its repairability and parts availability. Below are the details of new devices added to these categories and what it means for the user.

 

Vintage Apple products

 

Apple has classified all variants of the Apple Watch Series 4 as vintage products, including the aluminum and stainless steel versions in 40mm and 44mm sizes. Launched in 2018, Apple dropped operating system support for the Watch Series 4 with watchOS 11.

 

 

Apple has also mentioned the 2019 15-inch MacBook Pro among the list of vintage products. It was the last 15-inch MacBook Pro released. Even though the device is now considered vintage, it still supports the latest macOS Sequoia.

 

What it means

 

Apple categorises products as vintage when they have been discontinued for over five years but less than seven years. Products discontinued for more than seven years are deemed obsolete.

 

As outlined on Apple's support page, service and parts are generally provided through authorised service providers for a minimum of five years post-discontinuation, with extensions up to seven years in certain regions. While vintage products may still be eligible for service, availability depends on the region. Obsolete products, however, are usually not supported for service or parts globally.

 

An exception applies to Mac laptops, which may be eligible for battery repairs for up to 10 years from the last distribution date, depending on parts availability. Apple's classifications are determined by a product's final distribution date rather than its launch date.