Out with the old: Apple’s annual product lineup shuffle
With the shiny new iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches now official, it’s that time of year again. As it does every fall, Apple has officially hit the stop button on selling a bunch of its popular — now last-gen products — to make way for the new arrivals. This doesn’t mean they’ve vanished from the earth, but they are no longer available for purchase directly from Apple.
The discontinued list
Following yesterday’s keynote, here are the devices that got the axe from the Apple Store:
Getting “discontinued” simply means the countdown has started for when Apple will eventually classify these products as obsolete, at which point official repair support ends. For now, you can still find them brand new from third-party retailers, often at a nice discount.
What this means for bargain hunters
Apple’s ‘awe dropping’ event marked the beginning of the annual Apple Store product purge. | Image credit — Apple
This is classic Apple. They love a clean, simple lineup. When a new product arrives, the old equivalent (especially the Pro models) gets removed to avoid confusing buyers and to push sales toward the latest and greatest. Other OEMs do the same, often keeping only a couple of generations around in their official stores.
With this approach, you’re either buying the new thing, a designated older model they decide to keep, or the budget model. If you were holding out for a price drop on an iPhone 16 Pro directly from Apple, you’re out of luck. This move funnels deal-seekers directly to retailers like Amazon or Best Buy, who will now be looking to clear out their old stock.
A smart move that’s a bit frustrating
I get it from a business perspective. Simplifying the product stack makes choosing a new iPhone less of a headache for the average person and maximizes profit on the newest models. But as a consumer, it’s a bit of a bummer, since it requires some extra work for those looking to buy one of these freshly discontinued models. Fortunately, the retailers that carry them are plenty, and great deals can be usually found through them.
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