Apple Says Original 12-Inch MacBook Now Obsolete

Apple today added the original 12-inch MacBook to its obsolete products list, meaning the laptop is no longer eligible for repairs or service at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers.

2016 12 inch macbook feature
Introduced in March 2015, the 12-inch MacBook featured a thin and light design that weighed just two pounds. With prices starting at $1,299, the original model's standard specs including a 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor, integrated Intel HD 5300 graphics, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD.

"Apple has reinvented the notebook with the new MacBook," said Apple's former marketing chief Phil Schiller in a March 2015 press release. "Every component of the MacBook reveals a new innovation. From its fanless design, ultra-thin Retina display and full-size keyboard that's 34 percent thinner, to its all-new Force Touch trackpad, versatile USB-C port and breakthrough terraced battery design, the new MacBook is the future of the notebook."

The 12-inch MacBook was also the first MacBook model to feature Apple's infamous butterfly switch keyboard design, which was prone to failure and eventually dropped from the entire MacBook lineup after years of complaints and lawsuits. Apple last updated the 12-inch MacBook in June 2017, and it was discontinued in July 2019.

Apple classifies a product as technologically obsolete once more than seven years have passed since the company stopped distributing it for sale. The original 12-inch MacBook was discontinued in April 2016 upon the release of a second-generation model with improved specs, so the laptop recently crossed that seven-year mark.

In addition to the original 12-inch MacBook becoming obsolete, Apple has classified the stainless steel models of the Apple Watch Series 2 as vintage. Aluminum Series 2 models were previously classified as vintage last November.

The vintage products list features devices that Apple stopped distributing for sale more than five years ago and less than seven years ago. Apple provides service and parts for vintage devices for up to seven years, or as required by law, but repairs are subject to parts availability.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
Related Forum: MacBook

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

mdnz Avatar
27 months ago

8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD
Thankfully after 8 years we've had such a big advancement :)
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
matttarantino Avatar
27 months ago
Bring it back with M3!!
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
27 months ago
That’s very sad. MacBook 12” was the perfect size for so many people.

The design was futuristic and ahead of its time. ?



Attachment Image
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ignatius345 Avatar
27 months ago
This was such a maddening little MacBook. Perfect screen, perfect weight and size for an ultra-portable writing and emailing machine. I could even have lived with the poor battery life, but that bloody keyboard just wrecked it for me. They could execute this design perfectly today, though, and I really wish they would.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Populus Avatar
27 months ago
PLEASE BRING IT BACK WITH AN M3 APPLE!!

EDIT: okay, @matttarantino was faster than me.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spock Avatar
27 months ago
I remember thinking that this machine was going to the be end of the MacBook Air... wrong. I think that this was one of the first machines that Apple realized Intel could no longer provide what they needed in a machine, this would have been amazing with Apple Silicon.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)