Remember ‘Trash Can' Mac Pro? Apple now calls it vintage and here's what that means for owners
Though sold for years, it now enters its final phase of support, alongside a small batch of Apple products that are gradually reaching the end of the line. While the move isn't unexpected, it closes the chapter on one of Apple's boldest and most unconventional designs.
A design Apple would rather forget
When Apple launched the cylindrical Mac Pro in 2013, it caught a lot of attention. Sleek, black, and turbine-like, it was unlike anything they'd made before. The idea was to deliver powerful performance in a small and futuristic form. At the time, it looked like something from a sci-fi film. But the excitement didn't last.
The design was compact, yes, but that same sleek form made upgrades nearly impossible. Graphics, storage, thermals, all were boxed into a space that didn't leave much room to grow. Power users quickly hit limitations, especially those wanting to swap out GPUs or add memory. Even Apple's own engineers ran into trouble.
'I think we designed ourselves into a bit of a thermal corner,' said Craig Federighi back in 2017, admitting publicly that the design didn't allow the performance flexibility they'd hoped for.
The Mac Pro remained on sale until 2019, when Apple finally rolled out a new version based on a more familiar tower-style frame, often referred to as the 'cheese grater Mac Pro.' That design stuck, offering better airflow and vastly improved upgrade options.
What vintage means and what comes next
Once a product hasn't been sold by Apple for five years, it's labelled vintage. That means limited support may still be available but only if replacement parts are in stock. Spend two more years on this list, and the product becomes obsolete, losing all official support altogether. You also won't find help at Apple-authorised service centres after that point.
Other devices now joining the vintage list include the 2019 13‑inch MacBook Air, 2019 iMac, 2018 iPad Pros, and the iPhone 8 (128GB) model. Meanwhile, older accessories like AirPort routers and Time Capsules have now shifted into the obsolete category.
The 'Trash Can Mac Pro' may have been a bold swing that didn't quite land, but it's now part of Apple's design legacy - unusual, eye-catching, and finally, vintage.
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