A new report indicates Apple may be getting ready to phase out their non-Retina display 13-inch MacBook Pro. Several Apple retail stores around the U.S. are reportedly no longer making that model available for customers to try out.
While the computer is still largely in stock and available to buy, some stores are no longer putting it out for shoppers to try in person, according to a tip received by AppleInsider and confirmed with follow-up checks with several Apple Stores around the U.S.
A clerk at an Austin location notably said that their store had pulled non-Retina units from the showfloor just last week, and that other stores were doing the same.
The laptop, Apple’s lone model that still offers an optical drive, has not been updated since 2012. A phase out of such “ancient” technology, since it is Apple’s lone MacBook Pro without a Retina display, would make sense.
The non-Retina Pro model is all but ignored in Apple’s marketing materials, sitting at the bottom of the company’s store page for the MacBook Pro. Appleinsider notes that a clerk at a NYC Apple Store steered their reporter away from the non-Retina model, and instead suggested a Retina model, saying the non-Retina Pro would soon become outdated.
Apple is rumored to be working on a revamped MacBook Pro with an OLED touch bar in place of the current row of function keys, along with other upgrades, such as a Touch ID sensor and more. The new machine is expected to see the light of day later this year.
