MacBook 12 inch slated for obsolescence on June 30th

Apple plans to add the original MacBook 12 inch to the list of obsolete products on June 30th, as per an internal memo obtained by MacRumors.

Once classified as obsolete, this laptop will no longer be eligible for repair or maintenance at Apple Store and Apple authorized service providers.

Apple categorizes a product as obsolete in terms of technology when more than 7 years have passed since the company ceased distribution. The original MacBook 12 inch ceased production in April 2016 after the company released a second-generation with upgraded specifications, so this laptop has recently surpassed that 7-year milestone.

Introduced in March 2015, the MacBook 12 inch boasted a thin and light design, weighing only 0.9kg, and was also Apple's first fanless laptop. It had a starting price of $1,299, featuring a dual-core 1.1 GHz Intel Core M processor, integrated Intel graphics, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD.

The MacBook 12 inch included a single USB-C port for charging and data transfer, a completely new Force Touch trackpad, and a staircase battery design allowing for a larger battery to fit neatly into the thin frame of the laptop.

However, the MacBook 12 inch also marked Apple's first MacBook model to feature the infamous butterfly keyboard design, which was prone to issues and ultimately phased out from the entire MacBook lineup after years of user complaints and lawsuits. Apple last updated the MacBook 12 inch in June 2017, and it was discontinued in July 2019.