JPack
macrumors P6
But that update has no security content. Most people care about security and as you run older versions, the security content provided by Apple becomes less and less.
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Think the m1 models will be supported for quite awhile yet.
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But that update has no security content. Most people care about security and as you run older versions, the security content provided by Apple becomes less and less.
JPack
macrumors P6
Indeed, and M2 was very big in terms of new security features. SPTM fundamentally changes how the kernel interacts with hardware. Exclaves are another significant kernel security feature.
SPTM and Exclaves are almost like the T2 chip of the Apple Silicon era.
I would not be surprised if Apple soon set M2 as the baseline for security.
AppleTO
macrumors 68000
I wouldn't expect them to receive support any longer than usual. It's not in Apple's best interests. They want to sell new Macs.
From a security standpoint, these machines will be bricks once support is fully dropped.
From a security standpoint, these machines will be bricks once support is fully dropped.
The real question is whether Apple will differentiate between M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra chips for software support. Dropping the M1 Ultra at the same time as they drop the M1 base chip would be wild.
AppleTO
macrumors 68000
They'll probably do it by machine. The 2020 M1 MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini probably have 1 or 2 years left of major releases, and then two additional years of security. So 3 to 4 total.
While true this isn’t saying much.
For example, Apple has been regularly releasing security updates for the iPad Air2 (2014), Mini 4 (2015) and iPhone 6S (2015) for many years now.
Yet they haven’t been running the latest version of software since 2022.
So who knows.
Given Apple has released security and certificate updates for iOS 12, 15, 16 and 18 just within the last four months, I think it’s a lot more unclear than “computer dropped=bricks”.
I have an M1 Studio and M1 MacBook Pro and plan to upgrade the Studio to M5 when it comes out. I wanted to wait for M6 to replace the MacBook Pro. With Intel Macs, you could run Windows or Linux but I don't know if those are options with Apple Silicon. A virtual machine running Windows would be possible but I don't like the idea of the performance and UI loss with that approach.
So this thread definitely has me thinking about upgrading.
maflynn
macrumors Broadwell
This is my assumption as well, with the years starting and ending in June with the new software revisions.
My best guess would be…
macOS 27: M1 and up
macOS 28: M1 and up
macOS 29: M1 MacBook Air, M1 MacBook Pro, Mac Mini and iMac (November 2020-April 2021) all dropped.
macOS 30: M1Pro and Max MacBook Pro and M1Max Max/Ultra Studio (October 2021/March 2022) dropped.
macOS 31: M2 MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, M2Pro and Max MBP and M2/M2Pro Mac Mini (June 2022-January 2023) all dropped.
macOS 32: M2Max/Ultra Studio and MacPro, M3, M3Pro and Max MBP, M3 iMac and M3 MacBook Air (June 2023-March 2024) + MacBook Neo (A18) dropped.
macOS 33: M4 Mac Mini, M4, M4 Pro/Max MacBook Pro, M4 MacBook Air, M4Max/M3Ultra Studio (October 2024-March 2025) + hypothetical MacBook Neo (A19) dropped.
apple contributor
macrumors member
No idea what has given you that impression, this is the last year for *Intel* support.
Apple is certainly not going to drop the last Intel computers and the first Apple Silicon computers at the same time.
Also, when it comes to Apple Silicon architecture, they are still supporting the (two years older than M1) A12 and A12X chips within iPadOS, and the year older A13 chip within iOS.
Given that the M1 and A14 are fundamentally using the exact same core, your theory implies that apple is about to cut off a significant number of devices, some of which only came out in 2022. That seems very unlikely to me.
That would mean that between OS 26 and 27, both the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 lines, as well as the second generation SE, the 2019, 2020 and 2022 iPad Airs, the 2018, 2020 and 2021 iPad pros, the iPad 8, iPad 9 and iPad 10 as well as the 2020 MacBook Air, 2020 MacBook Pro, 2020 Mac mini and 2021 iMac would all lose support at the same time.
This seems absolutely unnecessarily cruel, and very much, not like recent Apple, who always at least attempt to fundamentally support their devices for a minimum of five years.
I don’t think within one year Apple would cut the bulk of software support from supporting devices from 2018 and 2019 to requiring something from 2022 or later, this just doesn’t seemlikely at all, and I cannot think of a recent example of this within the last 15+ years.
Also consider that Apple was officially still selling brand new, freshly manufactured, running the latest operating system out of the box M1 MacBook Airs as recently as February of this year. This just doesn’t seem likely at all.
M1 machine certainly will be getting macOS 27, likely macOS 28 as well.
I still have my 2014 iMac and I know it’s old and out of date but it still does all the basics right for me and can edit photos etc.
My big gripe was when the OS only received minor improvements and the discontinued older macs as I think surely these can’t be that intensive… and as I write this… I can’t think of an example but we’ve not had a any big game changes in Mac OS in the last 10 years have we? They all just been minor design tweaks from memory? iCloud syncing and photos is only thing I can think of
erikkfi
macrumors 68000
We really don't know if Apple Silicon Macs will be supported longer than the 6-7 years that's been typical of the late Intel period. There are arguments for and against. Just because something was on sale for a long time (e.g., M1 Air) doesn't mean it'll have an exceptionally long software support lifespan, though. Recall the Mid 2012 MacBook Pro, which was on sale from June 2012 through October 2016, and lost software support after 10.15 (2019), making for a supported lifespan of eight years if you bought one right when they first came out, but only three if you bought one at the end. If you buy an M1 Air today you might only get software updates for three years as well.
Or Apple might decide to bump the supported lifespan to ten years. We just don't know because the first M1s haven't been dropped yet.
Or Apple might decide to bump the supported lifespan to ten years. We just don't know because the first M1s haven't been dropped yet.
ThrawnTHX
macrumors member
Genelec8341
macrumors 6502
throAU
macrumors G4
Don’t confuse “CA certificate updates” with “security updates”.
They aren’t the same thing. One enables the device to still function with the internet. the other keeps it secure.
The updates they’ve been getting are the first category for the most part.
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Yes, I bought the last 27" 5K iMac in December 2022, Refurbished from Apple. Fortunately, being the last Intel Mac with an i9 Intel Chip, Nano-Texture Screen, 5700XT w/16GB of VRAM, and a 8TB SSD, and the RAM is User-upgradeable( I have 64 GB installed), but because of the T2 Security Chip, I was able to update to Tahoe, but it will be the last year with upgradability and full use of the New features in the upcoming OS'es. This is a Great iMac, with a Fantastic Screen, and Outstanding Graphics capabilities., and I don't care if it can't update past Mac OS Tahoe 26, likewise, I won't concern myself with any of the M5 or M6 Mac Book Pros, because my Refurbished M1 Max 16" Mac Book Pro has a 4T SSD and 64 GB of RAM, and with 400/GBs throughput, I'm overjoyed, and the M2/M3/M4/M5 are all noisier and spool their fans up to deal with the Heat, but I seldom ever hear my Fans on the M1 Max, and there is no interruptions to Audio work, or situations where noise control is important. I no longer worry about what new products are coming, just whether I can easily get my Work done, and can take advantage of the latest software, and I'm under extended warranty.
KnowsHowItWorks
macrumors member
Shirasaki
macrumors P6
My m1 MacBook Pro, blazing fast at launch, now struggles hard on sonoma. It supports Tahoe but I haven’t bothered to upgrade it yet. Still, moving around windows, using expose, navigating around and launching programs already can feel lag and stutter. M1 is capable, but no longer “capable of everything” these days, at least for me.
My m1 iPad Pro is already lagging hard while transitioning from lock screen to Home Screen after running iPadOS 26. Game performance is down and using it feels more sluggish. To me, m1 is no longer capable of doing what I do frequently, and I’m not even doing “video work or audio work”.
So, regarding the support, I suspect they will get maybe at most 2 more years of software support before getting cut. Apple at least can’t bloat their macOS too much or Neo would cripple very quickly so there’s that.
My m1 iPad Pro is already lagging hard while transitioning from lock screen to Home Screen after running iPadOS 26. Game performance is down and using it feels more sluggish. To me, m1 is no longer capable of doing what I do frequently, and I’m not even doing “video work or audio work”.
So, regarding the support, I suspect they will get maybe at most 2 more years of software support before getting cut. Apple at least can’t bloat their macOS too much or Neo would cripple very quickly so there’s that.
Not as simple as that. As I said earlier, there hardware support, based on when they stop selling at Apple Stores, and software support, based on the OS of launch. As simple as that, until their policies change.
If Neo "cripples" after a few years, it will incentivize users to upgrade faster to a new neo or air. A win for Apple.
Having said that, sluggishness is subjective, I don't feel any of it in my M1 Mac Mini on Sequoia or in my M1 iPad pro on 26 (and I have faster devices).