M1 Pro/Max owners: Are you upgrading to M3 or staying put?

[BotchQue]

Staying put here. I have an iPad Pro/base M1, MBP/M1 Pro, and MacStudio/M1 Max. Won't be upgrading any of them until the security updates stop, and even then I'll keep using the iPad for drawing and as a touchscreen for my Studio/Pencil/photo editing via Sidecar.

Here's a question: if I'm using an iPad as an Input device to my Studio, and have all internet programs/connections deleted off the iPad, AND the Studio is still getting security updates, am I still safe? I would think I am, but not sure.

 

[loby]

Sticking with my M1 Max 16" 64gb ram. Maybe I'll upgrade to M4 or M5 Max.

If Apple wanted M1 owners to upgrade, they should give more trade-in value for it. Spending $4,000-5,000+ in just two years to upgrade if you have a higher end system is not reasonable.

The target market are the Intel hold-outs or entry level M1 customers.

Unless you have a lot of money or your workflow demands what the M3 MacBook Pros offer, 16” M1 MacBook Pro 2021 owners will probably wait for at least M4 or M5 to upgrade.

Apple is not expecting us to upgrade, so don’t slow down the M1 with “patches” to the OS to make us upgrade. We paid for for the M1, we will upgrade when our investment is over.

The M1 “16” MacBook Pros of 2021 is a wonderful Mac. For those who invested many years in Apple Intel offerings, we are due this pleasant “no issue and does what I” need time..

 

[Lucas Curious]

M1 Max 16” 10 CPU/32 GPU/64GB RAM

Rendering is already fast enough for how complex my projects in vfx, light graphic design and videography get.

my workflow is running smooth between different apps.

That rendering time cut in half I’d get with a base M3 Max is time I can use to learn a new skill or do errands in the house.

I’ll consider upgrading this machine if it dies on me and until that happens i’ll just keep replacing the battery.

wow, if every minute of your time is this valuable, why even read opinion forums? I applaud you but maybe fix that hissing noise your shower makes when you run hot water and read these forums when you are waiting to get your photo taken at the DMV.

 

[Backtothemac]

I am trying to decide between the $2499 M3Pro and a M1 Max with 64 GB and 32 Core GPU and 2TB for $2799 at B&H... I sold my 512GB M1 16" Pro so that I could have more storage and then they came out with M3. So I am torn. Keep the small storage and have have the M3 Pro and 18GB or go for the more storage and ram. UGH. Can't decide. I am really NOT a pro user. I am just old and need the 16" Screen LOL.

 

[6916494]

I'm upgrading. I just ordered a maxed out 16" M3 to replace my maxed out 16" M1, for which I have found a buyer willing to pay a very decent price as it is in pristine condition and the battery has a maximum capacity of 96 % with a bit more than 150 cycles. Win-win for both.

 

[drugdoubles]

14" M1 Pro - upgrading
I had ordered the M1 Pro as an upgrade to a 2017 27" iMac that was on its last legs but the delays in getting the model I wanted with more ram led me to jump the gun and get a store version with only 16gb RAM.

That has definitely led to slow downs in Lightroom as the program has added more AI type features such as their noise reduction. I recently shot some high school football and running noise reduction on the 'keepers' took 2-3 hours...

Getting the 14" (love the size) M3 Max so that I can get up to 48gb RAM

Noise reduction for photos not videos take hours? Wow

 

[Al Rukh]

I have a baseline M1 Pro 14-inch and I won’t be upgrading. I’m not a prosumer and my current MBP does all the things i want it to, well.

 

[StrollerEd]

MBPs seem to be depreciating at around 1K per year. So for me, I rather just pay the 2K upgrade cost (after selling my M1 Max) and get the latest MBP, then have to pay 3K in 2024 or 4K in 2025.

Basically, it costs $1K per year to have the latest and greatest MBP. For what I do, the performance gains justify that expense.

Having splashed out in October 2021 on the M1 Max 10-Core 32 GB 1TB SSD 16" MBP for £3,050, I've been enjoying the headroom and occasional need for computational grunt ever since upgrading from the mid-2015 16 GB 1TB SSD 15" MBP I bought in 2017.

I'd been waiting on that rumoured 16" MBP and after 4 years I thought that upgrade justified - and so it has been, even bringing joy through the cascade of the 15" MBP to a daughter.

Now comes the M3 Max with more and better.

Depreciation over a two year period means that the trade-in for my M1 Max is £1,050, a drop of exactly 2K, as indicated by @Giant_enemy_crab

The 'best buy' M3 Max appears to be one or other of

M3 Max chip 32GB 1TB with 14‑core CPU/30‑core GPU @ £3,300
or
M3 Max chip 48GB 1TB with 16‑core CPU/40‑core GPU @ £3,800

against which I can use that £1,050 trade-in.

Both have massive 'shinny' appeal but I really don't *need* an upgrade ... unless of course my daughter's cascade mid-2015 15" MBP is toiling

Maybe next year or even the year after ...

 

[NeonNights]

I won't be giving Apple more money just yet. I got my 16" M1 Max 64GB/4TB over the Summer so I'm keeping it for many, many more years.

I like the anodized Space Black but not enough to upgrade so soon. The M1 Max is already way more performance than I need right now so it's going to take some time before an upgrade is truly "needed" versus a want. That upgrade money is staying in my pocket, thank you very much!

With the trade-in value, and a bunch of Apple credit, it's about +$500 to switch to a base 14" M3 Max.

I know this is a bad trade-off to lose half my RAM and -75% internal storage, but the pull of that space black is strong, lol. I already have the WAF (Wife Approval Factor) so just need to decide.

Clearly it wouldn't be a wise impulse buy but the heart wants what it wants, and it wouldn't put us in any financial bind. The practical half of me is still screaming "bad value" and still mulling it over. Dang you, Apple!

If only I had waited till October instead of buying over the Summer but I really didn't think the M3 would come so soon nor have so much appeal.

 

[kevroc]

I am trying to decide between the $2499 M3Pro and a M1 Max with 64 GB and 32 Core GPU and 2TB for $2799 at B&H... I sold my 512GB M1 16" Pro so that I could have more storage and then they came out with M3. So I am torn. Keep the small storage and have have the M3 Pro and 18GB or go for the more storage and ram. UGH. Can't decide. I am really NOT a pro user. I am just old and need the 16" Screen LOL.

I think you'd be further ahead with more storage and ram. Unless your workflow is so intense that you'll actually "use" those extra cores it's just a waste of money really. I could see getting the M3 Max and after a year learning that I never used more than 4 cores...but ran out of storage space multiple times.

 

[teerexx52]

14" M2 Pro. Staying put

 

[BeatCrazy]

I absolutely love to get new tech, but after reading/watching reviews, I've talked myself out of upgrading.

Currently have a 16" M1 Pro base model that is a great couch computer. It's a bit heavy, but the screen is still amazing. I will freely admit it is overkill, as I do just fine with it on Low Power Mode and love its all-week-long battery.

Any serious tasks I have I do via my base model M1 Mac Studio. Work laptop is 14" M1 Pro and my spare laptop in case of mishap (myself or family member) is a base M1 Air.

 

[BeatCrazy]

You won't have security updates for eleven years, unfortunately.

I expect M1 chips to receive 9+ years of full macOS releases plus another 2 years of security updates.

 

[vanc]

Even MKBHD canceled his preorder and kept his MBP 16 with M1 MAX.

 

[NeonNights]

Even MKBHD canceled his preorder and kept his MBP 16 with M1 MAX.

I saw that last night too and has me second guessing my decision to upgrade from 16" M1 Max to 14" M3 Max. Waiting for more reviews of the 14 M3 Max since it seems Apple isn't shipping many until later this month.

 

[pshufd]

I configured my M1 Pro MacBook Pro 16 32/1 properly and am quite happy with it. It has more CPU than I need and the RAM is adequate. The SSD is larger than I technically need but it gives me more freedom to not carry around external storage. I almost think, right now, that they will need to add something besides CPU/GPU to get me to upgrade. Some ideas:

- Get rid of the notch
- Face ID
- USB-A port
- 17.3 inch 4k display
- Return of the glowy

 

[vanc]

- Get rid of the notch
- Face ID

You may only choose one or another. Look at iPhones over the years, even with the fancy Dynamic Island, the cutout is still there.

 

[StrollerEd]

USB-A port is legacy dongle time

 

[Adam Henry]

im upgrading. i didnt upgrade last year and its two years old now. checked battery and its at 96% capacity. apple gave me $905 for my m1 pro, if i waiting another year it probably would be half that.

 

[pshufd]

You may only choose one or another. Look at iPhones over the years, even with the fancy Dynamic Island, the cutout is still there.

Just make the bezel larger then.

 

[Backtothemac]

I think you'd be further ahead with more storage and ram. Unless your workflow is so intense that you'll actually "use" those extra cores it's just a waste of money really. I could see getting the M3 Max and after a year learning that I never used more than 4 cores...but ran out of storage space multiple times.

I don't do anything "Pro". Just store a lot of files. I think I am going to get the Max with the 4TB and 64GB of Ram.

 

[flybass]

With the trade-in value, and a bunch of Apple credit, it's about +$500 to switch to a base 14" M3 Max.

I know this is a bad trade-off to lose half my RAM and -75% internal storage, but the pull of that space black is strong, lol. I already have the WAF (Wife Approval Factor) so just need to decide.

Clearly it wouldn't be a wise impulse buy but the heart wants what it wants, and it wouldn't put us in any financial bind. The practical half of me is still screaming "bad value" and still mulling it over. Dang you, Apple!

If only I had waited till October instead of buying over the Summer but I really didn't think the M3 would come so soon nor have so much appeal.

Not my business, but it sounds more like a downgrade than upgrade. Please think carefully

 

[spiderpumpkin]

I think I'll be happy with my 16" Macbook Pro M1 Pro 16GB 1TB for at least 2-3 more years. I'll probably replace the battery late next year.

Another reason I'm keeping my 2021 Macbook Pro is because I plan to buy the M3 Max Mac Studio in 2024.

 

[NeonNights]

Not my business, but it sounds more like a downgrade than upgrade. Please think carefully

Oh, I agree, it wouldn't be an upgrade across the board. Still, the performance would be higher at the expense of RAM and storage. I will probably upgrade the M3 Max to 2TB (I don't really need 4TB on my current M1 Max, and iStats shows at most I've used 50% of the 64GB RAM). I usually keep my Macs pretty long and still have my 2015 MBP 13. I kept the M1 Air for about 3 years and expected to keep the 16" M1 Max for 10 years but it's only been 3.5 months so far and I'm already enticed by the M3 Max (and Space Black). Maybe I shouldn't have bought the M1 Max in the first place. It is still a phenomenal machine.

Still debating whether I really want to do this. The family has to go clothes shopping today and there's an Apple store at the mall so I'm going to check out the Space Black in person.

 

[mashinhead]

I'm upgrading. I just ordered a maxed out 16" M3 to replace my maxed out 16" M1, for which I have found a buyer willing to pay a very decent price as it is in pristine condition and the battery has a maximum capacity of 96 % with a bit more than 150 cycles. Win-win for both.

What's the price if you don't mind me asking? Curious of the going rate