It had a target on its back ever since it was given the 'New iPad' moniker, and Apple is finally calling time on its third-generation tablet. The 2012 iPad is to be declared obsolete later this month, five years after production of the tablet ended.
The news comes courtesy of an internal memo sent out to Apple staff and Apple's Authorized Service Providers, stating that both Wi-Fi and cellular models will be cut from the list of officially supported devices.
That means if you've got one of the ageing tablets, Apple's official repair channels are no longer obligated to service the devices, with the exceptions being the state of California and Turkey, where legal differences apply.
iPad history
The third-generations model was last iPad to feature Apple's chunky 30-pin charging connector, as well as the wider bezel design that was killed off with the arrival of the iPad Air generation.
The 'New iPad' was a short-lived product for Apple, superseded just seven months later by the fourth-gen model, which packed in a sleeker Lightning connector. It did, however, introduce Apple's super-sharp (for its day) 'Retina Display' to Apple's tablet line – a marked improvement over any other tablet on the market at the time.
Somewhat surprisingly, the iPad 3 has actually been sent to the chopping block before its predecessor, the iPad 2. As Apple continued to sell the second-gen slate until 2014, as its entry-level affordable model, it'll be supported until at least 2019.
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- via MacRumors
