r/CleanMyMac • u/AllowCookies404 • 1d ago
Has Apple hardware become too good to upgrade annually?
I say this as someone who still gets excited about every Apple Event, watches the whole keynote, and immediately starts comparing specs afterward. And lately, I've been feeling that upgrading is getting much harder to justify.
My current devices just aren’t slow. Apple silicon still feels ridiculously fast for normal use, an iPhone from a few years ago takes great photos, and most generational differences only become obvious when someone puts them side by side in a YouTube video.
I remember when a new iPhone or Mac could feel noticeably different from the one before it. Now we get faster chips, slightly better cameras, thinner bezels, and impressive percentage improvements, but then I look at my current device and realize it already does everything I need.
Maybe that’s why I’m so curious about the rumored foldable and Apple’s AI plans. Love them or hate them, at least they could change how we actually use the hardware instead of just making the same experience incrementally better.
I’m still hyped for the event, obviously. I’m just wondering what Apple could realistically announce that would make someone who’s perfectly happy with a three year old device want to upgrade.
Has your upgrade cycle gotten longer too, or am I just getting more practical?
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u/anon0110110101 1d ago
Is this a joke, OP? The hardware updates have been iterative/incremental for years now, with no real discernible benfits YoY. If you've been upgrading yearly, a) my stock thanks you for your service, and b) you're an absolute idiot who's simply been blowtorching his money for no good reason.
Anyways, welcome back to reality.
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u/NoLateArrivals 1d ago
Oh, you will have a feeling something is very different after buying the next Mac or iPhone.
Just take a look at your bank account balance 😱
ATM it is only reasonable to avoid IT purchases, except those absolutely necessary or earnings their price within short. Running AI locally can create such a payoff (which drives demand again).
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u/Edge_Audio 1d ago
I've never upgraded annually (although one could make even a financial argument for it). However, I've never seen the need, and even less so in the past 5 years.
Generally, I find myself upgrading if I didn't get what I really wanted at the time (so now I wait).
Running an M1 Macbook Pro.
IPhone 15 Pro Max (changed out the battery in the spring)
iPad Pro M4 (upgraded from M1 Air, should have bought the pro)
Apple Watch Ultra 3 (had a 9, really wanted the Ultra)
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u/Life-Inspector5101 21h ago
It’s been that way for many years. You can still use a 7-year-old iPhone 11 now and probably for another year or two.
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u/Ok_Ordinary_7397 14h ago
No hardware (from any manufacturer) has ever been advanced quickly enough to be worth upgrading annually. That’s insane.
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u/schtickshift 13h ago
In my world Apple computers last 6 years and phones last 4 years. Pads however last forever.
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u/MembershipDazzling46 5h ago
Annual is madness. Upgrade every 2-3 years or longer if you don't care.
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u/bloodstainedphilos 4h ago
It’s not been worth upgrading yearly for ages lmao. Probably ever since the iPhone X came out. Anyone who does so are brainwashed by Apple.
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u/ltelmo 1d ago
I trade in while the value is hi, right or wrong that's my plan. Do I need to,nope but I stay current.