Original iPad mini now considered 'vintage' by Apple

Apple on Friday added the original 7.9-inch iPad mini, first released in 2012, to its list of vintage and obsolete devices.

The first iPad mini model was released in November 2012, and Apple's goal for it was to help customers "find even more uses for iPad, to use it in places and ways they never imagined." Apple added the pint-sized tablet to its list of Vintage and Obsolete products list.

Apple defines "vintage" devices as hardware that has not been manufactured for more than five years but fewer than seven years. "Obsolete" products, on the other hand, are those that have been discontinued for more than seven years.

Vintage products remain eligible for repairs and service at Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers, but only if those shops have the required parts in stock. Obsolete products are not eligible for repairs at these locations.

When it first debuted, the iPad mini's low price point and portable, 7.9-inch form factor made it an attractive choice for many users. Apple eventually updated the device in 2013, but kept the original iPad mini for sale until its discontinuation in 2015.

The device category was last updated in March 2019 with the fifth-generation iPad mini, which delivered significant performance enhancements and Apple Pencil support. There are also reports that a new iPad mini device with slimmer bezels and a 8.5- to 9-inch display could be on the way.

Apple has an updated list of vintage and obsolete products on its website. Recent additions include certain 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air models and the mid-2014 13-inch MacBook Pro.