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Will 2015 MBP be discontinued in 2018?

J

jackcoke

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 11, 2018
7
1
I'm seriously considering switching to the 2015 MBP 15", from a 2016 MBP 13". I do a lot of data analysis in R and writing as a student, and I'm looking to get a larger screen, better keyboard (I get some fatigue in my wrist and fingers after typing for a long time) and physical function keys.

Right now I'm torn between waiting for the 2018 release to see what changes, or just get a 2015 now. My concern is that Apple may very well discontinue the 2015 line this year, and I don't want to get a refurb if they do that (I want a new system).

Any educated guesses on whether the 2015 will still be available after the 2018 is released?
 
Discontinued or not, please don't buy the 2015 at full price. It's a joke that Apple is still selling it for that price. Laptops with similar components currently sell for about $800...

I hope that when/if they release the 2018 MBPs the lineup is solid enough with a low enough starting price that they can get rid of the 2015.

OTOH I don't think your complaints against the current MBPs will be resolved in 2018 so your best bet now is to get a 2015... but please reconsider buying used or refurbished.
 
jackcoke said:
I get some fatigue in my wrist and fingers after typing for a long time
Click to expand...
How would going back to a 2015 machine solve this?
Sounds more like you need an external keyboard.

I understand why you would want a larger screen, but calling the 2015 keyboard better is a tast thing.
I have/had a 2012 rMBP 15" and after using my 2017 TBMBP 15" for a while I come to like the feel of the keyboard better then the previous one. I know there are some troubles with some keyboards on the 2016/2017 models, but to me the typing experience is better on the new one.

Have you tried the 2015 model for an extended period of time?

Edit: and I have no idea whether they keep it or not. My guess, and this is just a guess, is that they will sack it. But there should still be units at store be it apple or 3rd party resellers
 
Schranke said:
How would going back to a 2015 machine solve this?
Sounds more like you need an external keyboard.

I understand why you would want a larger screen, but calling the 2015 keyboard better is a tast thing.
I have/had a 2012 rMBP 15" and after using my 2017 TBMBP 15" for a while I come to like the feel of the keyboard better then the previous one. I know there are some troubles with some keyboards on the 2016/2017 models, but to me the typing experience is better on the new one.

Have you tried the 2015 model for an extended period of time?

Edit: and I have no idea whether they keep it or not. My guess, and this is just a guess, is that they will sack it. But there should still be units at store be it apple or 3rd party resellers
Click to expand...

I've tried a friend's MacBook Air (2013 model I think) and I much prefer that keyboard design (I assume it's similar to the 2015 MBP, but I will try it out at the store first). I also hate the Touch Bar as I need the Esc and Fn keys often when programming, so I'm in a huge dilemma here.

On the one hand I'd hate to buy 3 year old components at full price, but on the other the Touchbar and low travel keyboard isn't really cutting it for me.
 
I have to beleive we'll not see the 2015 model once the 2018s are released.
 
If and when 2018 MacBook Pros are announced, I would expect to see the 2015-design MBP 15" discontinued (as a newly-built model).

But when that happens, I would expect to see them available as "Apple refurbs" for at least some time into the future...
 
As far as I can tell, it seems the 2015 models have already been discontinued by Apple and are only availabe as refurbs or through third-party sellers. That's not to say they are EOL. Far from it in reality and are actually a cost-effective way to get a MBP without paying the Apple Tax. I just bought my wife a refurbished early-2015 13" rMBP with the 3.1 GHz i7, 16 GB ram, and a 1 TB SSD for $1,400 including tax and shipping. The machine might as well be brand-new and works perfectly. Day-to-day use between her early-2015 and my 2017 (3.1GHz i5), both running High Sierra (10.13.5), is identical. The only difference I have noticed is video encoding in Handbrake, where my machine is a tick faster (maybe 5-10% at best). Other than that, they both feel equally powerful and capable. YMMV standard disclaimer applies, as everyone uses their machines differently. ;)

The main considerations IMHO are cost, the keyboard, USB-C only connectivity, or some combination of these. Cost is subjective as everyone's budget is different. Keyboard is a preference thing (I much prefer the early-2015 kb to my machine's; others prefer the new keyboard). USB-C can be addressed with one of the various USB-C hubs on the market, which have come down in price now that these machines have been out for a couple of years. So it will end up being which machine you prefer. They are both excellent laptops and will provide years of service and usability. :)
 
Well the 2012 13” model stuck around until 2016 as the last of the SuperDrive/ self-upgradable models, so perhaps the 2015 will stick around until the 2020 redesign for people who want a competent computer with “legacy” ports and a well praised keyboard. I’m starting to lean away from suggesting buying one new now though, as of last month it’s a 3 year old computer - and there’s no guarantee it will get a full complement (~7 years) of OS upgrades going forward because of that. The 2012 received a price cut in 2014 I believe. If they discounted it by $2-300 I’d probably still suggest it was a good option for many - which brings the discussion round to refurbs... they are going for about what you’d really expect to be paying for the machines at the moment, and worth your consideration.
 
At this point I no longer care...
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Q-6
 
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