Apple has confirmed that it plans to discontinue its Thunderbolt Display, the only monitor the company produces.
In a new press statement, Apple has confirmed that it plans to discontinue its Thunderbolt Display, which was first introduced in late 2011.
While rumours have previously circulated that Apple is quietly developing a new Thunderbolt Display with a built in graphics processor, the company has not offered an alternative to the monitor, and has stated the unit will be available for as long as stocks last in Apple retail stores and third-party resellers.
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“We’re discontinuing the Apple Thunderbolt Display. It will be available through Apple.com, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers while supplies last. There are a number of great third-party options available for Mac users,” an Apple spokesperson stated.
Several stock shortages – noted ahead of WWDC this year – first indicated that Apple would imminently refresh its display offering.
Rumours have previously indicated that Apple is working to develop a 5K display, similar to the one see on its highest-end iMac. The monitor is tipped to include a resolution of 5120×2280 pixels, as well as support for USB Type C and Thunderbolt 2.
Should the company choose to develop a new Thunderbolt Display, it’s likely we could see the unit launch alongside a new range of MacBooks towards the end of the year. Apple has similarly been indicated to introduce a new Mac laptop with a built-in OLED touch bar, but declined to present anything of that nature at WWDC, which focussed on iOS, tvOS, macOS, and watchOS.
Read: Apple reportedly phases out the legacy MacBook Pro
What are your thoughts on Apple’s plans to discontinue the Thunderbolt Display before offering an in-house alternative? Is the company right to suggest third party monitors to prospective purchasers, or should it rather develop its own product? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Follow Bryan Smith on Twitter: @bryansmithSA
