A newfangled write up fromCIRP(Consumer Intelligence Research Partners ) attempts to quantify how long consumers hold on to their Macs before buying a fresh model . And its conclusion , which will not make happy reading for Apple , is that the numbers are going up .
The survey asked US consumer how quondam their premature Mac had been when they opt to supercede it . In 2024 , more than half ( 56 percent ) say 3 years or more . That ’s a 16 - point increase from the equivalent resume in 2020 , when just 40 percent gave that result .
As the “ 3 years or more ” category increase in size , all the other categories shrank . The telephone number of upgraders who keep their Mac for 2 - 3 years has dropped from 19 to 13 percent ; those who keep it for 1 - 2 age have dropped from 23 to 19 percent ; and the lucky grouping who are able to supersede their Mac p.a. has spend from 19 to 13 percent .
Image: CIRP
The reason consumer are maintain their Macs longer , according to CIRP , is that user are moving more towards streaming and web - ground apps , which think of there is less need to knock up processing big businessman and therefore less motivating to upgrade oftentimes . CIRP also highlights areport by Mark Gurmanthat cites few clipping - sharpness features as well as increase reliability and durability as reason for the increase lifecycle of Apple devices .
“ In recent year , ” Gurman writes , “ Apple ’s tread of hardware innovation has slow down … The current MacBook Pro has the same canonic form cistron as it did in 2021 , and I would n’t wait a new look until 2025 or 2026 . The MacBook Air was redesign in 2022 , and a future change is in all probability years away as well . The remnant termination : Getting average consumers to on a regular basis upgrade to a new model is harder than it used to be . ”
A modernistic Mac computer with an Apple M - series chip is strong enough for most Mac user to hold on to it for 3 year or more . Even the first auto with Apple ’s M1 chip , theMacBook Air from 2020 , still has enough bounce in its tone for everyday use of goods and services such as sending emails , browsing , dim-witted photo and video editing .
Image: CIRP
In some mode , then , the account reflects well on Apple ’s Mac range ; but that will be scant consolation if revenue dry up from a lack of upgrade bodily function . Let ’s trust Cupertino has something exciting in store for theM3 Mac Studio .
This clause originally appeared on our sister publicationMacworld Swedenand was translated and localized from Swedish .
