Every Product Apple Discontinued With The Launch Of The iPhone 16

Another year, another Apple product. Gone are the days when Apple would release something truly revolutionary, like the iPhone X, the iPad, or the Apple Watch. Each year we see only a marginal improvement to the iPhone and Mac lineups we already know — with the exception of the increasingly rare new product lines, such as the Apple Vision Pro. Despite Apple's lack of new devices, at least a handful of products are on the chopping block and one step closer to becoming vintage. We just got the release of the iPhone 16, the largest release event of any given year and the one where several SKUs quietly vanish from the Apple's website.

What did Apple decide to stop selling and manufacturing this year? Not a whole lot, so don't stress if you were looking to buy a cheaper MacBook Air M2 or an iPad. Here are the five devices and accessories you'll have to find instead from a third-party.

Here's something you may not have known: Apple discontinues its Pro models only a year after release. Why? Ostensibly because — considering how similar iPhones are lately — people would probably just grab the previous year's version to save a bit of money. Apple forces your hand by leaving only the latest version on the table. This has been the case since the iPhone X. So if you were planning on grabbing a new iPhone 15 Pro to get access to Apple Intelligence when it comes — for less money — you'll have to check out an online retailer instead.

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max weren't groundbreaking, but they did have a few new, worthwhile features. First off, they were the first iPhones capable of playing AAA games such as "Resident Evil 4" and "Assassin's Creed Mirage." In addition, they did away with the mute switch and added the action button, the Pro Max got a 5x telephoto zoom, and the 15 lineup was the first to level up to USB-C. Last but not least, the Pro models started using titanium frames in order to cut down on weight without sacrificing durability.

Alas, the 15 Pros were not without their faults. Ironically, the titanium's rigidity ended up making the screen crack more easily as drop test comparisons with the 16 Pro suggest the new models have improved that durability pain point. Also, the 15 Pro had a notorious overheating issue that Apple addressed with a design change in the 16 Pro. People have already been joking online about how the iPhone 16 Pro is really just a 15 Pro S, a minor improvement over the previous year for the same price. So, it's not all that sad that the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max are no more.

Usually, Apple keeps a few generations of its standard iPhone on tap for a lower price. A budget option, if you will, since the iPhone SE comes at random. 

The iPhone 13 was the cheapest phone you could buy until now, as it has been replaced by the 14 as the new lowest-priced iPhone. The 13 somehow survived even after Apple axed the iPhone 13 mini that released with it. It's really too bad that you can't buy a 13 anymore from Apple, since the iPhone 14 was barely even an improvement over its predecessor — after all, it used same processor, same RAM, same almost everything. It was just more expensive. The 13 may have been the last iPhone to be worth making a whole song and dance about rather than sending everyone an email recap.

At the time, the iPhone 13 was a fairly successful phone. Apple got its biggest profits yet thanks to its success, with a 9% increase over sales of the 12, according to CNET. Aside from a new chip and better battery, it included an improved display, doubled the entry-level storage, and added new cinematic camera modes. Not a paradigm-upender, for sure, but it was well-received. That era is over, at least on the Apple side of things, so you'll have to grab the discontinued iPhone 13 elsewhere.

The AirPods Max came out in 2020, added to the lineup as Apple's first pair of over-ear headphones to add to the growing stable of AirPods Bluetooth earbuds. The cans were quite impressive. They had great sound, excellent noise cancellation, and a handful of distinguishing features like a digital crown, a lack of a power button, and easily replaceable ear cups. 

Of course, they weren't perfect. They were heavy, had a questionable protective case, lackluster battery life, and cost an absurd $549. Some could justify the cost if they were audiophiles with have a lot of Apple products and money to burn. Now, the holdouts might be tempted to grab a nice discount since Apple discontinued the AirPods Max with Lightning to make room for an updated version.

That might seem like a good thing, if Apple had delivered a worthy successor. People had high hopes for the AirPods Max 2, given there hadn't been an update since 2020. We wanted the improved H2 chip, a better case, better battery life, new software features like Personalized Volume and Conversation Awareness, the whole nine yards. Instead, we got the exact same headphones with new colors and USB-C for the exact same price. Literally nothing else.

It felt like an April Fool's prank, since it would seem that updating the chip was the least Apple could do. On the bright side, the old AirPods Max with Lightning — now discontinued — will probably be seeing some decent third-party retailer price drops. They're the exact same headphones and support all the same features, so the hassle of using Lightning could really save you some money.

If the AirPods Max announcement was underwhelming, then here's some good news: Apple released the AirPods 4, and it is seemingly the largest improvement we've seen to date for the baseline AirPods product. 

Many features that had been limited exclusively to the AirPods Pro trickled down this year, such as noise cancellation, touch sensors, and support for the latest software improvements such as nodding to respond to Siri. Better yet, Apple split the AirPods into two versions: a budget version without noise cancellation for $129, and a new premium version with all the latest and greatest for $179. This means that you can get most of the way there to the $249 AirPods Pro 2 for $70 less.

There probably aren't going to be too many people that are sad to see the AirPods 2 and 3 discontinued. Compared to the new AirPods 4, they are significantly, objectively worse in just about every way. However, if you really don't care that much about sound quality or battery life, then this is an excellent chance for you to get them at a steeper discount. Here's to hoping they discontinue the AirPods Pro 2 soon to make room for the AirPods Pro 3 with a new generation of H3 chips.

Remember FineWoven? This was part of Apple's environmentally friendly, carbon neutral initiatives at the time of the iPhone 15 release. According to Apple Newsroom, FineWoven is "an elegant and durable twill made from 68 percent post-consumer recycled content. FineWoven offers a subtle luster and a soft, suedelike feel." So basically, an environmentally friendly leather replacement for MagSafe accessories. Sounds good, right? Despite Apple's best intentions, FineWoven proved to be one of their greatest product failures ever — one you shouldn't even buy if you find it on sale.

The main reason was that FineWoven cases and wallets were pathetically easy to damage. By pathetic, we mean you could scar them — permanently — with your fingernail. They also felt cheap, like something you'd buy from Alibaba for two bucks, not $59.

The public outcry was unanimous, with major reviewers pulling no punches and calling it a disaster. As Apple is wont to do, they did not publicly admit that FineWoven was problematic. Instead, they simply didn't release any for the iPhone 16 and removed most FineWoven products from their website, seemingly selling out the rest of their inventory. 

At the time of writing, you can see for yourself that the FineWoven page on Apple's website has no products to speak of, but if you do a little digging, you might find one remaining MagSafe FineWoven wallet buried deep down. That's about as good of a gravestone and a tacit admission from Apple as we are ever going to get. Rest in peace, FineWoven. Sadly, no one is going to miss you as much as they miss the money they wasted on you.