Last year, Apple added the very first MacBook Pro with Touch Bar to its list of “Vintage Products” that may no longer have parts available for repair. Now, a year later, the 2017 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar has also been deemed vintage – news that comes after the company confirmed that this model won’t get macOS 14.
2017 MacBook Pro is now a vintage product
According to Apple, a product is considered vintage five years after the end of its distribution for sales. As a result, Apple no longer guarantees that it will have parts available for repair at Apple Stores and Authorized Service Providers (AASP). And the 2017 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is now part of that list (via MacRumors).
The 2017 MacBook Pro is the second generation of Apple’s laptop with the Touch Bar, which was introduced with the 2016 models. These MacBook Pro models also became notorious due to issues with the Butterfly Keyboard, which led Apple to later acknowledge the malfunction and announce a recall for faulty keyboards.
While the 2017 models with Touch Bar are now considered vintage, the 2017 version with no Touch Bar and only two Thunderbolt ports still has an extra year before it makes the list. That’s because Apple didn’t update the entry-level version of the MacBook Pro in 2018 and kept the 2017 model in stores for another year.
Even so, none of the MacBooks introduced in 2017 will support macOS Sonoma – which was announced at WWDC 2023 in June and is expected to be released to the public this fall. These laptops will only get security patches from now on (and this should last for the next two years).
Currently, the only MacBook to have a Touch Bar is the 13-inch version with the M2 chip.
From vintage to obsolete
Apple has a second category for discontinued products, “Obsolete Products.” While Vintage Products may or may not have parts available for repair, those considered obsolete are ineligible for any type of repair at Apple Stores or service providers. A product enters the obsolete list seven years after the end of its distribution for sales.
The only exception to this rule is the MacBook battery. Apple says that customers can get a battery repair for up to 10 years after the laptop has been discontinued.
If you’re looking to upgrade your vintage MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, check out the best deals for Apple’s latest laptops here.
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