Should you wait for Apple Silicon to upgrade to a new Mac?
Apple is transitioning its line of Macs from Intel-based processors to its own ARM-based processors over the course of the next few years. That begs the question of whether it's smart to upgrade now, or wait for Apple silicon Macs to launch.
Apple's processors versus Intel's
We've already seen a decline in Mac sales as users wait for Apple's new machines rocking some variant of its powerful A-series chips.
Like with any Apple product, there is a huge draw to be an early adopter, hopping on the bandwagon of Apple's "latest and greatest" tech. That draw can't be overstated as reason enough to not buy a new Mac now, but rather to wait for the new line.
These new machines will surely be tempting as Apple attempts to justify its transition talking up its new hardware and the power and efficiency of its own chips over Intel's. These machines will likely be quite powerful, while having exceptional battery life.
As Apple releases these machines, they are likely to come with other new features or optimizations that its Intel Macs don't have. We may not see that now but in future versions of macOS, there will likely be Apple silicon-specific features that won't pertain to Intel machines.
Not to mention refreshed form factors. The most anticipated of which is the rumored redesigned "14-inch MacBook Pro" that seems likely for early 2021.
At the same time, there are many reasons one may want to hold off on buying an Apple-silicon Mac and picking one up right now.
As mentioned, current rumors point to the first Apple silicon Macs to be the 13-inch Pro and MacBook Air, with others following those. If that is truly the case, users will have to wait at least until 2021 at the earliest before they are able to buy an Apple silicon 16-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac Pro, Mac Pro, or any other new Mac that is set to debut.
So if you are looking for something else, it may be beneficial to buy now, then sell and upgrade later when a suitable machine becomes available.
There is also the risk of being an early adopter. Anytime a new product is introduced there are bound to be bugs or rough points that get fixed or optimized in second-generation releases. Users typically want to keep their machines for many years, so it may be a safer bet to wait for a second-gen Apple silicon machine before jumping on board for Apple to refine the design.
Not to mention all apps at this point are optimized for Intel processors. Apple gave developers a large heads up to start working on their software for its ARM processors, but the transition won't be instant. Many big apps will be forced to run in emulation using Rosetta 2, not fully taking advantage of Apple's silicon.
If you are reliant on Windows in any way, that is yet another reason to stick to Intel-based Macs that are able to run Boot Camp as that feature is set to be retired with the Apple ARM transition.
From 16-inch MacBook Pros on sale for $1,999 to blowout prices on iMacs, the best Apple prices are at your fingertips 24/7 in the AI Price Guide.
Apple's processors versus Intel's
Why you should wait for Apple Silicon Macs
Apple's transition to its own in-house silicon for the Mac line is a big deal. Big enough that Apple pre-announced the transition at least two years in advance, giving developers time to work on their apps as well as a timeline for consumers who are considering a Mac purchase in the next 12 months or so.We've already seen a decline in Mac sales as users wait for Apple's new machines rocking some variant of its powerful A-series chips.
Like with any Apple product, there is a huge draw to be an early adopter, hopping on the bandwagon of Apple's "latest and greatest" tech. That draw can't be overstated as reason enough to not buy a new Mac now, but rather to wait for the new line.
These new machines will surely be tempting as Apple attempts to justify its transition talking up its new hardware and the power and efficiency of its own chips over Intel's. These machines will likely be quite powerful, while having exceptional battery life.
As Apple releases these machines, they are likely to come with other new features or optimizations that its Intel Macs don't have. We may not see that now but in future versions of macOS, there will likely be Apple silicon-specific features that won't pertain to Intel machines.
Not to mention refreshed form factors. The most anticipated of which is the rumored redesigned "14-inch MacBook Pro" that seems likely for early 2021.
At the same time, there are many reasons one may want to hold off on buying an Apple-silicon Mac and picking one up right now.
Why you should buy a Mac now
The first reason users may want to hold off is if they need a Mac now, rather than later. Apple just refreshed both the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air -- two of its most popular machines. Apple will continue to release Intel Macs for at least the next year or so as it slowly makes the transition to Apple silicon. Support for those Macs isn't going away anytime soon, so you can buy a machine now and expect it to work for many years as always.As mentioned, current rumors point to the first Apple silicon Macs to be the 13-inch Pro and MacBook Air, with others following those. If that is truly the case, users will have to wait at least until 2021 at the earliest before they are able to buy an Apple silicon 16-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac Pro, Mac Pro, or any other new Mac that is set to debut.
So if you are looking for something else, it may be beneficial to buy now, then sell and upgrade later when a suitable machine becomes available.
There is also the risk of being an early adopter. Anytime a new product is introduced there are bound to be bugs or rough points that get fixed or optimized in second-generation releases. Users typically want to keep their machines for many years, so it may be a safer bet to wait for a second-gen Apple silicon machine before jumping on board for Apple to refine the design.
Not to mention all apps at this point are optimized for Intel processors. Apple gave developers a large heads up to start working on their software for its ARM processors, but the transition won't be instant. Many big apps will be forced to run in emulation using Rosetta 2, not fully taking advantage of Apple's silicon.
If you are reliant on Windows in any way, that is yet another reason to stick to Intel-based Macs that are able to run Boot Camp as that feature is set to be retired with the Apple ARM transition.
Current deals on Macs
If you're in the market for a Mac, there are plenty of aggressive deals going on now, long before new Apple Silicon Macs hit store shelves.From 16-inch MacBook Pros on sale for $1,999 to blowout prices on iMacs, the best Apple prices are at your fingertips 24/7 in the AI Price Guide.
Comments
When Apple is releasing a new operating system it's often creating a half year long void and wait for the developers in the music, synth and audio industry (which I'm in) to catch up with stable drivers, because of Apple changing around a lot of stuff. Also a cat-and-mouse game where developers are waiting for Apple to acknowledge new bugs, or creating drivers that work around them. Now with a completely new hardware, I would very much assume there to be similar challenges… Just more.
For what I'm doing, I would probably need to wait and see… perhaps one, or even two years down the line unfortunately?
My guess is someone will hack Big Sur to support my machine in the meantime long enough for me to make it. Then it becomes a low-rez display for whatever comes next.
Thanks, Apple. Keep that stock price up!
It's usually possible to buy full warranty Macs at least up to 12 months after a new model arrives. Apple refurbs go back 3 years. There is a rare chance that the Intel models would gain a higher asking price but I think the volume of people wanting to clear effectively obsolete inventory will counter it.
I think waiting until after the first Apple Silicon Macs arrive would be the safest bet at this point, even if it's just the Macbook Air first. Reviewers will put it through its paces and it will be clearer what is going to be gained and lost in the transition. If the improvements in performance-per-watt are too good to pass up, then it's the best time to buy. If there's too much compatibility lost in the short-term, it's a good time to get a deal on an Intel model. Should only be another 8-12 weeks before we find out.
I'm pretty sure the new models will use the Magic Keyboard (scissor). They are still lower profile than the 2012 keyboard but have similar comfort level. It'll be easier to make the decision after the new models arrive.
I find Macs tend to last me 6 or 7 years before I need to upgrade and I typically get the mid-range machines. My 2014 i7 27” iMac with maximum RAM and an SSD is still a great useable machine for 3D and app development. I’ll soon be upgrading it to Catalina to investigate Reality Composer. That may be it’s last OS update as I’m sure to get an AS Mac sooner rather than later.
My current laptop is still the maxed out MBP retina I bought in Jan 2014 ( the best spec Apple sold at the time so more of a stretch for me than usual) and that too is still a solid workhorse getting used everyday. Prior to that laptop I dived into the Intel MBP fist generation and that machine never had a problem (software or hardware) so I had no regrets going 1st gen and will be happy to do so again.
If you do too, I would buy a new (Intel-chip) MBP sooner rather than later.
Intel is trash and Apple Silicon Macs are going to be better in every way.
But ... go ahead and buy Intel Macs anyway because we don't want to see Mac sales nosedive.
Yeah ... sorry, no.
I have had my Chromebook since 2016 and my Samsung Galaxy S8+ since 2017. (Don't sneer. I have a MacBook Pro and a Mac Mini too.) Even though I badly want to replace both, I won't buy a new Samsung Galaxy (a Note this time) until Qualcomm gets down to 5nm and integrates the 5G modem (which will happen in 2021 with the Galaxy S30/Note 30). And I won't buy a new Chromebook until they get out of Linux Beta and have either the Qualcomm 8CX (their 5G ARM configuration for laptops) or (preferably) an Exynos 995 (Samsung's 5 nm CPU with integrated 5G) for a CPU (again, almost certainly in 2021).
So yeah, if I were a Mac guy I would definitely wait. Yes, the Intel MacBooks may be cheaper because of people waiting, but lesser expensive tech with an uncertain support future is what Windows and Android people buy, right?
The ways in which Apple Silicon Macs' will have advantages for Apple over Intel Macs has been pretty clearly spelled out at WWDC. It's silly to assume this is not going to be the case without any evidence to the contrary. It's increasingly clear you haven't spent any time watching any of the videos that explain all of this. They're freely available, you know.
The arguments for buying an Intel Mac right now were pretty clearly not anything to do with preventing sales from nosediving.
Yes, you seemingly do.
That’s the difference between being an adult and being the person who spews easily-refutable bullshit on forums.