As reported by The Verge, Apple has discontinued its Thunderbolt display. An Apple representative told the website:
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.
This is Apple’s only display, last updated in 2011, nearly five years ago.
Apple’s statement suggests that it’s not planning on replacing the device; otherwise they wouldn’t have highlighted “great third-party options.”
Bryan Chaffin, on The Mac Observer, sums up my feelings:
Apple sells a best-in-class 5K display in its iMac, but appears not to care enough about its professional users to bring that same technology to an external display. It’s impossible to understand why, though considering the lack of attention the professional market gets from Apple in the Mac hardware space, this is really just par for the course.
This move suggests that Apple is giving up on the pro market entirely. The Mac Pro hasn’t been updated in two and a half years, and Apple seems to be ignoring this high-end computer. Even if the Mac Pro doesn’t sell a lot, Apple’s leaving it stranded in the past is just wrong.