Unbeatable Deals: Intel-Powered MacBooks Slash Prices - Why Patience Pays

Key Takeaways

• Intel Macs may become cheaper because macOS Sequoia’s AI features only work with Apple Silicon.
• Buying an Intel Mac means compromising on hardware and software updates, performance, and battery life.
• Only consider an Intel Mac for basic web browsing or specific software needs with ample RAM, but refurbished M1 Macs offer better value.

With only a small number of older Macs getting the update to macOS Sequoia, Apple’s Intel era is almost over. That could mean the market gets flooded with used Intel Macs at their cheapest-ever prices. But are they even worth buying anymore?

Why Will Intel Macs Get Cheaper?

While macOS Sequoia will be available for some Intel Macs, the flagship AI features that come under the umbrella term “Apple Intelligence” will be restricted to the M-series Macs.

It reduces Sequoia on Intel Macs to iPhone mirroring, a new password app, and some fairly modest updates elsewhere.

So, for existing Intel users who have been thinking about but are holding off on upgrading, this could be the tipping point. We could be about to see the market for used and refurbished Macs flooded with machines that still have potentially a lot of life left in them—and the more there are, the greater the chance you’ll have of snagging a great deal.

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If you’re looking for your first Mac and have been put off by the high prices, want to add a cheap second computer to your setup, or fancy getting a bargain on a well-specced model, this could be your time. But before you flex that credit card, there’s a catch: Intel Macs are not a great buy anymore.

What You Lose if You Buy an Intel Mac

Buying an Intel Mac in 2024 comes with a heap of compromises, beyond the fact that you won’t get any of the fancy new AI features.

It’s only been a year since Apple discontinued its last Intel machines, the Mac Mini and Mac Pro, but the company hasn’t launched any new Intel Macs since 2020. Not only is the hardware already four years old, but it isn’t clear how much longer Apple will support it.

Sequoia will almost certainly be the last update for the final generation of the Intel-powered Mac Mini, Mac Pro, iMac Pro, and MacBook Air, and the penultimate generation of the Intel MacBook Pro and iMac.

Will Apple still support the last few MacBook Pros and iMacs in 2025? It’s too early to say, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if it didn’t happen.

Once Apple cuts off support for full updates , it does typically continue providing security updates for a few more years. Your device won’t be completely obsolete and will still be safe to use, but it will become increasingly limited over time.

Apps in particular often need a minimum OS version to run, and the growing use of AI in apps means many will need the Neural Engine that’s only a feature on Apple Silicon Macs.

And then there are the broader performance issues to consider. The speed and battery life improvements delivered by the original M1 chip over its Intel counterpart cannot be overstated, and the newer M3 and M4 now even leave that in the dust. Unless you have very modest requirements, it’s hard to make the case for Intel Macs now.

Is There Any Reason to Buy an Intel Mac?

Don’t care about AI or new features, and don’t need lots of power? Then you might still be tempted by an Intel Mac.

If you live mostly in your web browser, you could pick up a cheap MacBook and use it in the same way you would use a Chromebook or budget Windows laptop, and benefit from the better design and build quality.

Or if you don’t need cutting-edge features but do need lots of memory to run specific software smoothly, you might be able to find a specced-out machine—with an i7 or i9 processor and 32GB of RAM—at a good price. There are lots of apps where more RAM gives you better bang-for-buck performance. Given the high price of Apple’s memory upgrades, it’s worth considering—but only if the price is low enough.

All things considered, an Intel Mac does not make for a great buy today. If you want to save money, you’d be better off picking up a refurbished M1 Mac , which will be faster, have better battery life, and be supported for longer by both Apple and third-party developers.

The main exception would be if you only need a computer for basic web browsing and don’t need any more advanced features, or perhaps if you need a lot of memory. But even then, the price needs to be right.

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