Apple may reopen repairs on the iPhone 4S, MacBook Air and other old devices

Repair Vintage Apple Products

Apple does a fantastic job of supporting its older devices with software, but it doesn't have a perfect track record when it comes to repairing them.

Good news, it seems the Cupertino-based company is looking into launching a “Repair Vintage Apple Products” pilot program according to a 9to5Mac report . This new program will apparently support a small selection of older Apple devices about to fall into obsolescence including the iPhone 5 (both GSM and CDMA versions).

The initial list of devices Apple’s new program may also include are: 

  • MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2012)
  • MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2012)
  • iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011) – US and Turkey only
  • iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011) – US and Turkey only

From there, Apple will purportedly add the even older devices to its  “Repair Vintage Apple Products” program in waves. According to 9to5Mac, the schedule of supported hardware will expand as follows:

  • iPhone 4S – November, 30, 2018
  • MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012) – November, 30, 2018
  • MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012) – December, 30, 2018
  • MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2013) – December, 30, 2018
  • MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012) – December, 30, 2018
  • Mac Pro (Mid 2012) – December, 30, 2018

The program supposedly covers all the devices listed above at Apple Stores and authorized service providers worldwide unless otherwise noted.

If this is all true, it would be a significant reversal on Apple’s increasingly restrictive repair practices. At the same time though it feels as if Apple might be trying to introduce a paid maintenance program ahead of the Right to Repair movement, which has been gaining traction with a piece of landmark litigation passing just the other week.

Via The Verge

Kevin Lee

Kevin Lee was a former computing reporter at TechRadar. Kevin is now the SEO Updates Editor at IGN based in New York. He handles all of the best of tech buying guides while also dipping his hand in the entertainment and games evergreen content. Kevin has over eight years of experience in the tech and games publications with previous bylines at Polygon, PC World, and more. Outside of work, Kevin is major movie buff of cult and bad films. He also regularly plays flight & space sim and racing games. IRL he's a fan of archery, axe throwing, and board games.