I downgraded from a 2016 MacBook Pro 15 to a 2015 MacBook Pro 15. Just couldn’t take the keyboard anymore and tired of carting adapters. I really didn’t care much for the touchbar or the large touch pad. I can live without that as much as I can live without using the force touch on my iPhone. I love my Acer Predator x17 the best with 64GB ram. Yes it’s heavy and large. But it’s gets the job done and it has hardware Apple laptops will never have. Including upgradable parts. Still with the 2015 MacBook Pro 15. You can at least upgrade your storage as much as 2tb by yourself after you purchase.
On June 11, 2012, at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple introduced its first MacBook Pro with a Retina display. Impressed by its thinness, the crowd at Moscone West erupted with a huge round of applause.
The notebook was also praised in many reviews, which awarded it top marks for its mix of functionality and portability. Marco Arment, a well-known developer, even called it "the best laptop ever made," with a "crowd-pleasing design."
"Introduced in 2012, less than a year after Steve Jobs died, I see it as the peak of Jobs' vision for the Mac," said Arment, in a blog post last year.
In addition to being the first MacBook Pro with a Retina display, the 2012 model had a much slimmer design compared to previous models, after Apple removed the built-in Ethernet port and optical disc drive for CDs/DVDs. The external design of the notebook remained largely unchanged through 2015.
Despite being thinner, the 2012 to 2015 era MacBook Pro had an array of connectivity options, including a pair of Thunderbolt and USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a SD card slot, and a MagSafe power adapter that breaks away safely if tugged.
I/O on 2012 MacBook Pro with Retina display
By comparison, the 2016 and later MacBook Pro has two or four Thunderbolt 3 ports, depending on the model, that can deliver power, USB, DisplayPort, HDMI, and VGA over a single cable. Apple in turn removed dedicated USB-A and HDMI ports, an SD card reader, and MagSafe from the notebook.
I/O on 2016-and-later MacBook Pro
While the latest MacBook Pro lineup hasn't led to any significant declines in Mac sales, which Apple reports on a quarterly basis, a subset of customers continue to favor the older models. In fact, Apple continues to sell one configuration of the 2015 MacBook Pro, priced from $1,999 in the United States.
For those clinging to a 2012 model, however, there's a bit of bad, but inevitable, news.
Just over six years after Apple released the Mid 2012 model 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, which is more than a fair amount of time, Apple has officially classified it as "vintage" or "obsolete" depending on the region.
What this means is that at least five years have passed since the model was last manufactured, meaning that Apple and Apple Authorized Service Providers are no longer obligated to provide hardware service or replacement parts, except in the state of California and Turkey, where required by law.
Of course, if you own a 2012 MacBook Pro, there is nothing stopping you from following one of iFixit's many do-it-yourself repair guides.
Apple routinely updates its vintage and obsolete products list with additional devices as they age, so this was to be expected eventually, but it's still somewhat of a sad reminder that the first MacBook Pro with Retina display has nearly reached the end of its life. Anyone still using one is now on their own in terms of hardware.
Apple's support team should still be able to answer questions about macOS and be able to perform software troubleshooting if needed.
Apple's website does not list the Late 2012 model 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, released in October 2012, as "vintage" yet. Only the 15-inch model, released in June 2012, carries this distinction.
Article Link: Apple's First MacBook Pro With Retina Display is Now 'Vintage'
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Apple's First MacBook Pro With Retina Display is Now 'Vintage'
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Yeah, but how long do you expect them to continue being supported by macOS updates compared to the newer models. Seems like getting an older model isn’t without opportunity costs as well.
Exactly the same, as they are in the same current production cycle, you really need to try harder...
Q-6
I'm a Chrome lover but since 12 months ago I stopped using it on my Mac as Chrome makes it run hot and drain battery quicker.
Great to hear about this new Macbook release with "new" retina display thingy. This will show the competition a.thing or tw....oh wait. I read that wrong. All as before. Next....
Vintage has absolutely nothing to do with software. Mojave absolutely will support this machine.
Comparing my late 2013 13inch MBP, it's obvious cpu and gpu chips have moved forward but not by that much!
You're still mostly getting more cores with CPU and apple doesn't have games so the massive leaps in GPU are pointless.
I fail to see any valid reason for discontinuing my particular model for a VERY long time as it still represents a marginal difference in all areas. The only thing suffering is the battery, which is overdue a replacement and the power lead that has already been replaced 3 times! I can't even name a single feature or reason this cannot be supported for many years to come.
You're still mostly getting more cores with CPU and apple doesn't have games so the massive leaps in GPU are pointless.
I fail to see any valid reason for discontinuing my particular model for a VERY long time as it still represents a marginal difference in all areas. The only thing suffering is the battery, which is overdue a replacement and the power lead that has already been replaced 3 times! I can't even name a single feature or reason this cannot be supported for many years to come.
They are all getting vintage already.
Where is the GTX 1080 SLI?
And in september there should be a GTX 1180 SLI inside of every MacBook Pro and iMac.
Where is the GTX 1080 SLI?
And in september there should be a GTX 1180 SLI inside of every MacBook Pro and iMac.
“Apple does have games so leaps in gpu are useless”
That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve read on a computer forum.
Yeah, I'm gonna be pissed if my 2015 MBP dies, now that it's out of warranty. Absolutely do not want the current model.
I bought my 2015 refurb model the day the new touch bar ones were released. Faster, cheaper, and 90% less dongle.
The only thing I hate about it is that the SD card reader absolutely sucks. My wife's SD reader outright doesn't work on her 2013 model, and mine on my 2015 model has about a 25% chance of reading a card or outright declaring it an unrecognized volume. Putthign the same card in a USB card reader works fine. Glad I still have USB ports.
Just checked on Mactracker, it 2012 MBP 13" non retina) was for sale until October 2016 so still a few years to go.
Same here, i took my fully loaded 15" mid 2012 rMBP recently to apple store to replace dying battery as well.
This computer is still very good. 750gb ssd, 16gb ddr3 1600 and 2.6ghz quad core i7, no reason to upgrade, unless they release one with 6 core, ddr4 and vega gpu. And hopefully have a version without the touchbar.
Agreed. It used to be easy to determine which model has the performance power to last 5+ years. Now I’m stuck deciding whether I should go just get a MBP Late 2013 or spend the extra cash for an 2015 model.
The mid 2012 MacBook Pro without retina is not Vintage?
I knew I made the right decision on not getting a retina version in 2012.
I knew I made the right decision on not getting a retina version in 2012.
Literally the only thing holding me back from upgrading my two 2012-13 era MacBooks is the keyboard in the new ones. I can live begrudingly with the irritating USB-C ports and the loss of the wonderful MagSafe connector -- but I won't type on a keyboard this bad. As a Mac user of 25 years (yikes) it pains me to say this, but I could see, for writing, a basic Windows machine if the situation doesn't improve with Mac laptop keyboards.
So according to this article, it was the last MBP approved by Steve. That explains the crap we got after they moved to the new design. 
This is my machine, and I love it. I might consider buying a new MBP if they restored the SD slot. It's just immensely easier as a photographer to not have to worry about an adapter when transferring photos, especially for when you're on the road.
I've replaced the solid-state drive and increased the RAM, and I really should replace one of the fans that tends to buzz. But otherwise, it's been a real dream to own, best laptop since the Pismo.
I've replaced the solid-state drive and increased the RAM, and I really should replace one of the fans that tends to buzz. But otherwise, it's been a real dream to own, best laptop since the Pismo.
I have this machine for personal use at home. What's sad is that it's still fairly competitive with current machines.
I remember the 2012 Retina MBP being a huge leap over the 2008 MBP, which was my first Mac. That was only four years later! Here we are six years later and the new machines are barely different. Still 16GB of RAM, same display resolution, etc. The Intel chips don't benchmark significantly faster. The GPUs are a big improvement, and the SSDs are faster. But it's not as big of a jump as going from mechanical HDDs to SSD. I have a 2015 MBP that I use at work and the only difference I notice is less stuttering of the GUI when switching around quickly through a bunch of spaces multitasking (GPU improvements), huge exports from Lightroom are a little faster, and apps open a couple seconds faster.
My plan is to try to hold out until the new Mac Pro is unveiled and then weigh my options. I have more disposable income now so I plan on getting nicer Macs and updating more often. Do I go high end 5K iMac that I update more frequently? Do I go iMac Pro and upgrade less often? Do I go low-end Mac Pro and upgrade it over time since it will be modular? I need more information on specs and pricing before I feel comfortable pulling the trigger. I'm currently building my studio in my basement so I'm not in a hurry to upgrade yet. When I do I'm going to give my grandpa my 2012 rMBP to replace my old 2008 MBP that he still uses (after getting the dreaded Nvidia GPU problem fixed).
I remember the 2012 Retina MBP being a huge leap over the 2008 MBP, which was my first Mac. That was only four years later! Here we are six years later and the new machines are barely different. Still 16GB of RAM, same display resolution, etc. The Intel chips don't benchmark significantly faster. The GPUs are a big improvement, and the SSDs are faster. But it's not as big of a jump as going from mechanical HDDs to SSD. I have a 2015 MBP that I use at work and the only difference I notice is less stuttering of the GUI when switching around quickly through a bunch of spaces multitasking (GPU improvements), huge exports from Lightroom are a little faster, and apps open a couple seconds faster.
My plan is to try to hold out until the new Mac Pro is unveiled and then weigh my options. I have more disposable income now so I plan on getting nicer Macs and updating more often. Do I go high end 5K iMac that I update more frequently? Do I go iMac Pro and upgrade less often? Do I go low-end Mac Pro and upgrade it over time since it will be modular? I need more information on specs and pricing before I feel comfortable pulling the trigger. I'm currently building my studio in my basement so I'm not in a hurry to upgrade yet. When I do I'm going to give my grandpa my 2012 rMBP to replace my old 2008 MBP that he still uses (after getting the dreaded Nvidia GPU problem fixed).
Literally can't believe I run a professional business on a mid-2012 Vintage and I would sooner die than upgrade to a current Mac. October is going to be a real come to Jesus moment for me and Apple.