Apple is ending support for older Touch Bar MacBooks – could this be the end of the line?
Apple has reportedly added the 2017 Touch Bar MacBook Pro to its list of vintage products around the world, involving both the 13- and 15-inch versions. This move means that repairing those laptops can now be more difficult than ever before.
The Touch Bar was first introduced in 2016 and has been largely unloved ever since, but it’s still available on just one of Apple’s modern laptops. The M2 13-inch MacBook Pro will still ship with a Touch Bar, but for how long? Apple seems to have generally accepted that the physical function keys are a better option, despite continuing to ship the Touch Bar — but it’s notably not available on the company’s 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros, which are currently among the best laptops belong. over there. That should probably tell us where the Touch Bar is according to Apple.
The 2017 MacBook Pro isn’t the only new addition to the vintage product list, either. In mid-2015, the 15-inch MacBook Pro (without Touch Bar) was also added.
Gone but not forgotten
Mac Rumors was the first to notice that the MacBook Pro was on the vintage list, and it’s a move that could mean it’s getting harder to get one repaired now than before.
Vintage listed products are no longer guaranteed to be repaired at Apple Stores or even Apple Authorized Service Providers. She shall work on it for a fee, but only if they have the parts available at the time. That means you may need to buy a new laptop or call on a third-party repair shop. And even then there is no guarantee that the parts will be available.
As for what comes next, it’s possible to see this latest move as a sign that the Touch Bar won’t last long, especially with a refreshed M3 version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro likely to be announced at the rumored event from Apple in October. However, this move may not be as progressive as you might think. Apple routinely adds products to the vintage list five years after they were last sold, a time frame that this laptop has now passed.
Still, we can only hope that the Touch Bar heads in the direction of the dodo. Still, it would be a pity. There’s no denying that the Touch Bar was a missed opportunity for Apple.
The only question now? Will that M3 MacBook Pro have a Touch Bar it can call its own?