Apple maintains a list of its products that are classified as vintage or obsolete. For repairs and replacement of parts, this will affect such older products. Apple can sometimes still carry out repairs on vintage products, but this is subject to the availability of parts. As of now, Apple marks the first 12-inch Retina MacBook as vintage.
12-inch MacBook is now vintage
It is specific to the 2015 model, the first version of the new-style MacBook. This model marked the return of the standard MacBook and was the successor to the white plastic MacBook. Characteristic of the 12-inch MacBook was its ultra-thin design and Apple's controversial choice to only put in one USB-C port. It was the first time that Apple added USB-C to a MacBook. Later all models were equipped with this connection.
Users sometimes have a love-hate relationship with this model. It was the thinnest and lightest MacBook Apple ever made (even lighter than the MacBook Air), but because of the single port for charging and accessories also controversial for the use of adapters. It was also not the most powerful MacBook, although it was perfectly suitable for browsing, emailing and creating documents.
In 2019, Apple withdrew the 12-inch MacBook from its range, after it hadn't been updated for a few years. There were still rumors that Apple would bring this model back for the Apple Silicon chip, but so far that has not happened.
What does this mean for you?
Now the 12-inch MacBook from 2015 considered vintage by Apple, it means that repairs become a lot more difficult. Apple and authorized resellers can sometimes run out of parts, leaving you tied to current inventory of replacement parts. Repairs are therefore not impossible, but a bit more difficult due to the status of vintage. Apple uses this term for products that have not been sold for more than five years and less than seven years. The following status is deprecated, meaning no more parts are available. As a result, you have to move more often to unofficial parties. Products that have not been sold for more than seven years will receive this label.