In a significant year-end move, Apple Inc. has officially placed a total of 25 of its products on the discontinued list for the year 2024. This sweeping update to its product portfolio includes some of its most recent and popular devices, marking a faster-than-usual transition cycle for the tech giant.
The Major Headliners: iPhone and MacBook Lines See Cuts
The list of discontinued Apple products features some surprising names. Most notably, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, launched just over a year ago, have been discontinued. This move is part of Apple's strategy following the launch of the iPhone 17 series. Similarly, the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models have also been phased out.
On the computing front, Apple has ceased production of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models equipped with the M3 chip. These laptops were introduced in March 2024, making their market lifespan notably short. The company has also discontinued the Mac Studio with the M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips, alongside the Mac Pro with the M2 Ultra chip.
A Broad Range of Products Affected
The discontinuation is not limited to phones and computers. Apple has also ended several accessories and other hardware lines. The list includes multiple versions of the Apple Pencil, such as the first-generation USB-C model and the second-generation model. In the wearable segment, the Apple Watch Series 9 in both GPS and Cellular variants, along with the Apple Watch Ultra 2, have been discontinued following the release of the Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Other notable products added to the discontinued roster are the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) with 128GB storage and the AirPods Max in all color options. The tech giant has also phased out the MagSafe Duo Charger and the 20W USB-C Power Adapter.
What Does 'Discontinued' Mean for Consumers?
When Apple labels a product as 'discontinued', it signifies that the company has stopped manufacturing and selling the device through its official sales channels. However, these products may still be available with third-party retailers until existing stocks last.
More importantly, this status affects the long-term support for the device. Discontinued products eventually move to Apple's 'vintage' and later 'obsolete' product categories. Vintage products are those Apple stopped distributing more than 5 but less than 7 years ago. Apple provides hardware service for vintage products only subject to parts availability.
Obsolete products are those Apple stopped distributing more than 7 years ago. For these, all hardware services are discontinued, and service providers cannot order parts. The latest discontinuations mean these 25 devices have started their journey on this path, though they will continue to receive software updates for the foreseeable future as per Apple's standard support policy.
This large-scale discontinuation in 2024 highlights Apple's accelerated product refresh cycle and its focus on pushing consumers towards its latest technologies, such as the M4 chip for Macs and the newer iPhone 17 lineup. For existing owners of these now-discontinued devices, it serves as a clear signal about the product's position in its lifecycle.
