Apple dubs iPhone X & HomePod as “vintage” after less than a decade
AppleiPhone X, HomePod, and the original AirPods are iconic Apple products sunsetting towards the end of their life.
As Apple gears to add new products to its repertoire in the coming months, the company has added three iconic products – iPhone X, HomePod, and the original AirPods to the vintage category.
For those unaware, Apple generally adds a “vintage” label to the products it stopped distributing more than five and less than seven years ago. Thankfully, Apple or an authorized service center can still repair these products.
However, if the distribution of a product is stopped for more than seven years, it is marked “obsolete.” Apple doesn’t offer any service support for such products.
Unfortunately, Apple seems to have fast-tracked HomePod into the vintage category. This smart speaker was announced at WWDC 2017 but started retailing after significant delays in February 2018.
After a relatively short life, the original Homepod was discontinued in March 2021. The $350 Homepod was replaced by a $99 HomePod Mini that offered almost all the features at a fraction of the price and in a compact body.
Reports suggest that Apple is restructuring its smart home lineup and is preparing a new smart home robot with a display. A HomePod with a display is also in the works and is likely to arrive early next year.
AppleSimilarly, the iPhone X released in November 2017 marked a significant shift in smartphone design language. This 10th-anniversary special phone ushered in an era of screen notches, Animoji, and wireless charging. It came with an edge-to-edge screen and was the first iPhone without a physical touch ID.
The AirPods, announced in 2016, were one of the most popular wireless earbuds. These earbuds were hugely popular because of their seamless integration into Apple’s ecosystem, long battery life, and great audio quality.
The AirPods were also the first product to come with in-ear detection and can be considered a product that greatly boosted the audio accessories segment.
Besides these three products, Apple classified the iPad Mini 4 as vintage and the iPhone 6 as obsolete three months back.