It has already been announced. Apple has now officially expanded the vintage list to include a very special iPad model.
Apple defines vintage products as those that have not been manufactured for more than five but less than seven years. MacRumors received an internal memo last month stating that the iPad 2 would be discontinued on May 1st. Now the case has happened. The device, which is now 8 years old, is a very special iDevice for many fans. The iPad 2 was presented by Steve Jobs himself on March 2nd, 2011 - this model is the last iOS device that the late Apple co-founder presented to the world. It was sold as a cheaper alternative until March 2014. The iPad 2 has a 9.7" display with 132 PPI, an A5 chip and a 0.7 megapixel camera. It also had a 30-pin dock connector.
Obsolete – what does this mean for users?
This means that users can no longer get repairs from Apple or authorized service providers. In the event of a problem, they have to resort to independent service providers. Apart from a few exceptions, Apple's rule of thumb is to produce spare parts for devices for five years - but this period only starts when production of the respective device is discontinued. Only then is the customer forced to look for spare parts elsewhere.
