MBP16 release questions from an apple newbie

[suntiser]

Hi all

I need to buy a macbook pro 16 and it must have an intel chip. I'm trying to figure out the optimal time to place an order. I'm aware there are new MBPs due to be released in the near future. Are there any guesses as to what will happen to the intel chip option?

1 - Will there be a new MBP16 with an intel chip?
2 - Will the intel option disappear entirely?
3 - Will the price for intel option drop or remain unchanged?
4 - I'm not familiar with apple product releases. Do they normally announce a change and update their website immediately? Or is there normally a period between the product confirmation and the purchasing options being updated?
5 - Any guesses as to how long an intel compatible OS might continue to receive security updates?

I'm aware no-one here will have insider knowledge, but you may either have read possibilities from leaks or perhaps previous release cycles might give some guidance.

Thanks

 

[GumaRodak]

If you need it, buy it. Dont wait.
There is a chance that apple may release new HW by end of the year and prices of used ones may drop as lot of ppls will getting the new machines with M chip.

the biggest flaw of the current 16” is the heating with external monitors attached, but it depends on the monitor specifications. For example, i do not use external monitor and i dont have any issue with that machine.

 

[svish]

Hi all

I need to buy a macbook pro 16 and it must have an intel chip. I'm trying to figure out the optimal time to place an order. I'm aware there are new MBPs due to be released in the near future. Are there any guesses as to what will happen to the intel chip option?

1 - Will there be a new MBP16 with an intel chip?
2 - Will the intel option disappear entirely?
3 - Will the price for intel option drop or remain unchanged?
4 - I'm not familiar with apple product releases. Do they normally announce a change and update their website immediately? Or is there normally a period between the product confirmation and the purchasing options being updated?
5 - Any guesses as to how long an intel compatible OS might continue to receive security updates?

I'm aware no-one here will have insider knowledge, but you may either have read possibilities from leaks or perhaps previous release cycles might give some guidance.

Thanks

1. Highly unlikely
2. Once the entire Mac lineup shifts to Apple Silicon, intel based Macs will be completely discontinued
3. Once Apple silicon based Macbook Pro is announced, you will not be able to buy a new intel based Mac on Apple website or Apple directly. Some third party shops may sell remaining stock at a discount
4. Once a product is launched, orders for the product opens usually in the same week. You can get your hands on the new product within 14 days of launch. Say product announced on Monday, orders open same day or that Friday and it will reach customers by next Friday.
5. Intel based Macs should get OS for a couple of years atleast. However certain features may not be available. Several features of macOS Monterey are not available for intel based Macs

 

[Yebubbleman]

Hi all

I need to buy a macbook pro 16 and it must have an intel chip. I'm trying to figure out the optimal time to place an order.

Buy it as soon as you can. Apple is EXTREMELY UNLIKELY to release another 16" MacBook Pro with an Intel processor.

I'm aware there are new MBPs due to be released in the near future. Are there any guesses as to what will happen to the intel chip option?

1 - Will there be a new MBP16 with an intel chip?

No. As stated above, such is extremely unlikely to happen given that they're working to transition all of their Mac products away from Intel.

2 - Will the intel option disappear entirely?

Unclear. If past MacBook Pro redesigns are any indication, there may be one Intel model lingering in the lineup for some time (1-3 years). But if that happens (and if said model is a 16" MacBook Pro), it won't be an updated model, but rather the same 9th Generation Intel based version that was introduced in 2019; and likely with a few CTO options missing.

3 - Will the price for intel option drop or remain unchanged?

See above. Hard to tell. It will either drop entirely or it will remain with a subset of CTO options. It might also remain untouched, but that seems less likely given the last couple of times that they kept older generation models around in this fashion.

4 - I'm not familiar with apple product releases. Do they normally announce a change and update their website immediately? Or is there normally a period between the product confirmation and the purchasing options being updated?

It's immediate.

5 - Any guesses as to how long an intel compatible OS might continue to receive security updates?

Apple is going to be releasing OS versions that are compatible with Intel releases for a while to come. The average Mac supported to run the next macOS release (Monterey) is from 2015. Even if Apple moves that up a year each year, that will give you a good four years at minimum of whole new releases. Each macOS release is supported with security patches for two years after it is no longer the current release. So, figure that you have approximately six years, assuming Apple remains aggressive in culling support for older Macs.

I'm aware no-one here will have insider knowledge, but you may either have read possibilities from leaks or perhaps previous release cycles might give some guidance.

Thanks

Apple tends to only limit machines out of OS releases due to inability to get updated drivers or firmware for certain Mac components as needed for new OS releases. That and/or system-wide changes. It's highly likely that they'll decide to limit macOS to T2 based Intel Macs and then eventually cut out Intel altogether. But we're likely some time away from those milestones. Certainly, if you need Intel, buy ASAP. And if an Intel Mac is integral to what you do, plan for the future where your options are to buy an x86 PC and/or an Apple Silicon Mac to do what you might've previously accomplished with just an Intel Mac.

 

[skaertus]

Hi all

I need to buy a macbook pro 16 and it must have an intel chip. I'm trying to figure out the optimal time to place an order. I'm aware there are new MBPs due to be released in the near future. Are there any guesses as to what will happen to the intel chip option?

1 - Will there be a new MBP16 with an intel chip?
2 - Will the intel option disappear entirely?
3 - Will the price for intel option drop or remain unchanged?
4 - I'm not familiar with apple product releases. Do they normally announce a change and update their website immediately? Or is there normally a period between the product confirmation and the purchasing options being updated?
5 - Any guesses as to how long an intel compatible OS might continue to receive security updates?

I'm aware no-one here will have insider knowledge, but you may either have read possibilities from leaks or perhaps previous release cycles might give some guidance.

Thanks

Here is my take:

1. Probably not.

2. Probably. Apple may keep some version of the Intel MacBook for some time, but it will end up disappearing completely one day. Even if Apple chooses to immediately discontinue the Intel version, you will still be able to find the old models for sale.

3. The price of old models will probably drop. However, you can already find some of the 16-inch models for sale at a lower price (they are currently $300 off at BestBuy). In the unlikely scenario that Apple releases a new Intel version, the price of this new version may remain the same.

4. It is usually immediate. However, in some cases, Apple announces the product, and shipping dates are still a few days away. For instance, the 24-inch iMac was announced on April 20 and started shipping on April 30.

5. I would guess 5 years or more.

Is there a specific reason for buying an Intel Mac instead of a version with Apple silicon?

 

[theluggage]

I need to buy a macbook pro 16 and it must have an intel chip.

Short answer: nobody here knows (or if they do, the can't tell, and if they do tell then they're, by definition, unreliable).

Apple could launch the new M1-based MBP16 - and drop the Intel version - pretty much any time between tomorrow and the end of the year. Maybe they'll keep an Intel based system on the books for people like you, but you could have a limited choice.

The latest MacOS (Monterey - due out in a few months) could be the last version supported on Intel. Since Apple are still selling Intel Macs they'll probably need to support them with security/major bugfix updates for 5 years or so - but that doesn't mean they'll have to make new versions of MacOS available for Intel machines.

...and, of course, it's up to the individual producers of whatever software you use when they (a) start supporting Apple Silicon or (b) drop support for Intel - which is likely to be what really determines when the Mac becomes unusable for your purposes.

I think it is very unlikely that we'll see any significantly upgraded Intel machines from Apple now - maybe a spec bump on whatever they decide is going to be their 'legacy support' Intel machine - if there is one - maybe a new $2000 GPU for the Mac Pro - and that any substantial re-design will rely on the compactness and power-efficiency of Apple Silicon.

I'm not going to second-guess you on whether or not you really need Intel, but if your need for an Intel chip is likely to persist for more than a couple of years, it's time to start looking at non-Mac solutions, I'm afraid.

(If you give up and buy a PC, just make sure that it is going to be compatible with Windows 11! The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence...)

 

[ian87w]

Hi all

I need to buy a macbook pro 16 and it must have an intel chip. I'm trying to figure out the optimal time to place an order. I'm aware there are new MBPs due to be released in the near future. Are there any guesses as to what will happen to the intel chip option?

1 - Will there be a new MBP16 with an intel chip?
2 - Will the intel option disappear entirely?
3 - Will the price for intel option drop or remain unchanged?
4 - I'm not familiar with apple product releases. Do they normally announce a change and update their website immediately? Or is there normally a period between the product confirmation and the purchasing options being updated?
5 - Any guesses as to how long an intel compatible OS might continue to receive security updates?

I'm aware no-one here will have insider knowledge, but you may either have read possibilities from leaks or perhaps previous release cycles might give some guidance.

Thanks

1. No
2. Yes
3. For used market, yes as there will be a lot of people upgrading. Apple's prices will be static as usual, but expect discounts on the refurbished section
4. Nowadays, information on the website usually will be available the minute Apple finishes the keynote. Purchasing info will be revealed as well.
5. Apple tends to support down to -2 versions of macOS. As for deprecating intel, we only have powerPC to base our theory on. Apple announced intel transition from PowerPC in 2005, and then dropped PowerPC support in 2009 from OS X Snow Leopard. Apple announced ARM transition in 2020. So intel support might be dropped in the macOS version released in 2024. Considering that Apple would still support -2 versions of macOS, your intel Mac might still be receiving security updates on the last macOS that support it until 2026.

 

[suntiser]

Wow, thank you all so much. You've all given incredibly helpful answers and given me a lot to think about. Thanks again

 

[jav6454]

Wow, thank you all so much. You've all given incredibly helpful answers and given me a lot to think about. Thanks again

Quick question OP, why does it have too be Intel? Just for my curiosity sake.

 

[suntiser]

Quick question OP, why does it have too be Intel? Just for my curiosity sake.

Hi, I'm an IT contractor and working in a team that uses Docker and a few other common tools. I've had a few incidents where compatibility issues have slowed me down which hasn't been well received. It's possible to rewrite dockerfiles and other tooling to make it platform agnostic but honestly it's just easier to buy a new device than risk my job: I'm not always dealing with people where sensible conversations are possible...

 

[jav6454]

That makes sense.