Luke Larsen / Digital Trends
You might have notice that Apple ’s various Macs have n’t had many hardware change in late years . The design of theMacBook Prohas barely changed since 2021 , while theMac mini’schassis has stay the same since 2020 ( and has barely been altered in almost 15 years ) . The Mac Pro , meanwhile , is still sway the same look it ’s had since 2019 .
The slowdown in changes is intentional on Apple ’s part , though it creates an obvious problem with how the party will get you excited about upgrading to gimmick in the future .
Luke Larsen / Digital Trends
Longer-lasting devices
We should n’t really be too surprised about how we got here . Apple ’s hardware designs are ( usually ) heavy , and they tend to last a lot longer than rival ’ devices , signify there ’s not a despairing need to regularly update them . Software , on the other mitt , is moving so fast — especially when it comes to AI — that it makes a sealed variety of sense that Apple prioritise climb here over hardware tweaks .
Case in point : Apple is apparently put to work on anultra - flimsy MacBook Prothat will take its cues from thelatest iPad Pro . Yet it is n’t expected any time presently , meaning an even longer await for fresh designs . The hardware plays 2nd violin to the software system .
This situation is probable to compound as Apple works to make its devices more durable . The company has justreleased a reportexplaining how it need its devices to be as long - lasting as potential , and that enduringness is preferred to repairability . But if your hardware can survive for longer than ever , you wo n’t postulate to promote as often . That ’s great word for us — but for Apple , it creates a new problem . Snazzy new designs have long been the main number one wood of selling new products for Apple , and without it , Macs will require something more .
This is whereApple Intelligencecomes in . Apple ’s AI organization could be a new way for Apple to make money by offering a paid - for subscription service with more feature , Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman believes . Apple will also get a cut of tax revenue from cooperator like OpenAI .
From what I ’ve seen so far , Apple Intelligence appear like a slap-up addition to Macs , and I ’m really look forrad to seeing how it integrates with — and better — my calculate animation when using Apple ’s ironware . In terms of day - to - day custom , it could lift my Mac in ways no other Apple feature article has been able to do in late eld , be that hardware or software package .
But it ’s not the same matter as getting frequent hardware upgrade . I ’d love to get anOLED MacBook Proor a Mac mini with a thinner form agent , but those production are n’t anywhere close to launch . With Apple slow up the pace of its hardware refresh cycles , I could be waiting for a tenacious time yet .
Balancing hardware and software
Here ’s the big question : How does the word picture face for Macs look compared to iPhones ? You need aniPhone 15 Proor later to apply Apple Intelligence , but on the Mac side , compatibility operate all the way back to the M1 series . Apple says the reason is equipment memory ( which is more circumscribed on iPhones than on Macs ) , and that makes common sense pass on how generous its being with Mac half-witted compatibility . But it ’s also just another reason not to advance the Mac .
If Macsas previous as the 2020 MacBook Aircan run Apple Intelligence , after all , it suggests Apple is n’t too fussed about upgrade its Mac hardware . There ’s no pressing need to get Mac user ready for Apple Intelligence if their four - year - old computing machine can run it , entail Apple is under no great pressure to tune up up its Mac hardware .
As a Mac user , it ’s great that my M1 Mac mini will work with Apple Intelligence . Gurman believes Apple could launch a pay - for version of Apple Intelligence , and I would n’t mind seeing what Apple can offer up here . It sure as shooting charm me more thanChatGPT Plus .
But if it means I have to wait a lot longer for Apple to advance its hardware ( either with cutting - boundary new tech or simply to bring features rivals have had for a while to the Mac ) then that ’s by all odds a tone back . I understand that Macs are beautiful , brilliant machines that last ages , but the tech world is incredibly fast - move , and something that was top - of - the - stilt even just a couple of years ago can swiftly sense out-of-date .
Hopefully , Apple Intelligence will be able to mitigate some of that thanks to its chain of mountains ofpowerful featuresand their power to raise any Mac they come into tangency with . But I just desire it wo n’t result to Apple miss the computer hardware side of the par .
