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Still Using My 2015 MacBook Pro – Worth Keeping in 2025?

K

karlvalueselect

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 19, 2025
5
1
Hi everyone,


I’m in the UK and still rocking my MacBook Pro 13” from early 2015. I wanted to share my setup and get some opinions on holding onto these older machines in 2025.


Specs:
  • Upgraded to 16GB RAM
  • 1TB SSD installed
  • Screen replaced with one from an identical model — looks pristine
  • Brand new battery installed (0 cycles)
  • Running macOS Sequoia, which feels surprisingly smooth
Cosmetic-wise, it has some light wear around the edges but no major dents or scratches. The screen is great, and the machine runs very reliably.

Would love to hear from others still using older MacBook Pros! Do you think these machines are still worth it for everyday tasks? Or is it time to upgrade?


Thanks!
 
They're still pretty good computers. I had a 2015 15" MBP with 16GB RAM and 512GB with the dedicated graphics chip that I gave to my mom when I replaced it with the 15" Air.

I had just replaced the battery in it with a new one from Apple and that costed me about $300 lol but it was in great shape and still ran perfectly fine. Mine had the screen lamination peel though, at the top around the camera is where it was worst but the body was still in great shape. I just didn't need two 15" MacBooks and while I loved my MBP the M2 has been a more than suitable replacement.

With that said the 2015 is legendary and can still be used today if you don't need the latest and greatest.
 
Thanks for sharing your experience! Sounds like you really took good care of your 2015 15” MBP — replacing the battery with an official one must have been a nice boost, even if pricey. I’m lucky mine got a new battery recently too, though it’s a 3rd party replacement.


The screen lamination peel issue is a shame — mine’s a replaced screen from the same model, so thankfully no lamination problems. I agree, the 2015 MacBooks are definitely built to last, especially for everyday use.


I’m tempted by the newer M2 models, but it’s great knowing this old workhorse can still hold its own. How’s your mom finding it these days?
 
karlvalueselect said:
Thanks for sharing your experience! Sounds like you really took good care of your 2015 15” MBP — replacing the battery with an official one must have been a nice boost, even if pricey. I’m lucky mine got a new battery recently too, though it’s a 3rd party replacement.


The screen lamination peel issue is a shame — mine’s a replaced screen from the same model, so thankfully no lamination problems. I agree, the 2015 MacBooks are definitely built to last, especially for everyday use.


I’m tempted by the newer M2 models, but it’s great knowing this old workhorse can still hold its own. How’s your mom finding it these days?
Click to expand...

I'll tell you, if I could have put a new screen on it I'd probably still have it haha, I really didn't want to let it go. I know Apple had a warranty program on them but when I took it in for the battery swap I inquired about it and they said if they had any screens left they'd do it for free but alas they ran out ages ago. The good thing about mine is while the computer was on you didn't really notice it unless you were specifically looking for it, it wasn't that big of a deal but a new screen would have still been nice.

The M2 is really good and can be had for a great price if you know where to look. I'm really happy with mine it should hold me for a while yet.

My mom mostly uses her iPad instead of the MBP but it's around in case she needs to use a computer, I saw it when I was at her house last month so I don't think it's totally abandoned at least. 😊
 
cwwilson said:
I'll tell you, if I could have put a new screen on it I'd probably still have it haha, I really didn't want to let it go. I know Apple had a warranty program on them but when I took it in for the battery swap I inquired about it and they said if they had any screens left they'd do it for free but alas they ran out ages ago. The good thing about mine is while the computer was on you didn't really notice it unless you were specifically looking for it, it wasn't that big of a deal but a new screen would have still been nice.

The M2 is really good and can be had for a great price if you know where to look. I'm really happy with mine it should hold me for a while yet.

My mom mostly uses her iPad instead of the MBP but it's around in case she needs to use a computer, I saw it when I was at her house last month so I don't think it's totally abandoned at least. 😊
Click to expand...
 
Haha, sounds like you were really attached to that one! Honestly, it’s great to hear from someone else who appreciated how solid those machines were. I feel lucky to have sourced a clean replacement screen — otherwise I’d probably be in the same boat as you.

That’s good to know about the M2! I’ve been eyeing those as a possible next step, but for now I’m enjoying squeezing as much life as I can out of this one. It’s cool that your mom still has the MBP around too — always handy to have a fallback machine.

Appreciate your replies — it’s been really helpful hearing your experience!
 
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I was using a 2009 MBP until late 2019, replaced it with a 2017 MBP, which then was replaced with an M3 Pro MBP. The 2009 MBP held up very well.
 
The key is the new battery. As long as you are happy with the speed, and the battery isnt bulging the bottom and trackpad (like my 2014 15” MBP), go for it. Just dont go to the apple store and try any M4 devices.
 
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My issue with older Intel based laptops was the battery which not great even when new and the fact that they tended run hot. The only reason I can see for you to upgrade to a newer machine is if the current one has problems you can only resolve with a new machine e.g. battery life (even if the battery is new), support for software that will only run on new Apple Silicon machine (possibly caused by not being able to upgrade to the latest OS) etc.

Given you can live with the current machine, I would tend to wait for the next major update to the Apple laptop line as there are rumors of physical design changes which could be at the end of 2026 or 2027.
 
I also currently daily drive a 2015 Pro with very similar specs to yours - I had fully been planning to upgrade this year, but it runs Sonoma so well (I like to stay one major version behind, so will update it to Sequoia in the fall) that I'm now more than happy to wait until at least next year to upgrade!

(P.S. - Can absolutely attest to these older MacBooks being rock solid - I'm writing this post from a 2010 MBA that I still use as a secondary machine for web browsing and writing documents and it also continues to work great!)
 
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karlvalueselect said:
Hi everyone,


I’m in the UK and still rocking my MacBook Pro 13” from early 2015. I wanted to share my setup and get some opinions on holding onto these older machines in 2025.


Specs:
  • Upgraded to 16GB RAM
  • 1TB SSD installed
  • Screen replaced with one from an identical model — looks pristine
  • Brand new battery installed (0 cycles)
  • Running macOS Sequoia, which feels surprisingly smooth
Cosmetic-wise, it has some light wear around the edges but no major dents or scratches. The screen is great, and the machine runs very reliably.

Would love to hear from others still using older MacBook Pros! Do you think these machines are still worth it for everyday tasks? Or is it time to upgrade?


Thanks!
Click to expand...
The answer to your question obviously and only is answered by your personal definition of "for everyday tasks."

My 2016 MBP with 16 GB RAM rammed-out in about 2021 for my multi-task workflow. I upgraded to an M2 MBP with 96 GB RAM.

The 2016 MBP still runs just fine for any single application or two [including the suite of Affinity image editing apps], and the original battery still works fine. But for multitasking with multiple applications open the 2016 MBP fails. Plus the display on the M2 MBP is a lot better than the display on the 2016 MBP.
 
whitby said:
My issue with older Intel based laptops was the battery which not great even when new and the fact that they tended run hot. The only reason I can see for you to upgrade to a newer machine is if the current one has problems you can only resolve with a new machine e.g. battery life (even if the battery is new), support for software that will only run on new Apple Silicon machine (possibly caused by not being able to upgrade to the latest OS) etc.

Given you can live with the current machine, I would tend to wait for the next major update to the Apple laptop line as there are rumors of physical design changes which could be at the end of 2026 or 2027.
Click to expand...
Why should anyone wait for "rumors of physical design changes which could be at the end of 2026 or 2027."
What do you presume is wrong about 2025 MBPs that someone should spend (IMO waste) a year of their life to obtain as-yet-undetermined physical design changes?

I agree that we should always wait until we need it before buying a new computer. But I think it's silly to wait for rumored design changes unless one does not like the [IMO superb] existing MBPs..
 
Where did you gets your upgrades done? I have a 2015 15 inch which was working but the charging port failed. I’d be tempted to get it fixed but Apple here in the uk wouldn’t do it.
 
Allen_Wentz said:
Why should anyone wait for "rumors of physical design changes which could be at the end of 2026 or 2027."
What do you presume is wrong about 2025 MBPs that someone should spend (IMO waste) a year of their life to obtain as-yet-undetermined physical design changes?

I agree that we should always wait until we need it before buying a new computer. But I think it's silly to wait for rumored design changes unless one does not like the [IMO superb] existing MBPs..
Click to expand...
If the OP felt the need to upgrade now, they should do it now and I never implied or recommended otherwise. But, as I said, if they are happy enough with what they have then why not wait for the latest spec designs rather than just pick up the current design. Whether the current model is ‘superb’ or not is both subjective and completely irrelevant. And if the OP is happy enough with what they have waiting is not a ‘waste’ of time, simply prudent.
 
I still use a 2011 MB Air almost daily with Linux installed on it. After a few tabs it's a bit sluggish but still entirely usable. A 13" MB Pro would work almost like brand new on Linux.
 
Performance wise it’s still good enough, just make sure it’s economical enough to maintain its aging parts which can be costly and hard to find genuine.
 
whitby said:
If the OP felt the need to upgrade now, they should do it now and I never implied or recommended otherwise. But, as I said, if they are happy enough with what they have then why not wait for the latest spec designs rather than just pick up the current design. Whether the current model is ‘superb’ or not is both subjective and completely irrelevant. And if the OP is happy enough with what they have waiting is not a ‘waste’ of time, simply prudent.
Click to expand...
Like I said, I agree that we should always wait until we need it before buying a new computer.

Sure whether the current model is 'superb’ or not is subjective, but it is completely relevant. If the current MBPs had some significant flaw (e.g. butterfly keyboard) then waiting for new design would have particular value.

As far as I can see [guess], the likely upgrade changes that may be worth waiting for may be thinner with better displays. So for folks who care about either of those things I fully agree with you. Heck, the nano texture alone is enough to sooner or later get me tp upgrade from my M2 MBP that is strong enough to last me basically forever [Gawd I love having plenty of RAM...].
 
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I mean, it's not gonna stop working. You can use it for another 10 years if you wanted.

The main differences with the M series laptops are:
  • Almost zero fan noise. If it does come on, you'll barely hear it. It's like using a giant iPad with a keyboard attached.
  • HDR screen is nice for viewing photos you took with modern iPhones. Can also edit in HDR properly.
  • Extremely fast and smooth
If that appeals to you, its a great time to upgrade. You can go used! You can find the M1 Max for very very cheap on FB Marketplace. Just make sure it's legit and not iCloud locked.
 
karlvalueselect said:
Hi everyone,


I’m in the UK and still rocking my MacBook Pro 13” from early 2015. I wanted to share my setup and get some opinions on holding onto these older machines in 2025.


Specs:
  • Upgraded to 16GB RAM
  • 1TB SSD installed
  • Screen replaced with one from an identical model — looks pristine
  • Brand new battery installed (0 cycles)
  • Running macOS Sequoia, which feels surprisingly smooth
Cosmetic-wise, it has some light wear around the edges but no major dents or scratches. The screen is great, and the machine runs very reliably.

Would love to hear from others still using older MacBook Pros! Do you think these machines are still worth it for everyday tasks? Or is it time to upgrade?


Thanks!
Click to expand...
If it still does everything you need it to do, and it enables you to get things done, rather than gets in the way of getting things done, then of course keep it, why not?

If you want a shiny new laptop, and you have the means of buying one, get a new one if you want it.

But that's "want", not "need".

The reality is that both tech companies and the "tech communities" that grow up around specific tech companies want to push growth, so there is constant pressure on consumers to upgrade, but this is just marketing.

Compared to other consumer devices, it's wired, frankly. I don't feel any pressure to "upgrade" my oven, fridge or washing machine every year. I use them until either 1) they break or 2) there is some other pragmatic motivation to upgrade, e.g. significantly less power consumption with a newer model.

Power consumption is the main reason why I used to use a Mac Pro 5,1 but now I use a Mac mini M2 Pro. But the difference in power consumption (in terms of cost of electricity) isn't nearly as significant between an Intel McBook and an AS Macbook - battery life will be far shorter on an Intel Mac, but connecting the laptop to a charger is not a dealbreaker.

An M chip MacBook will be much faster, but if the 2015 meets your needs, there's no need to upgrade. If you're fine now, you'll be fine until Apple and third party software no longer provides support and compatibility for intel-based Macs. And we're not quite at that point yet.

There may well be a "want" to upgrade, but, as above, not the same thing.
 
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If you’re still using it and can get security updates, why stop? I’d happily still be using my M1 MBA if the screen hadn’t gone.
 
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