Seven years is a lifetime in tech, the saying goes and for Apples, it’s also the cut-off between repairable and obsolete. This week, Apple quietly ushered three of its formerly coveted MacBook models into the realm where official repairs all but disappear, bringing an end to an era for the smallest MacBook Air ever constructed.
The news comes at a time when the company is also said to be working on an extremely different type of laptop: a low-end, A18 Pro-powered MacBook that may hit shelves as early as late 2025. For enthusiasts, this contrast is ominous as some computers disappear into the past, others are already creating hype for their potential to redefine Apple’s laptop game.
From goodbye to the 11-inch MacBook Air to rumors of a $599 MacBook, here are the top developments and news Apple enthusiasts should know.
1. Three Macs Officially Declared Obsolete
Apple has also included the MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2015), MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, 4 Thunderbolt 3 Ports), and MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017) in its list of obsolete products. According to Apple’s policy, a product is declared obsolete more than seven years after its last release, which means official repairs at Apple Stores and Authorized Service Providers are no longer provided, except for battery replacement in limited instances if parts are still available.
The 11-inch MacBook Air itself is particularly notable in Apple’s history. It was last sold in October 2016, the last small-screen Air before Apple redirected attention to larger, resolution-dense screens. Its inclusion on this list implies it stayed in reseller channels at least through 2018, keeping it alive in the market beyond its official end-of-life.
2. The End of the 11-Inch MacBook Air Era
The 11-inch MacBook Air was Apple’s most travel-friendly laptop, chosen by travelers and minimalists for its small size. Its end came around the same time the first Touch Bar–enabled MacBook Pros launched, marking a shift toward more capable and bigger machines.
The MacBook Air lineup of today begins at 13.6 inches, but if more display is desired, there’s a 15.3-inch model available. Those who miss the smaller MacBook will see some industry buzz suggesting a new 12.9-inch model that might restore the popularity of the super-portable Apple notebooks, though in a quite different package.
3. Retro Status for the iPhone 8 Plus
Alongside the Mac announcements, Apple moved the iPhone 8 Plus (64GB and 256GB) to its vintage products list. Devices enter this category more than five years after being discontinued, and while repairs remain possible, they are contingent on parts availability and will cease entirely once the product becomes obsolete.
Released in September 2017 with the iPhone X, the iPhone 8 Plus was Apple’s final generation of classic home-button design in a large size. Its retro nature emphasizes how rapidly flagship phones become outdated and go from being innovative to historical in the Apple product timeline.
4. Rumors of a $599 A18 Pro MacBook
Several supply chain reports and analyst comments indicate Apple is getting ready to launch a low-end MacBook in the $599-$699 range. DigiTimes reports that some of the parts could go into mass production as early as Q3 2025, with Quanta assembly in Q4, putting the laptop on a late 2025 or early 2026 release schedule.
If true, this would be the first iPhone-class chip-based Mac, A18 Pro, instead of the M-series chips employed by today’s Apple Silicon Macs. The shift could make the Mac platform accessible to a larger number of users while pitting Windows laptops in the budget category.
5. A 12.9-Inch Screen and Thin Design
The anticipated A18 Pro MacBook is said to boast a 12.9-inch screen, which is slightly narrower than the MacBook Air’s 13.6-inch screen. It is believed to have an ultra-skinny, light design and could come in Silver, Blue, Pink, and Yellow colors.
Cost-cutting can also be applied to the display specifications, with potential downgrades in brightness or color gamut. These sacrifices would enable Apple to achieve its ambitious price target while distinguishing the model from the Air and Pro offerings.
6. Performance on Par with the M1 MacBook Air
Benchmark tests reveal that the single-core performance of A18 Pro competes with the M3 chip and is a hair behind the M1 because it only has six CPU cores. Its 6-core GPU is equally graphically capable as the M1 MacBook Air.
With a minimum of 8GB of RAM the bare minimum for Apple Intelligence features and probably a 256GB storage minimum, the laptop would suffice for normal computing tasks. But it will not have Thunderbolt support, using instead just plain USB-C ports, and might not include a built-in webcam in place of Apple’s Continuity Camera feature.
7. Possible Market Impact
Apple’s aspiration for the budget MacBook is ambitious: to increase annual MacBook shipments by 30% to 40%, to as much as 25 million units. That would be a big increase from recent volumes of 17–20 million.
Analysts warn that while the new model might appeal to price-conscious shoppers, it may cannibalize MacBook Air sales. There will be a need to balance cost with profitability, particularly as Apple is faced with competitive pressure from Windows and Chromebook vendors.
Apple’s latest obsolescence update brings the curtain down on one of its most popular ultra-portable laptops while speculation is rife about a new, budget MacBook that promises to reset the company’s entry-level product. For fans, it’s a reminder that Apple’s product ecosystem is in a state of perpetual motion phasing out icons while preparing the ground for the next generation of devices.
