After this period, you may still be able to acquire software fixes from Apple. It is possible to continue receiving service and components for five years after your MacBook’s warranty has expired. So, if a developer releases an M1-only version of their app, previous Macs will be excluded. Even though M1 Macs feature Rosetta, which allows them to run programs intended for Intel Macs, the reverse is not true. There is a chance that Apple’s switch to its M1 CPUs will complicate matters. Third-party developers are free to create apps for older MacBooks, although they typically choose a cutoff point in newer versions of their applications. It was for Mojave, Catalina, and Big Sur. At the time of writing, the last security patch for macOS was on December 13, 2021.

For now, Apple isn’t saying how long you can keep getting them because there is no rule for when they decide to abandon a specific version of macOS.īased on previous updates, it looks like each version of macOS usually gets security patches for at least three years after replacing the older version. Earlier versions still receive security upgrades. Of course, you don’t have to use the most recent macOS version to utilize your MacBook. Even Mac parts that haven’t been made in more than five years may not be available from the company. On the other hand, if you take a look at Apple’s list of obsolete products (the products for which spare parts are no longer available for purchase from the company), you’ll notice that Apple doesn’t provide parts for Macs they no longer sell after seven years.

The maximum is 8 – 10 years, after which Apple will no longer maintain the software, and it’s undoubtedly better to replace your MacBook. Occasionally, Apple extends the lifespan of its MacBooks beyond this (e.g., macOS Mojave was released in 2018, but was supported on 2009 iMacs).īased on the last two releases, you can anticipate having access to the newest macOS releases for about seven years. For instance, a 2013 MacBook or iMac is required to operate Big Sur. For the most part, Apple discontinues previous versions of MacBooks when it publishes a new version of macOS.

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