Last updated: May 19, 2026
What’s the best Mac to buy?
The best Mac for most people is the 13″ MacBook Air. With the latest M5 chip from Apple, the MacBook Air provides unprecedented performance for both casual and professional users, along with incredible battery life. If you want a larger screen, Apple’s 15″ MacBook Air is the lightest 15″ Mac ever.
The iMac 24″ is a great desktop and family computer. Performance is outstanding due to the M4 chip and solid state storage, the screen is exceptional, and it comes in seven colors — so you can make a fun statement if you’re feeling bold.
If you’re shopping for a 27″ iMac, Apple wants you to buy a 27″ Studio Display instead, and drive it with a Mac mini. This setup isn’t quite as elegant as an all-in-one, but a benefit of having a separate Mac and display is that you can upgrade the computing part of your computer more often and more affordably, with less waste.
Pros — data scientists, digital artists, photographers, musicians, and software developers — should look at a 14″ or 16″ MacBook Pro, or new Mac Studio (plus a display). These Macs all reach levels of processing speed that handle the most demanding tasks.
Don’t skimp on specs!
With any Mac, I recommend:
- a minimum of 16 GB of RAM, and
- at least twice as much storage capacity as you’re currently using.
Storage can no longer be upgraded on any Mac. Shuffling data to external drives will kill your productivity, and it becomes very tricky to keep things backed up.
What about the MacBook Neo?
That’s a great quesion! When it first came out, it looked like Apple cut corners to hit a lower price point, and we were a little skeptical. Now that it’s been out for a couple of months, the reviews are very positive — it sounds like anyone who spends most of their time doing email and web browsing could be very happy with it. As always, I encourage you to check it out in person if you can.
How long can you expect to keep your Mac?
A Mac used for business should be bought with AppleCare+ and kept in operation for the 3 years of support that AppleCare provides, plus another year or two if it’s still working well.
A Mac used at home should work well for 5-7 years. The more you invest up front in RAM and storage, the longer you can expect the Mac to be useable. Buying earlier in the product cycle matters, too — if the model you buy today was originally released 18 months ago, in some ways you’re buying a Mac that’s already 18 months old. (Jump to tips for timing your purchase.)
Endangered Macs: Replace ASAP!
Macs that can’t be upgraded past macOS 15 Sequoia will soon stop receiving security updates from Apple, making them unsafe to use for work or personal data. (If you want to hang on to one to pull up recipes in the kitchen or use for streaming, that’s less risky.)
Unfortunately, the days of wine, roses, and using a computer for a full decade are long behind us. The hardware may hold up, but once a Mac is no longer receiving security updates from Apple, it’s just not safe to keep using it for anything important.
The Macs listed below can’t run macOS 14 Sonoma. These Macs (and anything older) should be decommissioned immediately.
- 2017 MacBook Pro
- 2017 iMac
- 2017 MacBook (12-inch)
- 2017 MacBook Air
- 2014 Mac mini
What’s the best iPhone to buy?
Most iPhone owners fall into two categories without much middle ground:
- those who update every year or two without hesitation, and
- those who keep a phone as long as possible — until problems with storage, battery life, or a catastrophic encounter with the ground force the issue.
If you’re in the first category (like me) you probably don’t need my advice! I upgrade to the new Pro iPhone every year, because I love taking photos, and I always want to play with the new lenses and camera features.
If you want to take advantage of the latest and greatest, get an iPhone 17 Pro.
If you’re not looking to be on the cutting edge, visit an Apple Store and try out the iPhone Air, iPhone 17, and iPhone 17e. Each one has a different form and feeling, and any of them will be a great phone to last you the next few years.
What’s the best iPad to buy?
iPad Air is the best choice for most people. It’s got the sleek style of the iPad Pro models at a great price. It works with the newer Apple Pencil and with Apple’s best iPad keyboards. (If FaceID is a must-have, the iPad Pro is the only option.)
When’s the right time to buy?
It’s ideal to buy near the beginning of a product cycle to get the most value and the longest useful life.
To time your purchase this way, check the MacRumors Buyers Guide for the specific product you’re planning to buy. You’ll find information about the most recent model, the average time between updates for that product, and rumors about upcoming releases.
Product releases are almost always linked to the events that Apple is famous for. If an Apple event is coming up, consider delaying your purchase to see what Apple announces.
The most recent hardware announcement was in March 2026, when held special events in New York, London, and Shanghai unveiling the iPhone 17e, MacBook Air with M5 chip, iPad Air with M4 chip, MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the $599 MacBook Neo, new Studio Display and Studio Display XDR models, and AirPods Max 2. For details, you can watch Apple’s newsroom coverage.
The next Apple event is WWDC26, the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, starting at 10am PT on Monday, June 8, 2026. Apple is likely to unveil details of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, new macOS, and updates to watchOS, tvOS, HomePod software, and realityOS, and may announce new Mac hardware including updates to the Mac Pro, Mac Studio, and Mac mini.
Apple has major product launches expected this fall, with many new products rumored including iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Ultra (Apple’s first foldable), new Apple Watch and Apple Watch Ultra models, AirPods Ultra, an updated Apple TV 4K, and expanded HomePod lineup products. For more detailed product rumors, see MacRumors’ Upcoming Apple Products Guide.
(Featured image ©2011CIAT/NeilPalmer licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)