This is how long Mac users keep their computers

A new report from CIRP (Consumer Intelligence Research Partners) attempts to quantify how long consumers are keeping their Macs. For the US, the study shows that the majority of Mac users — 56 percent — are keeping their laptop or desktop for “3 years or more.” That’s a 16 percent increase from 2020.

All other propensities to upgrade declined in favor of the “3 years or more” category. Those holding on to their Mac for 2-3 years fell to 13 percent from 19 percent in 2020. The share of users holding on to their Mac for a year or two fell to 19 percent from 23 percent, and those holding on to their Mac for less than a year fell to 13 percent from 19 percent.

The reason consumers are holding onto their Macs longer, according to CIRP, is that users are moving more toward streaming and web-based apps, and there’s less incentive to upgrade as often. CIRP also highlights a report by Mark Gurman that points to fewer advanced features as well as increased reliability and durability as reasons for the longer lifecycle of Apple devices.

A modern Mac with Apple’s M-series chip is powerful enough for most Mac users to keep their computers for three years or more. Even Apple’s first M1 computer, the 2020 Macbook Air, is still plenty capable for everyday use like sending emails, browsing the web, and simple photo and video editing.