Apple Adds First iMac Models With Retina 5K Display to Vintage Products List

[MacRumors]

The first iMac with a Retina 5K display is one of several iMac models that have been added to Apple's vintage products list this week.

In the past, vintage Apple products were no longer eligible for repairs at the Genius Bar or at Apple Authorized Service Providers, but Apple began offering extended repairs of select vintage products in 2018. Many of the iMac models listed below will likely remain eligible for service for the foreseeable future, subject to parts availability.

The full list of iMac models added to Apple's vintage products list:

• iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013)
• iMac (27-inch, Late 2013)
• iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2014)
• iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)
• iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Mid 2015)

Apple has also added a notice that owners of new iPhone or Mac notebook products purchased after December 31, 2020 in France may obtain service and parts from Apple or Apple authorized service providers for seven years from the date the product model was last supplied by Apple for distribution into the country.

The vintage and obsolete products list has been renamed to "Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty."

Article Link: Apple Adds First iMac Models With Retina 5K Display to Vintage Products List

 

[MikePulsifer]

Thanks to this news, I'm even happier now that I just received my new M1 MacBook Air.

 

[itsmeaustend]

Mid-2015. So I can expect my new $4000 27" iMac to only get 5 years of support?

Disappointing.

 

[Phil77354]

Oh no! My iMac is now over-the-hill!

 

[jml1982]

For some people who don't need faster machines to work on video and photo edits, I think a computer should last at least 5 years, it's crazy that one of these is just from mid 2015...

 

[Steve121178]

Mid-2015. So I can expect my new $4000 27" iMac to only get 5 years of support?

Disappointing.

My late 2012 iMac got almost 7 years of support which I thought was acceptable. To get only 5 is not great, but no surprise as Apple wants to aggressively bin off anything Intel.

 

[satchmo]

What's crazy is that a 2020 iMac looks like a 'vintage' 2013 iMac.

 

[jonnysods]

Dang. This is making me feel old. Watching my kids grow up fast is bad enough, without things like this piling on!

 

[MikePulsifer]

For some people who don't need faster machines to work on video and photo edits, I think a computer should last at least 5 years, it's crazy that one of these is just from mid 2015...

I think it's a heads-up as to what's getting the Apple Silicon next.

 

[willed]

Still powering through multiple 4K video edits every day on my late 2014 Retina iMac. We've got many happy years ahead (hopefully, because I can't afford to drop another £3K on a new machine any time soon!)

 

[BornAgainMac]

My vintage iMac 2015 looks just like the iMac 2020 that is only available on Intel.

 

[apparatchik]

I think you could still get it serviceable with Apple, its just that repair parts will be somewhat scarce, until it goes onto the the "Obsolete" list in about 2 years when 3rd party repairs would be your only option...

Not to defend Apple but If you're the like that buys $4K+ machines you're probably buying them for work? I think 6-7 years is a reasonable time for un upgrade?

If its working great you can keep on using it till it dies whatever Apple lists say.

Personally, I find Apple's out of warranty repairs so expensive Its usually better to just pony up for a new system, of course I stay at Apple's low end bracket (Mac minis, MBA's, etc). So a repair with them can be 50-70% of the price of a new system.

 

[Nonsuchandy]

My iMac 5K Late 2014 has started taking its Pension. 😲 Roll on refreshed M series iMacs.

 

[citysnaps]

Mid-2015. So I can expect my new $4000 27" iMac to only get 5 years of support?

Disappointing.

"Many of the iMac models listed below will likely remain eligible for service for the foreseeable future, subject to parts availability."

Also... referring to your mid-2015 iMac as "new" seems odd.

 

[guzhogi]

What's crazy is that a 2020 iMac looks like a 'vintage' 2013 iMac.

So? Do you have anything you want to see changed, or just a change for the sake of change?

Aesthetically, I'd like the standard no more chin, smaller bezels, no more "baby bump" in back, but a flat back. I'm in the minority, but I'd still like a touch screen with Pencil support. I like to doodle, and the mouse doesn't work for me. And I don't really want to have to get a separate iPad/graphics tablet just to doodle.

 

[UltimateSyn]

A vintage product with the same exact design as the current product.

 

[iapplelove]

Damn my 2012 classic literally just got dropped this year. 8 years of upgrades. This isn’t that great considering the machine is very capable.

 

[breather]

My iMac is a Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015 according to the About section.
Were there really a Mid and a Late Retina 5K, 27-inch in 2015?? Seem weird if so...

 

[iLilana]

"Many of the iMac models listed below will likely remain eligible for service for the foreseeable future, subject to parts availability."

Also... referring to your mid-2015 iMac as "new" seems odd.

because we can all afford to spend 3-5K on a new computer every 5 years. You know ...because a 5 year old Mac is ancient apparently. I mean I would have financed a new apple silicon Mac but apple removed that option in canada for some reason.

 

[decypher44]

"Many of the iMac models listed below will likely remain eligible for service for the foreseeable future, subject to parts availability."

Also... referring to your mid-2015 iMac as "new" seems odd.

He wasn’t. He was doing the math. It’s 2020. 2015 models are added to the list. That machine is 5 years old. If they remain consistent, the 2020s (new) will be vintage in 5 years. At least, that’s how I read the comment.

 

[jezbd1997]

Thanks to this news, I'm even happier now that I just received my new M1 MacBook Air.

How is your comment even relevant? This is about iMacs...

 

[Imory]

5 years of support for a 2015 iMac? That's completely unacceptable. We should be embracing longer support, closer to 10 years instead of what is usually 7 years on Macs I believe? This whole pathetic grandstanding of supposedly caring about the environment and sustainability (which is highly questionable) is thrown right out the window if they can't support their devices for an adequate time period. 5 years is not adequate. 5 years is subpar and doesn't reflect the Apple tax or the premium hardware/software company they want to portray themselves as.

Edit: Apparently there's a difference between vintage and obsolete. Vintage products might still receive OS updates and have available parts. Obsolete products are however, as the name suggests, not supported by Apple nor can they be serviced by Apple.

Vintage products are those that have not been sold for more than 5 and less than 7 years ago. - Apple

Obsolete products are those whose sales were discontinued more than 7 years ago. - Apple

 

[yurc]

Why Apple doesn't unlock Target Display on 5K iMac is beyond me. Sure, at that time Apple have no powerful machine to drive 5K oob, but things is different now.

At least with vintage status, with TDM capability it would make old machine turn into quality display for other Macs, especially headless Macs like Mini and Mac Pro.

 

[J___o___h___n]

This seems too soon for such a product.
Especially with many of the internals being the same as newer version models. Seems silly and against their ‘green’ ambitions.

What if you just need a new screen or a new kickstand?

 

[MikePulsifer]

How is your comment even relevant? This is about iMacs...

Because I'm typing this on a Late-2014 5K iMac as I'm watching my new Air get ready to pull data from my most recent Time Machine backup.