Apple Adding iPhone 5 and Additional Macs to Pilot Program Allowing Repairs of Select 'Vintage' Products

Normally, an Apple product becomes vintage once five years have passed since it was last manufactured, meaning that Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) will no longer repair or service the product.

repair mac
In late January, however, Apple launched a pilot program that permits Apple Stores and AASPs to continue servicing select vintage products, subject to parts availability. The program started in the United States and Turkey with the Mid 2011 iMac and expanded worldwide with the 2012 MacBook Air in August.

Now, Apple is further expanding the program to include the iPhone 5, which became vintage on Wednesday. In an internal document, Apple says Apple Stores and AASPs worldwide are authorized to continue servicing the CDMA variant of the device through October 31, 2020, and the GSM variant through December 30, 2020.

Apple's internal document, obtained by MacRumors from multiple sources, also outlines other soon-to-be vintage iPhones and Macs that will also be added to the pilot program at various dates throughout the remainder of this year:

Effective November 30, 2018:

  • iPhone 4S

  • MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012)

Effective December 30, 2018:

  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, Retina, Late 2012)

  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, Retina, Early 2013)

  • MacBook Pro (15-inch, Retina, Mid 2012)

  • MacBook Pro (15-inch, Retina, Early 2013)

  • Mac Pro (Mid 2012)

If parts are unavailable for a specific repair for these vintage products, Apple Stores and AASPs are instructed to decline service. This is a pilot program to begin with, so it is subject to change or end at any time.

apple pilot program
The exact reason for the pilot program is unclear, beyond Apple apparently having a surplus of service parts for these specific vintage products. Apple's internal document states that inventory of service parts will not be replenished, so repairs under the pilot program are certainly not guaranteed.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iPhone 17 Air Colors Thumb 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air Rumored to Come in These 9 Colors

Friday July 11, 2025 12:30 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will be available in a total of nine color options, according to new information coming out of Asia. The iPhone 17 Air's expected color options. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean blog Naver, accessory manufacturers are now producing camera protector rings for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air in colors to match their...

Top Rated Comments

baryon Avatar
88 months ago
At Apple, we believe that our computers belong in the landfill after a few years of use, and that our customers should just buy a new one instead of selling it or giving it to a less needy family member. Did your battery die? Time to buy a new computer. Oh you want the battery replaced? Too bad, we don't do that. Oh, you want someone else to replace the battery? Haha! Too bad, we've made that illegal.

Because here at Apple, we believe you're our b*tch, and you do as we say. Now, go and buy the new MacBook Glue. It's an iPad with a keyboard, sort of. But for twice the price. And best of all? There is no way anyone can ever repair it. Not even us. Yep, the new MacBook Glue. It's made of mostly glue! Starting at only $1799 if you're okay with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It has one USB port. Shut up. It's rose gold.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
88 months ago
Oh no, my trusty 15” 2012 finally becomes obsolete at the end of this year. Wow, it’s been that long. It’s like waking up one day and realising you’ve been with the same woman for 14 years. :(

She’s been a good workhorse and I’d hate it when she finally dies. The laptop that is, not the wife.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
radio893fm Avatar
88 months ago
I can't go pass the "vintage" word. I keep thinking about Mac IIs, Commodore 64s and Vic 20s, etc.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
88 months ago
I wonder if Louis Rossmann is listening ?
Louis Rossmann is an self-inflated pompous goon who lambasts Apple for all these practices, whilst simultaneously ignoring that every other OEM he defends does exactly the same thing.

If you’re catering for consumer repairs, or even professional repairs, there isn’t a company out there that would carry out on-the-spot component level solder (sorry, SODDER) repairs.

I used to love his channel as it was interesting, really impressive, and sure, he had a whinge about Apple. Now all his videos are nothing but anti-Apple clickbait to rile up the natives and get more money.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sir1963nz Avatar
88 months ago
Oh no, my trusty 15” 2012 finally becomes obsolete at the end of this year. Wow, it’s been that long. It’s like waking up one day and realising you’ve been with the same woman for 14 years. :(

She’s been a good workhorse and I’d hate it when she finally dies. The laptop that is, not the wife.
Yeah, it was a really sad day for me when my 15" 2011 MBP died.
I had upgraded the memory myself to 16GB and replaced the HD with a 512GB SSD myself.
I really really miss all of those ports and the ability to upgrade the important things myself .
I have NEVER bought an Apple product based on how thin it was, and never will.
I am keeping my iPhone SE until it dies and then reluctantly going to replace it with an Android phone because everything that Apple now makes is too big, they may as well call it the pocket iPad.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Defthand Avatar
88 months ago
I wonder if this has anything to do with the bad rap Apple is getting from the “right to repair” crowd.
Of course it is. It’s an attempt to cushion political disagreement with their current monopoly on service repairs.

Apple’s “technicians” don’t repair defects. They perform expensive shotgun part replacements. Instead of replacing a problematic part, they replace an entire assembly. I doubt you’d find a solder iron in their shop.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)