Apple has now classified the 2017 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar as a vintage product in its inventory. This designation signifies that Apple might no longer have spare parts for repair purposes. The 2017 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar was originally launched in June 2017 and featured notable changes like a redesigned keyboard with butterfly switches, a Touch Bar running along the top of the keyboard, and a Touch ID sensor.
However, the 2017 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar was taken out of production in July 2019, making way for the 2019 MacBook Pro with a Magic Keyboard, a larger Touch Bar, and more powerful processors. Interestingly, the Touch Bar, which was a topic of divided opinions, has been entirely phased out by Apple over the past few years.
To clarify, vintage Apple products are those that no longer receive regular software updates. While products like the iPhone, iPad, or Mac usually get software updates for a minimum of five years, vintage products lose out on these updates. Consequently, Apple doesn’t guarantee repairs or service for such products either.
According to Apple’s support page, a product becomes vintage when it ceased being sold by Apple more than 5 but less than 7 years ago. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the device will stop functioning, but its longevity is impacted due to the absence of regular updates.
For users of the 2017 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, it remains a capable computer despite no longer being the latest offering from Apple. However, it’s crucial to note that no further software upgrades will be available for this model. While there’s a possibility that Apple might release updates for older versions of macOS that could work on the 2017 MacBook Pro, this outcome is uncertain.