Photo/Graphics: Apple/Rajesh Pandey/CultOfMac
The 2018 Intel-based Mac mini has officially entered Apple’s vintage list. Alongside this, the 2015 iPhone 6s also joins the list.
This means that these products will only receive limited repair support from Apple.
Vintage Apple devices get limited hardware support
Apple typically marks a product as vintage five years after sales and distribution end. While the company will still provide repair support for such devices. However, this will depend on the availability of spare parts and components.
So, if a service center cannot source repair parts, it may deny repairing your old iPhone 6s or Intel-based Mac mini. In such cases, you can try another Apple-authorized service provider or Apple Store in a different region.
The iPhone 6s launched in 2016, with Apple officially selling it until around 2018. It was the first iPhone to feature 3D Touch, which Apple eventually removed from newer iPhones due to low adoption.
As for the 2018 Mac mini, it was Apple’s last mini to launch with an Intel CPU. You could buy the machine with a 4-core or 6-core Intel CPU and up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM. It used Intel’s onboard UHD 630 GPU and could drive three displays simultaneously. This was Apple’s last Mac mini before the company transitioned to Apple silicon with the 2020 refresh.
Despite being vintage, Apple still provides OS updates for the 2018 Intel Mac mini.
These devices will become obsolete in 2027
Two years from now, Apple will mark the iPhone 6s and 2018 Mac mini as obsolete. Then, the company will end all hardware support for these devices and stop providing replacement components. This means you won’t be able to get any repair work done by Apple on them.
If you still use a 2018 Mac mini as a daily driver, consider upgrading to the Apple silicon model. It delivers better performance while consuming significantly less power. Plus, Apple has lowered the mini’s price over the years, and you can now get the supremely capable M4 Mac mini with 16GB of memory for just $599.
Source: MacRumors
