If Apple remains consistent, Intel Macs support could disappear

As Apple made the switch to its in-house CPUs, the M-series chips, with the M1 MacBook Air in 2020, the tech giant slowly dropped support for its Intel-based computers.

After their initial release, Apple usually supports their devices for several years. According to data gathered by Ars Technica, the average Apple Mac receives about 6.6 years of macOS updates that include new features, in addition to two years of security only updates. Based on this, the 2017 Macs are slated to receive approximately 6.3 years of macOS updates.

For maintaining support for its processor generations, according to Intel’s roadmap, when a product reaches its End of Servicing Lifetime (ESL) date, the chip giant will no longer provide any technical support or updates.

Based on Intel’s ESL data, the 7^th-generation “Kaby Lake” CPUs for the 2017 MacBooks will reach their ESL date in March 2024. Apple’s latest desktop, macOS Sonoma, will debut six months after Kaby Lake’s ESL, leaving Apple with a hard choice to make.

Continued support for its Intel Macs that use these chips would result in ongoing updated drivers and firmware updates in order to prevent system crashes, bugs, and general instability. In addition, it seems that the tech giant is already cutting Sonoma support for older Macs.

While encouraging consumers to purchase new laptops rather than holding on to old ones is a major factor in the tech giant's desire to end support for Intel Macs, it also benefits users. For example, as noted by Ars Technica, removing support for the outdated Intel architecture from macOS Ventura resulted in a 3GB to 4.5GB disk space savings on those MacBooks as compared to those running macOS Monterey.