Apple Discontinues Thunderbolt Displays
Apple has been apparently working on a refreshed Thunderbolt Display and is likely to release it sometime this year. Now, though, Apple has issued a statement saying the current Thunderbolt Display will only be offered till stock lasts, but it won't reload stocks. In other words, Apple is discontinuing the Thunderbolt Display.
“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,” said an Apple spokesperson.
It is not clear why Apple has decided to make a declaration regarding the discontinuation of the display and if it means a new 4K or 5K display is on the horizon.
Stock shortages in advance of WWDC sparked reports that Apple might be scheduling to announce a new display at the event, but no new hardware seemed and Apple instead concentrated on software for Macs, iOS devices, Apple TVs, and Apple Watch devices.
It isn’t clear whether Apple plans to track with newer versions that use 5K resolution displays at 5120 by 2880 pixels, which is the display technology Apple uses on its high-end iMac. There was rumor earlier that a new version would be declared at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference this month.
An Apple spokeswoman failed to comment on whether Apple strategic to offer a refresh to the display. Apple said in an emailed statement that “there are a number of great third-party options available for Mac users.”
The new displays are estimated to come with combined GPU and a screen resolution of 5120x2880 pixels. Rumors claim that Apple has decided to participate a GPU into the display to make it future ready. The integrated GPU will support the new Thunderbolt Display maintain compatibility with future Macs, and will also decrease the requirement of high-resolution displays to be powered by high-performance computers featuring top-end GPUs.
In any case, the option that Apple might just have killed off the entire product line cannot be ruled out either. The new displays were likely to be declared at WWDC, but that obviously didn't happen either.