Do you think it would be worth the money to upgrade my current setup?

[Hieveryone]

Current:

2019 15" MacBook Pro

2 Thunderbolt LG 4K Ultrafine Monitors 23.5"

Green iPhone 11 Pro Max

Proposed Upgrades:

New 16" MacBook Pro

2 Apple 5K 27" Studio Displays

New Green iPhone 13 Pro Max


I would try to find a way to sell/trade in my current setup. That would help reduce the costs. My current setup works fine, but I would love to upgrade because it would be super nice. I was just hoping to get some other people's opinions given it would be a notable expense.

EDIT: I just added up the cost and it's a lot. The monitors alone would cost me $4,000 because I need height adjustment. Not sure how much I would get for my current monitors.

 

[CoffeeMacBook]

For me, the MBP 16" was absolutely worth the upgrade. I had a 2017 MBP prior to that, and I always felt restrained. With the 2021 MBP, it doesn't feel limited at all.

I'm not a big phone person, but I feel like holding out for the iPhone 14 is a better choice.

The Studio Displays is a tough one. I ordered one, and considered possibly getting another one but I couldn't justify a dual purchase without having a hands-on look and try for myself. Also there's rumors about Apple possibly releasing another Display in a few months? How true or reliable, who knows.

I think a staggered upgrade is worth considering. I don't know about offloading the entire thing now and getting what's available. If you're comfortable with doing a staggered update, I would update the MBP first. If you're looking for a one-shot upgrade then waiting until the end of 2022 and seeing what all Apple has to really offer might be a better option.

 

[SigEp265]

Current:

2019 15" MacBook Pro

2 Thunderbolt LG 4K Ultrafine Monitors

Green iPhone 11 Pro Max

Proposed Upgrades:

New 16" MacBook Pro

2 Apple 5K 27" Studio Displays

New Green iPhone 13 Pro Max


I would try to find a way to sell/trade in my current setup. That would help reduce the costs. My current setup works fine, but I would love to upgrade because it would be super nice. I was just hoping to get some other people's opinions given it would be a notable expense.

EDIT: I just added up the cost and it's a lot. The monitors alone would cost me $4,000 because I need height adjustment. Not sure how much I would get for my current monitors.

What size are you LG monitors ?

 

[mollyc]

if you don’t know if you need to, then you don’t actually need to.

 

[PeteBurgh]

Depending on how things are specced and what you can resell stuff for, I guess you're probably spending maybe $5-6k here to make things, as you say, "super nice" but without a great deal of functional improvement.

It seems pretty extravagant to me. Whether it is "worth the money" for you is going to depend on how much money you have - if you're very wealthy, and this is what you love, and it doesn't really cut into your disposable income much, sure, go nuts. Or if you are some highly paid video editor where every last ounce of performance matters, fine.

I think almost everyone else could get more value and joy from the money spending it on something else.

 

[Hieveryone]

What size are you LG monitors ?

They are 23.5" I think

 

[SigEp265]

They are 23.5" I think

May be interested in one if you decide to sell

 

[DJLC]

I'd get the new MacBook Pro and wait on the rest, personally. I think you've got a ton to gain with the new MacBook Pro. I don't think you'd gain much replacing the monitors or phone though.

 

[coolguy4747]

You don't say that you are dissatisfied with any particular aspect of any of your current gear, so I support what others have said with starting with the MBP. Unless there's something specific about the iPhone 13 generation that you want, I think the MBP will be the most noticeable difference. Next I would do the iPhone, personally, and I'd probably wait on the monitors until reasonable cost HDR monitors are readily available.

 

[Hieveryone]

For me, the MBP 16" was absolutely worth the upgrade. I had a 2017 MBP prior to that, and I always felt restrained. With the 2021 MBP, it doesn't feel limited at all.

I'm not a big phone person, but I feel like holding out for the iPhone 14 is a better choice.

The Studio Displays is a tough one. I ordered one, and considered possibly getting another one but I couldn't justify a dual purchase without having a hands-on look and try for myself. Also there's rumors about Apple possibly releasing another Display in a few months? How true or reliable, who knows.

I think a staggered upgrade is worth considering. I don't know about offloading the entire thing now and getting what's available. If you're comfortable with doing a staggered update, I would update the MBP first. If you're looking for a one-shot upgrade then waiting until the end of 2022 and seeing what all Apple has to really offer might be a better option.

This makes so much sense. Thanks a lot. I agree that maybe I should just go slow, starting with the 16" MacBook Pro.

iPhone 14 is apparently going to be a big hit from the rumors, so maybe I can hold off there. That would help by over the 1000 bucks.

I did not know there are rumors of more displays coming so I may wait for that as well. Right now it's pretty expensive just because I would need 2 and the tilting stand which adds to the total price. I also would have the hardest time selling the current monitors I have because I don't think Apple does a trade-in for them

 

[Mr. Awesome]

I'd get the new MacBook Pro and wait on the rest, personally. I think you've got a ton to gain with the new MacBook Pro. I don't think you'd gain much replacing the monitors or phone though.

Agreed. I say get a new MBP, and wait for the iPhone 14 to see if it comes in green.

 

[Hieveryone]

if you don’t know if you need to, then you don’t actually need to.

True...I guess I can't really argue with that. Usually people who need to upgrade their Apple devices are feeling some kind of restraint. For example, maybe their device is unable to handle their work flow, etc

 

[Hieveryone]

Depending on how things are specced and what you can resell stuff for, I guess you're probably spending maybe $5-6k here to make things, as you say, "super nice" but without a great deal of functional improvement.

It seems pretty extravagant to me. Whether it is "worth the money" for you is going to depend on how much money you have - if you're very wealthy, and this is what you love, and it doesn't really cut into your disposable income much, sure, go nuts. Or if you are some highly paid video editor where every last ounce of performance matters, fine.

I think almost everyone else could get more value and joy from the money spending it on something else.

True. This is very helpful. As far as function goes, I'm all right. In fact, if I'm being 100% honest, everything is working well. My iPhone isn't slow or anything. My MacBook Pro doesn't have any issues for my work flow. The monitors are fine as well. I'm not 100% how my day-to-day life would improve functionally other than I would have a nicer keyboard on my MacBook Pro, two nice monitors to look at which stay off to the side, a better screen in the new iPhone...nothing super game changing. I'm still going to be visiting the same websites and using the same apps

 

[Hieveryone]

I'd get the new MacBook Pro and wait on the rest, personally. I think you've got a ton to gain with the new MacBook Pro. I don't think you'd gain much replacing the monitors or phone though.

Thanks a lot. I can definitely see that with the iPhone. Do you really think the monitors wouldn't be a major upgrade? They look amazing. That being said, I do keep both off to the side and use my laptop as my main screen/keyboard. So yeah you're probably right about that.

 

[Hieveryone]

You don't say that you are dissatisfied with any particular aspect of any of your current gear, so I support what others have said with starting with the MBP. Unless there's something specific about the iPhone 13 generation that you want, I think the MBP will be the most noticeable difference. Next I would do the iPhone, personally, and I'd probably wait on the monitors until reasonable cost HDR monitors are readily available.

I do hope Apple considers releasing another version of the monitors. Maybe a 24" that costs less. Hopefully the stand comes with all the adjustments rather than the up charge. I don't need two 27" monitors sitting to side, just to look at for reference, given I use my MacBook Pro as the main device.

 

[GSWForever8]

I would get the MBP, wait for the 14, and would not get the display. I see no reason why you need new displays.

 

[DJLC]

Thanks a lot. I can definitely see that with the iPhone. Do you really think the monitors wouldn't be a major upgrade? They look amazing. That being said, I do keep both off to the side and use my laptop as my main screen/keyboard. So yeah you're probably right about that.

I'm admittedly not a great person to ask about monitors... ?

I'm running dual 1080p 24" Dells from 2018 or so. I realize what I'm saying is probably sacrilege around here, but they look fine to me, and I can't really justify upgrading them given my current needs and the cost involved.

If I were gonna go 4K or 5K, I still probably wouldn't consider the Studio Display. Thing is, I like having dual matching monitors. I don't necessarily want to pay for the fancy webcam and stuff twice. Or at all — I've already got a Logitech StreamCam and Klipsch speakers that meet my needs just fine. If I had your LG monitors with my current setup, I wouldn't see the Studio Display as being worth the money.

Just my 2¢. Do I think the Studio Display is probably really nice and really cool? Yes. Would I use one for free? Absolutely! Would I buy it myself? No.

 

[stevec618]

If you need the tilt and height-adjustable version of the monitor, it would probably be much cheaper to get the VESA mount version and get a dual monitor arm.

 

[KPOM]

This makes so much sense. Thanks a lot. I agree that maybe I should just go slow, starting with the 16" MacBook Pro.

iPhone 14 is apparently going to be a big hit from the rumors, so maybe I can hold off there. That would help by over the 1000 bucks.

I did not know there are rumors of more displays coming so I may wait for that as well. Right now it's pretty expensive just because I would need 2 and the tilting stand which adds to the total price. I also would have the hardest time selling the current monitors I have because I don't think Apple does a trade-in for them

I’d take the incremental approach. There’s nothing “wrong” with your current setup. You’d notice the biggest difference going to the 16” MacBook Pro. Another alternative is to get 1 Apple Studio Display with the VESA adapter. Add $50 for a decent VESA mount and it still is $350 less than the height-adjustable stand. Since you don’t need 2 cameras with Center Stage or 2 sets of speakers, keep your 4K for now. I also think there will be some LG UltraFine 5Ks hitting the resale market, so that’s an option should you ultimately decide to go for a second 5K display.

 

[Clix Pix]

Current:

2019 15" MacBook Pro

2 Thunderbolt LG 4K Ultrafine Monitors 23.5"

Green iPhone 11 Pro Max

Proposed Upgrades:

New 16" MacBook Pro

2 Apple 5K 27" Studio Displays

New Green iPhone 13 Pro Max


I would try to find a way to sell/trade in my current setup. That would help reduce the costs. My current setup works fine, but I would love to upgrade because it would be super nice. I was just hoping to get some other people's opinions given it would be a notable expense.

EDIT: I just added up the cost and it's a lot. The monitors alone would cost me $4,000 because I need height adjustment. Not sure how much I would get for my current monitors.

What kind of work do you do on your current machine? Something potentially RAM-intensive? Storage-intensive? Do you need to have it be mobile, frequently unplugged from the monitors and taken somewhere else for work, too? If it is primarily used as a desktop machine, do you have another computer that you do use as a mobile one? How often do you need to plug in peripherals such as external SSDs, and how many at a time?

The new 16" MBP sounds really terrific, but something which is of concern -- at least to me, as I am currently using a 24" LG 4K Thunderbolt 3 display, is that the new M1 16" MBP has only three thunderbolt 4 ports available, which would be problematic if I plugged in my current LG 4K TB 3 display into one of those ports, as that would leave only two ports free. I frequently transfer data and image files between two and sometimes three external drives at the same time and obviously that could become an issue. I haven't checked with mine, but does the 24" LG 4K Thunderbolt 3 display even have a way of using the HDMI port at all or would some sort of adapter be required? What about the new displays? How are they in terms of versatility with regard to connectivity? This would be something for you to consider and check out as you decide what you want to do in the future.....

So....something about which to start here is an assessment of your actual current and future needs as opposed to what sounds new, nice and appealing. IF you are using your current MBP primarily as a desktop replacement that rarely leaves the house anyway, and also already have a mobile machine as well, such as an MBA or smaller MBP, and you want something new, one possibility would be going with the new Mac Studio. It offers more ports and of course we know will work with the new Studio Display which accompanies it. If that sounds like overkill to you, again a thorough analysis of what you actually do need and how your work flow goes and what would be the most satisfactory solution is really necessary before putting out any money on anything new.

 

[Christopher Kim]

Some good advice here, agree with most. You don't "need" anything per se, but if you "want" (?), a staggered approach makes a lot of sense, especially if budget is a consideration since I think the resale value on your existing devices will be pretty poor (especially the 15" 2019 MBP butterfly kb generation given relative price you probably paid for it).

I'd get the new MacBook Pro and wait on the rest, personally. I think you've got a ton to gain with the new MacBook Pro.

1) Yes, I think getting a new 16" M1 MBP will feel like a great upgrade from your 15" 2019 MBP. The base 16" M1 Pro (10-core / 16-core, 16gb Memory) with either 512GB/1TB SSD is IMO great value, and also has the best battery life of all the MBP line-up. Will be really nice both when docked, and when you take it with you as a laptop.

2) Next, you could consider getting the Studio Displays. Many thoughts you got above make a lot of sense (especially if you want 2 matching ones, and would prefer not to get 1 at a time). Also as such a new product, might make sense to wait until these get out into the wild and see what reviews say.

3) Lastly, definitely agree that upgrading your iPhone would be lowest priority for me. Especially buying full price / mid-cycle like this, yes you're getting the nice new Alpine Green color, but in 6 months the iPhone 14 will come out and will make yours feel old. Even more so given indications are the iPhone 14 will remove the notch and go with some kind of pinhole/pill cutout, the 13 Pro will "look" older (vs say, 1 year ago, would be a bit less apparent as the iPhone 12s vs iPhone 13s not as big of an exterior difference).

Because the iPhone (and Apple Watch) are updated every year, I think it makes most sense to either buy when it first comes out (so you have the latest model the longest / a full year), or buy mid-cycle at a discount. Buying mid-cycle full price to me feels sub-optimal, all things equal.

 

[FNH15]

Ditch the Intel 15”. Worst Mac I ever owned. I had a myriad of thermal issues and graphics lag.
My current 16” MBP (M1 Pro, 32GB RAM) is a phenomenal machine. No regrets.

I feel you may re-evaluate the need for a display upgrade once you upgrade the machine...

 

[Hieveryone]

I'm admittedly not a great person to ask about monitors... ?

I'm running dual 1080p 24" Dells from 2018 or so. I realize what I'm saying is probably sacrilege around here, but they look fine to me, and I can't really justify upgrading them given my current needs and the cost involved.

If I were gonna go 4K or 5K, I still probably wouldn't consider the Studio Display. Thing is, I like having dual matching monitors. I don't necessarily want to pay for the fancy webcam and stuff twice. Or at all — I've already got a Logitech StreamCam and Klipsch speakers that meet my needs just fine. If I had your LG monitors with my current setup, I wouldn't see the Studio Display as being worth the money.

Just my 2¢. Do I think the Studio Display is probably really nice and really cool? Yes. Would I use one for free? Absolutely! Would I buy it myself? No.

This makes sense. I like your setup. The Dell monitors are very professional and I see them everywhere. I actually think having a professional looking setup is nice. The LGs I have are black and look quite professional.

 

[Hieveryone]

I’d take the incremental approach. There’s nothing “wrong” with your current setup. You’d notice the biggest difference going to the 16” MacBook Pro. Another alternative is to get 1 Apple Studio Display with the VESA adapter. Add $50 for a decent VESA mount and it still is $350 less than the height-adjustable stand. Since you don’t need 2 cameras with Center Stage or 2 sets of speakers, keep your 4K for now. I also think there will be some LG UltraFine 5Ks hitting the resale market, so that’s an option should you ultimately decide to go for a second 5K display.

That's true. And there's also the chance they may release a 24" version without the camera, which I don't need.

 

[Hieveryone]

What kind of work do you do on your current machine? Something potentially RAM-intensive? Storage-intensive? Do you need to have it be mobile, frequently unplugged from the monitors and taken somewhere else for work, too? If it is primarily used as a desktop machine, do you have another computer that you do use as a mobile one? How often do you need to plug in peripherals such as external SSDs, and how many at a time?

The new 16" MBP sounds really terrific, but something which is of concern -- at least to me, as I am currently using a 24" LG 4K Thunderbolt 3 display, is that the new M1 16" MBP has only three thunderbolt 4 ports available, which would be problematic if I plugged in my current LG 4K TB 3 display into one of those ports, as that would leave only two ports free. I frequently transfer data and image files between two and sometimes three external drives at the same time and obviously that could become an issue. I haven't checked with mine, but does the 24" LG 4K Thunderbolt 3 display even have a way of using the HDMI port at all or would some sort of adapter be required? What about the new displays? How are they in terms of versatility with regard to connectivity? This would be something for you to consider and check out as you decide what you want to do in the future.....

So....something about which to start here is an assessment of your actual current and future needs as opposed to what sounds new, nice and appealing. IF you are using your current MBP primarily as a desktop replacement that rarely leaves the house anyway, and also already have a mobile machine as well, such as an MBA or smaller MBP, and you want something new, one possibility would be going with the new Mac Studio. It offers more ports and of course we know will work with the new Studio Display which accompanies it. If that sounds like overkill to you, again a thorough analysis of what you actually do need and how your work flow goes and what would be the most satisfactory solution is really necessary before putting out any money on anything new.

Appreciate your feedback, and everyone else's too. I don't do anything that my current setup can't handle. So kudos to Apple bc IMO I do feel like I have a lot of tasks running at the same time. While my MBP gets hot, it is able to handle everything I do. I don't notice any lag in speed or snappiness.

You make a great point about ports. I did not think of that. I've basically converted fully to thunderbolt at this point. All 4 ports are getting used, and I actually would prefer 5. Definitely something to keep in mind.

The whole port thing is kind of annoying. First world problem, but it would be nice if Apple stuck with one plan IMO