Is the best MacBook ever made still good enough 6 years later?
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
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The mid 2015 MacBook Pro has been a fan favorite for 6 years now; it offers a compelling blend of usability, ports, reliability, and -at least in the past- performance. The question is, in the face of new M1 Pro MacBook Pros coming out, does this aging machine still hold up? In the age of Apple Silicon can this old Intel MacBook still offer a compelling value? In this video, we're going to put this cheap used MacBook to the test
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This has been my laptop ever since 2015. It’s ridiculously good, outlived multiple windows laptops i got from work, and I still can do graphics work on it. Updated last month to the m1 pro 16”. It was worth the wait.
Hey Costin, do you feel the "mobility" of the old 2015 15 Inch and 2021 16 Inch are about the same? Is it just as easy, or are you more hesitating to take it with you?
@@vanCaldenborgh I have made the exact same upgrade. Mobility is almost the same to me.
@@benjaminkotek8569 Thanks :)
@@benjaminkotek8569 sorry, just saw the comment. It's the same mobility but you get a way better screen!
Still have my 15" 2015 and also going for the 16" M1Pro very soon, it was worth the wait and I am totally okay having the same dimensions and weight for a MUCH better machine
I've had this MacBook model since it was brand new. It worked flawlessly until the battery unexpectedly failed. I decided to replace it myself using one of those DIY battery kits. Initially, everything seemed fine, and the MacBook worked as usual. However, after the next upgrade, it refused to start up.
Seeking a solution, I took it to a certified Apple repair facility, where they informed me that the current firmware update was incompatible with third-party hardware, including the battery I had installed. They offered to repair it using an OEM battery for a hefty price of $450, which I declined.
Instead, I opted to find an OEM battery on eBay, which cost me $71. Thankfully, this resolved the issue permanently. It's been three years since then, and I've replaced the battery once more with another genuine part, this time costing only $48. Despite these challenges, my MacBook is still running smoothly.
1 month ago I purchased an Early 2015 13" MacBook Pro for only $350! I'm typing this comment on that machine, it was purchased new in 2017 and had a battery cycle of only 47 (!). Literally doesn't have a scratch on it, best purchase I ever made. I'm coming from an old cheap HP laptop.
noice
I have never seen a cheap or a poor Norwegian before. Where did all that oil money go?
If this is your first Mac, you’ll find they last forever (apart from battery replacement). Sure the processor and graphics chip become outdated over time but we’ve still got a 2008 that works just fine (I swapped out the hard drive for an SSD and increase to RAM from 8GB to 16GB) and a 2010 iMac 27” that my son does all his school work and photo and video projects on and despite being 11 & 13 yr old they look fresh and quite modern.
@@TSB0101 I used a battery check tool as well, it was from 2017 just like the seller had told me. I was also amazed that someone would buy something so expensive, and then not use it. But I looked into the seller, and found out that it was some rich guy (also a reason why I felt confident buying from him), so he probably just didn't care abt it, maybe got smth newer and better shortly after and left it in a drawer. I can't complain, thank you rich guy! Haha
@@usernamesample8386 Norway is quite an expensive country, so if you don't have a lot of money, you are actually kinda screwed haha.
I am a professional photographer and I still use a 2015 macbook pro to this day. I can still get parts, if something breaks I can still fix it but other than the speakers going nothing ever breaks. I will keep using them as long as I can. Mac os mojave is the best.
I've been actually using this model along side the thunderbolt display and I gotta say it's not too shabby. My only concern at this point is it's probably next on the chopping block for the major OS releases.
Can’t you just use patches for at least a few more years? I think you can still get Monterey at least?
@@ghost-user559 I'm running Big Sur via OCLP on my 2012 MBP, 2010 Mac Pro, and 2011 Mac Mini. Even if you just upgraded natively to Monterey that's easily another 3-4 years of current security and most if not all the features fully available. OpenCore Legacy Patcher is the reason we can use our fave Macs into the future, even the near future is better than being obsolete.
@@emotionalintelligence776 Thank you, that’s what I thought. I have a 2012 MacBook Pro upgraded with a 1TB SSD and 16GB Ram, and it can do basically everything.
I’m actually triple booting High Sierra, Mojave, and Catalina at the moment for expensive legacy software I don’t want to upgrade, but my Catalina is a possible upgrade route to Big Sur or Monterrey.
I’m pretty positive they got Monterrey working on anything with Metal Graphics capability. The only thing I worry about is the alleged gatekeeper tracking and in built Apple spyware from Big Sur onwards.
I know you can use little snitch, but it does really bother me it goes around firewalls and tracks all Application usage.
It’s the only thing keeping me on Catalina so far. Best of both worlds between stability and security, but I only would switch to Monterrey at the last point update regardless of how it functions anyway, so time will tell if it’s worth it until I have to for software.
The one thing I will say is an m1 mini would be helpful for video editing and rendering, but otherwise a ten year old machine is flawless for basically everything else you could want from a computer.
@@emotionalintelligence776 Hey, oddly specific question, but can any of those handle video editing and rendering? Do they get too hot?
And would you still buy an old Mac mini 2011-2013 if you had the chance?
@@ghost-user559 Honestly there's nothing better than M1 Macs at the moment per too many reviews. But in reality, it depends on your workflow and codecs, if you need a Mac Pro then a Mac mini shouldn't be on your browsing list. The M1 Mac mini outscores the highest 6c 2018 Mac mini which still absurdly sells at the cost of the M1! At under $1k with 16Gb of ram and a lightning dock to expand your peripherals, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything better. As for the 2011-2013 models, anything pre-2014 struggles to play 4K files, editing said files particularly scrubbing would be a waste of time. Hope that helps.
I bought a 2013 Retina 15“ MacBook Pro with almost every upgrade option there was back than. I used it daily through all of my school /university time and now to administrate my business. Besides changing the battery once, I never had any issue and it still goes strong. Love that machine.
Just bought got my mid 2015 in August of 2022. Only my second time really using a mac, super happy with it so far!
This macbook pro from 2015 is like a classic car, you know its old but you know it'll keep running because its built to last!
I have been using the mid-2014 15 inch, honestly the most reliable machine I’ve owned. Now I’m waiting to get my 16 inch space grey M1 Pro
Same here, works well enough for my graphic design program
I’m still using my late 2013 15 inch. Was a refurb when purchased and hasn’t missed a beat in all those years. Fantastic machines.
I have this laptop in my living room and I’ve just bought the mbp Max M1 to replace it. I’ve waited years for something that can replace it.
Keyboard, ports, magsafe. USB-C never seemed up to the job if you tripped over the cable.
Did you notice that the old 15inch case is the same size as the new M1 16inch? Not quite as thick but WxD are pretty much identical.
My 15" 2013 is a hair smaller than the new 16".
I used the covering they gave with the M1 to cover my old late 2013. Same thing. I was waiting ages to upgrade. Was stuck with such a small amount of hard drive memory that I'd constantly bump into "your disk is almost full" messages.
Same situation. I think if the 2015 didn’t taper it would be just as thick as the 2021.
Would like to make the jump as well but I’d miss my old friend. I know I’d never use it again going to the Max, too stubborn to sell it off. I bought another 2015 for my ex but she won’t touch it. Only use it’s had is when I do updates. I’m overseas but if I sold both of them I’d be much closer to getting a new one. Heck, mine doesn’t get used much either but my 2018 mini does. Argh, I still dig the new Max and the veteran discount pushes me even closer. Too bad Apple doesn’t ship to overseas military posts.
@@HeatherLandon227 You realize the 2013 MBP has upgradable storage... right?
This is exactly the mindset that perpetuates e-waste. I really hope you got enough storage with your new computer... because the storage isn't upgradable. Great job Apple.
My daily driver is a 2015 15" MBP (I'm on it right now). Upgraded the SSD a few years ago. Replaced the battery earlier this year (Newertech, fantastic replacement). It's still going strong and I expect at least 2-3 more years out of it.
How’s the battery life been with the replacement?
@@nicholasdunkley3822 After 1 year (I just checked and it was actually 12/29/2020 that I upgraded it)...
1/ In terms of usage, It still gives me as much life as the original MBP battery did -- about 3-6 hours depending on what I'm doing.
2/ In terms of degradation, it has only lost 2% of its original capacity. But it started at 104% when I first installed it (100% being its officially stated capacity of 8400mAh, so now at 102% it has 8538mAh).
3/ In terms of physical condition, the battery temp sensor is consistently a few degrees cooler than the original battery used to be, and It is showing no signs of bloat what-so-ever.
I absolutely recommend NewerTech if you're looking for a battery replacement. It's a better designed/engineered battery than the stock battery. The actual replacement process was a major pain, though, because of all the adhesive holding the original battery in place. But the NewerTech battery kit comes with everything you need for it -- a small bottle of acetone (adhesive remover), a syringe for application of the acetone, plastic scrapers, and even rubber gloves and goggles.
@@davidg5898 thanks a lot man. Appreciate it
@@nicholasdunkley3822 Oh, one negative thing:
It doesn't charge as quickly as the original battery did. Even with an 85W charger, it maxes out around 45W charging speed. That's probably why the battery is staying in such good condition, but it's also a minor inconvenience when the battery is low and I don't have a couple hours to let it charge to a high percentage. You just have to stay more aware of your battery level if you plan on being on-the-go with it.
@@davidg5898 thanks for that because I probably would have been worried when I noticed
i got the 2012 version of this macbook for 200$ last week, it even came with the box and all the papers n stuff... and its in good condition and the screen isnt trashed the only thing i had to do to it was put a new battery in it because the old one was swelled up and making the trackpad not click, but that was only 30$ off amazon.... i love this laptop... i even installed macos monterey via the opencore legacy patcher tool..
In relation to the battery, remember that some of these MacBooks were subject to a recall for battery replacement because of faulty batteries catching fire leading to airlines banning them. Mine was one of those, not catching on fire but recalled, so my battery is only 2 and a half years old. This may be why your one has so few cycles too.
I so wish I was apart of that recall with my 15 inch. I was just over 1000 cycles then and would have gotten a brand new battery for free.
Agree, Im in the same situation. My battery was re-fitted in June 2019 under the same scheme and only has 30 battery cycles since then and runs at 101% battery health so is still in an 'as new' condition with perfect screen. I always advise to put a sheet of paper on top of the keyboard when you close the lid, this stops the transfer of grease from the keyboard onto the screen which can speed up the delamination issue.
how do you know if your macbook pro 2015 is a recall?
@@beegees3180 there’s a serial number to check I think he has a vid about it
bought this year as a machine for everyday tasks and for study. Satisfied as a child! device is the best in its price range
Macs are getting much better thanks to M1 chips, Intel Macs are also better for M1 chips due to price cuts. Satisfied with users in all price ranges.
yup, i bought a 2015 13" for a good price a few months ago and i'm very happy with it :)
Biggest issue right now, and for a forseeable future, is the fact its ARM. There is no way to run windows (x86) on it, thats really an issue for many like myself. 2018 macbook pro 15" here (work)
@@jmkhenka Is it not likely that in the far future a lot will be based on ARM? I mean, Microsoft is already making ARM Surface products.
If the storage dies ur fuked so that's a no no for me tho an 2015 sounds like a good one
@@FS--ew3se What do you mean?
Regarding the screen delamination, you can quite simply remove all the anti glare coating by using baby wipes and you will have a fantastic super clean and glossy display. I did it on my MBP 15 2014 and it worked perfectly. The screen is now absolutely perfect, like new. It's glossy but this is not a problem. Most of the previous unibody Macs were glossy at their time and it was totally fine ! :)
I was about to comment that it’s a non-issue or you could remove it with a light baking soda scrub but baby wipes sounds a bit easier/gentler will be looking into both
I'm still using my 2009 Macbook Pro 15", new SSD, double the RAM, DOS Doctored to HIgh Sierra and she is still going. Using mainly for Ableton...
Collab bro ?!!
It's great when you can find a wonderful older laptop for a good price. I recently found a brand new, never-opened MacBook Pro 15 inch from late 2016 (yes, I know, evil butterfly keyboard!) but it was a thrill for me because I need a good machine to edit with older Final Cut Pro and Express and this new laptop came native with Sierra which, I think, was the final OS to run that software. Plus, I have an external bluetooth magic keyboard, so I don't even have to use the butterfly board. $1200 new. I'm happy.
And, by the way, you still sound a bit under the weather, Luke! Get well soon!
scored one of these with only 97 cycles on this year! currently watching on my 15 inch 2015 MBP! can confirm it's still a beast in 2021! regularly chews threw 1080 60 fps on FCPX, some small 4K projects, while simultaneously editing thumbnails, and watching youtube videos/chrome browsing during export
if you can grab one cheap-ish go for it!
How much did you pick it up for? I got a 13 inch early 2015 MPB for $350, 47 cycles only. Im interested to see if I could have made a better deal for this amount of money, I'm still happy with it. I don't really edit any kind of video, mostly web browsing and a tiny bit of photoshop just for fun, works like a charm for me.
Typing on this exact model - dual graphics bought in mid-2015 and never gave me a reason to upgrade! Although I'm glad the Pro is finally back, I still am in no rush to upgrade!
Great video Luke! You perfectly described my situation: I bought the 2015 MBP and then SKIPPED every successive model until the M1 MBP 16“. I just wasn‘t prepared to pull the trigger on any laptop before this year‘s models, but since I did need an M1 machine for a big Logic project, I got a Mini. That got traded in for the new M1 MBP 16“, but I still use my 2015 for light office work and enjoy it, cause it’s an iconic device which sucked me into the Apple ecosystem. Btw…pls get some rest. You still sound a bit under the weather!
Just upgraded to the 14 inch M1 Pro after using the Early 2015 model. Was tough to say goodbye but the speed difference is incredible.
I bought the top end maxed out MB pro in the summer of 2015, and it’s still my daily driver. Until M1 came out, there hasn’t been anything better to replace it with. A couple of years ago, I upgraded the SSD with the OWL 2TB so I could dual boot Windows (required for work). Installation was a breeze. I have never had any problems with computer or upgrade. As for performance, sure it’s not up to current technology, but I seldom get frustrated with it. I have never had problems running 3D CAD, graphic arts (Affinity Photo,Designer, and Publisher), or even Blender (although renders take a while). I use it for data science, and while there are faster computers out today, the mid 2015 is definitely usable. And the keyboard is heaven. The trackpad is great. I absolutely hate trackpads. I’d rather shave with a rusty cheese grater than use a trackpad as my primary cursor input. But this one is the most usable trackpad I’ve ever used. It is smooth and responsive and just works. And I see the smaller size as a plus-it’s harder to make accidental touches, and I don’t need to move my hand across the universe to trace from one end to the other. I have had no problems with the screen coating, but I take really good care of it. I loaned my wife my 2012 MBP retina, and the display was a real mess when she returned it (she eats at the computer, and periodic cleaning wore off a third of the coating). I just polished off the rest of the coating so it’s uniform. As long as I avoid glare, it’s not horrible. But back to the 2015 MBP, the display is absolutely gorgeous. So all in all, if you are looking for a second-hand computer and can find a clean specimen, I don’t think you can find a better value.
I can say the best MacBook ever made is still good enough 9 years later.
U mean the Macbook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012)?
@@Sh4ndes 🤔
@@Sh4ndes Precisely.
I sold my house a couple years ago, got big money, and even when I could buy any macbook I wanted I replaced my good old 2009 with a 2012 13”. MagSafe, replaceable Hd, superdrive replaceable with more hdd storage, battery led, sd card… It’s the king as long as you don’t need to edit 4K video or an ultralight laptop. The new M1X is tempting for the first time as a contender, but the absurd low storage, the notch and the prices for a 2T upgrade keep me enjoining my 2012, cheers
@@tombstoneblues1023 enjoying*
This is the exact model I am upgrading from. It’s been amazing.
I've got this same MacBook Pro. I've been using mine since I got it back in 2015, and I'm still using it for mine for Photo & video editing. Yes, it takes longer to render 4k videos, but it still does the job, and does it well. Every time I think about upgrading, I find that my MacBook Pro still does everything I need it to.
in 2017 I did a lot of research and found the mid-2015 MBP was the best MBP before Apple ruined MBPs. And Luke says the same thing, I feel very validated! It's December 2022 and it's still my main computer and going strong. I have it running with an external 4K screen and it's fantastic for graphic design, photo editing, excel, office, etc, with a huge number of browser tabs and music playing. Not that great for gaming, but excellent for everything else.
Recently upgraded from my 2015 15" with dGPU to the new M1 PRO 16" and the jump is massive, but even so, the 2015 was more than good enough for day-to-day use, along with some light programming, photoshop, office, and emailing etc, plus that screen/trackpad/keyboard/speakers/build/battery is still better than 99% of NEW Windows laptops
I got an early 2015 MBP 13” the moment it came out. Still have it and it will now be replaced by the 14” MBP. It is still performing relatively well with exceptional of photo editing. Best MacBook ever in my opinion. Upgraded the storage some time ago with a sabrent 1TB ssd. No issues whatsoever.
@@DanielUnterrainer I report 'em as spam to RUclips - but I have no idea if YT actually gives a sh*t.
Prices in Germany are just insane … nothing usable under 700€ …but the M1 aAir is also refurbished 950€
Good to see you've just about recovered from strep. What a trooper
Still using my 2012 MacBook Pro. Probably time to upgrade, but still a slick machine.
I’m still using a mid-2012 MBP, quad i7, 16 GB, HD and optical drives replaced by SATA SSDs. Still does everything I want after 9 yrs.
Almost 2 years after you made this video I just bought a 2015 15 inch MBP exactly like the one in this video for $321. I purposely bought one with screen delamination. The 2015’s are currently under “Vintage” status by Apple and i’m sure this year or very soon they will become “Obsolete.” I went to an Apple store last week and complained about the screen, keyboard, and battery. For $631 they replaced the logic board, screen, keyboard, battery, and top shell of the machine. I know I overspent on this laptop by way too much… But i’ve always wanted a nice and clean 2015 15 inch. So i’m happy i bought one for cheap and breathed new life into it. Definitely one of my favorite laptops! Great video!! And I believe everything you said in this video still holds up well to this day minus the fact that these laptops no longer get major updates from Apple anymore, and they are quite a bit cheaper now than they were back in 2021.
why didn't you buy the macbook m1 or m2? it makes no sense to do so many repairs...
Selling this MacBook in late 2019 for a new machine was the biggest mistake I ever made (in terms of my home IT). Wish I kept it and ran it into the ground. The new M1 max gives me those 15” 2015 vibes and I will certainly not make the same mistake again
Hi Luke, not sure you'll come across this comment but I wanted to thank you for making these videos. I never owned an apple product and had zero idea about their laptop line up. I wanted a MacBook for a long time but I didn't want to spend thousands of dollars. I strongly support rescuing old computers from going into landfills so I wanted to get a used one for cheap. One day I came across one of your videos about the legendary mid 2015 dual graphics 15" MacBook pro and I knew I wanted this laptop. I learned a lot from you about buying used MacBook on eBay and plucked up enough courage and bought one for $400. Cosmetically it is in excellent condition. The screen has no delamination. The only issue is the keyboard backlight doesn't work and the speakers are blown. But these aren't deal breakers for me. Thank you for educating how to buy used macs!
Just bought a 2015 i7 16 gig 13", upgraded from a 2013 i7 with 8 gigs and it it is significantly better because of that RAM bump. The improved trackpad is also nice. Ah, fun to use these older machines.
My work supplied computer is the 2015 15" MacBook Pro with integrated graphics. It still does everything I need for work which is basic office-y type stuff. Once it stops getting security updates I can ask for a new M1 beauty.
This is the very MBP that I am using to watch this video on! I got it in October 2015, and nothing since then has made me want to move on - until the M1 chips came out for the 14" and 16" models! I'm thinking of upgrading to the base model 14" but with a 2Tb SSD, as I think that even that spec will be a substantial improvement on this 2015 model.
My last 3 Mac notebooks were all purchased from the Apple refurb online store: a Late 2007 MacBook (unibody, black) in Feb. 2008; a mid-2014 15-inch MacBook Pro in Nov. 2014; and a Late 2020 M1 MacBook Air in March 2021, 3-4 months after each one went on sale to the public for the first time. Saved hundreds of $$$ each time. The older notebooks still work well; the mid-2014 is still on Mojave so I can run Aperture 3.6.
I used the 13 inch 2015 up until last month. I switched to the 14 inch and I’ve loved the upgrade, it’s everything I wanted
How’s the performance on the 2015? Mine barely keeps up with every day stuff, even the system lags on occasion with it
I bought my 2015 MBP brand new the month it came out. I paid around $2600 for it…the same as what I am now having paid for my 16” M1 pro.
It’s been an absolutely rock solid companion through 4 jobs as a system administrator and network/server engineer and it has always “just worked”. It HURT spending that much cash back then but looking back, I feel like I got every penny’s worth but she’s old and tired and now that I’m wanting to start doing more video editing and audio recording, it just can’t handle it and the battery just sitting at the office during meetings doesn’t last more than 40 minutes tops. Despite cleaning and applying new high quality thermal paste, it still runs hot and the fan noise makes it basically unusable for video calls.
Apple is giving me $500 trade in credit so that’s the end of the road when my new one arrives. Hopefully the new one will provide the same excellent experience for years to come.
I use the early 2015 13" version of this machine, and yes, it is wonderful in 2021!
Have the same 15” 2012 and 2015, still going strong despite being passed to the kids and you know how gentle teenagers are with tech
This was my laptop until recently with the new MBP's. In terms of the speakers, using an app called Boom makes a Huge difference on the volume and quality on the 2015 machine. Even more so than it does on the new MBP's. They actually sound way, way better if you use that app and I pretty much guarantee you won't see it as an issue afterwards.
I've been rocking now since a couple of years a 2011 MacBook pro, and it worked just fined, added an iMac to the mix and it worked so much better, slow, but it worked, now I'm gonna be selling them both for an M1 MacBook and seeing all of your videos has been really helpful to pick out my next MacBook
I loved my Mid 2015 MBP 15'' and I just recently upgraded to a MBP 16'' 2021 because, until this year, all the offerings from Apple did not fit my requirements for a MBP.
I loved my Mid 2015 MBP 15'
I have this MBP and waited until now to update to the MBP 16 M1 Max. The 2015 served me well!
I got my mid 2015 MBP, the one similar in this vid, in late 2015. I bought it and ended up using it for my whole college career and still use it after graduating. It has been and still is a great MacBook. Although, mine also developed a thermal throttling issue and runs loud and hot all the time just with basic tasks. I’m about to replace the thermal paste cause it still has the original and dust it out if it needs it to see if that helps. I still plan on keeping this MacBook until it dies.
Yes. Absolutely. Great machine.
I am using mid 2014. Got it secondhand 1.5 years ago. Upgraded from 2012 unibody.
Great video, I still have one, upgraded to 1TB Samsung Evo SSD using an adapter, works well, but a little slow to boot. My speakers are toast, sometime that happened to a lot of people, I would say the Screen delamination and speakers getting toasted are the only flaws on this model.
there are ways to remove delineation on the screen. can be done at home for less than 10bucks.
It takes 4.5mins to boot up mine
I've just bought a renewed mid 2015 pro in immaculate condition with Monterey installed. it is still astonishing performance and totally useable for normal work. I'm running affinity suite and it's fine. I have an M1 desktop so I can compare. I've yet to hear the fans and the screen has no delamination. YES it is still worth it as I paid £424 !!
Is this a late night special or did you mean to set the schedule to 12PM 🤔
If it’s the latter, you just did what Apple did with the April event announcement
he said on twitter he messed up on the schedule
I still use my 2015 early 13 inch MacBook Pro. Amazing for my needs. I’m a pretty light user. I have upgraded the ssd to 1tb other than that I have the base model. Not planning to replace it anytime soon. Catalina runs smoothly on it. Great device.
Luke, I got mine a couple years back for $400 in GREAT shape. I still use it a lot. I agree, it is still one of the best MBP’s ever made. Apple FINALLY released a worthy successor!
I bought a mid 2015 MBP 15” NEW from APPLE in 2017. Yes, new. It was listed at the refurbished store, but was unused sealed original box, and actually the date of production was 2017 too (they were still making these I guess) It is a 2.8ghz without a graphics card, the usual 16gb RAM, and I replaced the 256 SSD storage with an original APPLE 1tb SSD I found at a ‘steal deal.’ It still does the job for basic work/use but when pushed patience is neeed and the fans come on quickly. I never thought about upgrading before this year because the 2015 had everything just right, but with the new MBP which looks and feels like a 2015 with the newest tech, I'm thinking...
Also of note is that you’ll lose out on all the ports and have to commit to dongle life if you’re moving from this MBP to an M1 Air.
Fingers crossed for 14 MBP M2 @ $1500
I've already swapped out _most_ of my old devices and cables for USB-C/TB equivalents. Unfortunately, the only alternative to an SD card dongle is a DSLR with built-in WiFi, and that's a pretty pricey substitute. Plus, I'm still looking for an USB-C/Ethernet adapter that actually works properly with MacOS. I should be almost dongle-free about the time Apple ditches it for some new port.
I had this laptop for the past two years, it has been fantastic. I rescued it from a "to be destroyed" pile at my current employer. All it needed was some TLC. I sold it in September for a very decent Canadian price (just before the new machines were announced). I was planning to hand it down to family members, but got a supergood deal on a MBA with 16Gb and 512Gb storage. I only needed to add a few hundred dollar bills to be able to purchase that machine. Yes, in Canada the prices have not dropped much.
I’d be surprised to find one of those fully equipped in good condition for $500. Last I looked they’re still hovering around $1,000. They hold their value better than the first two butterfly versions.
Great video. I actually was talking with someone else on YT last week about how people use their laptops and that IMO not many need the performance of the new M1 pro and max, nor do they need 100% performance on battery. I know a lot of people that buy MBP 16s just for the larger screen. This is a great alternative. Lots of people make a living essentially using Google Chrome and MS Office. Productivity for me isn't about geekbench scores. It's about how well I can read information, processes data and ideas, and summarize that information for others. All that benefits from a larger screen and multitasking far more than raw hardware performance.
I currently use my 7th gen dual-core Thinkpad. My wife has an M1 MBA. Yes, she has an objectively better laptop. But I can simply get more done on my 15.6" laptop than her 13" and that is all that matters.
I have the late 2013 high spec model and replacing the thermal paste plus new battery made all the lag and overheating disappear.
I am still using my late 2013 MacBook Pro i7, too. It still get everything done for me. It seem can work for a couple more years.
Still using it as a desktop with Extenal monitor.. Maybe not so fast as my M1 Mac Book Pro, but Android studio is running pretty smooth.. Still pretty good.. Really love it.
Actually, it was the Early 2015 13 inch (Broadwell) model that got force touch. I still have mine. You are right, the speakers really suck compared to my 2020 M1. But I use it as my backup machine from time to time and it has my only legitimate copy of Adobe CS6. Its running Mojave and I plan to keep it there.
Any Macs from Early to Mid 2015 has Force Touch.
My mbp retina mid 2012 still going strong! (Although I don’t use it as main device)
M1 MacBook Air is just too good to pass up. I’d only consider this option for
I myself couldn’t pass a deal of 900€ and 5 year warranty for M1 Air base model 👌
Where to find
I'm currently saving up for one with dedicated graphics and everything. It'll be exciting to finally have one.
I’m with you on this one. I have a mid 2015 and I love it.
Recently I just bought the new M1 Pro 16", but I've been using the Mid 2014 15" one for 7 years, which works so well for me!
One benefit you're forgetting is that you can natively run windows on this thing.
There's an ARM version of Win11 that you can run on the M1 using Parallels. Works just fine, although I haven't pushed it very hard.
@@jpdemer5 mostly talking about bootcamp here, but I'm sure it runs relatively well. But virtualization will always have some overhead.
I owned a 2012 15” MacBook Pro Retina. It was a great laptop and I used it through most of uni. Unfortunately it was in a Thule backpack that fell of the hook on a toilet stall door. It worked still, but it had a massive ding and the display cable was gradually failing. Replaced it with a 2017 MacBook Pro, I fully and happily embraced USB C, the only thing I missed was the SD Card slot. The larger trackpad on the 2017 was far nicer. I’ve got a 2021 14” on order, I just wish Apple did reintroduce HDMI. I’d rather another thunderbolt.
Very informative video.
By the way, I'm still using my 2007 MacBook Pro for photo and video editing. Granted it takes about 4 hours to export a 10 minute video, lol, but I'm never in a rush.
That's was my reason to upgrade to 2021 model. It resembled design of my beloved 2013 MacBook Pro model, that served me so well. Ain't regretting upgrade.
Is it good enough? Depends what you do with it. Mine still does everything I need to do and it does those things very well.
I'm currently on a Mid-2014 MacBook Pro (2.8 GHz Quad-Core i7) with 16 GB of ram and a 1T SSD. I originally picked it up refurbished from Apple to save some cash in 2015. It's been an amazing machine even though the fans are loud and it runs hot. At one point I picked up a newer Macbook with the touch bar but ended up sending it back within the 14 days because it wasn't as snappy as this one. I'm waiting on a M1 Max with 32 GB of memory. I'm really excited about this upgrade! Thanks for your videos and feedback!
I had a 13" one of these. Sold it for an m1 air while I still could get good money for it before it dropped in value.
My old late 2013 MacBook Pro with a ssd upgrade runs like a beast for photo editing and graphic design.
I had it since 2015 and it’s still running good but very hot 🥵 😅, anyway I got the new 14 inch 2499 model and I’m very happy. I was not happy to upgrade to any model older than the 14 inch because of the ports and keyboard
I own this and upgraded to the 24-core M1 Max 16-inch. Apple impressed me with the performance per dollar and the redesign to make it thicker for more ports and better thermals made me want it even over this 2015 model that’s been great for me.
Hi Luke, if I was following your recommendations religiously I would be a very confused buyer today. 😀 One day you recommend 14 and the next you start opening a 16-inch box telling that this is the one we all should be getting. One day you say the new M1s are the best thing that happened to notebooks in many years and here you are today recommending a 2015. Now the folks who were planning to get a new M1/M1X, are thinking maybe they should consider a 2015 instead. What is not clear now is whether the new M1/X is really worth the money or not.
You are suggesting to people to look back after giving the 'move ahead' command.
Just finally upgraded from my 15” 2012 Retina MacBook Pro (i7, 8GB Ram, 1TB SSD) to this exact model to hold me over until I can afford M1!
As much as I love the old design I think it's better to go for M1 air or pro, the air base model is 899 in some places
This is me. I now have the 16" M1 Pro and it is truly its spiritual successor.
Totally agree with your mindset. Would love to upgrade from my 2015 just because I like new stuff. If I needed the power and could justify the cost. I mentioned it in your other 2015 video but I went to the 2TB OWC Aura SSD and she’s still rock solid. If I did video work then yeah I could see the cost. I hear the fans once in awhile so that’s a need. Found a set of AirPod Pro Max on sale but haven’t used them on my MBP yet. Also just added a 2015 27”Thunderbolt Display to my mix and dig the way it connects to the MBP but I mainly use it with my 2018 mini as primary display. Had to use adapters but still works great. Older tech works for my non pro work and daily enjoyment. Idea is to wait and see what they do for the next iMac. Thanks Luke.
What read/write speed do you get with the 2TB OWC Aura SSD on your 2015 Macbook Pro? thanks
@@jerryli5555 Sorry Jerry, just saw this. 2585 write, 2198 read. I don't remember stock SSD speeds.
Mid 2015 MacBook Pro 15" i7 16GB upgraded with OWC 1TB - daily development driver for 7 years.
I also skipped years of upgrades waiting for the M1 Pro.
Love both
Great video. I sold my 16” Intel MPB and decided to go back to this model of MBP second hand - got a low grade here in the UK and then found out the 800 cycle battery was eligible for an Apple Store free replacement. Boom. New top case and battery on a C grade second hand 15” 2015. The rest of my money is going into geared unicycles ⚙️ 😂and one day an M3 16” 🤓
I literally did the same thing selling my 2019 16” and getting the 2015 15” used. Crazy!
Hi there - do you know the eligibility criteria? Is it just the cycles being high or is it something else?
@@GameRoof1 wanna know too
We did run the late 2014 5K iMac 24/7 with only changing larger SSD. As there has not been anything reasonable better until ordered MBP14”. Luckily 5K iMac finally works as an external display in Monterey so the lifecycle hopefully can be extended even further.
I'd say yes, if macOS support is stopped there's a way to hackintosh it, or give it a linux distro and it's gonna be rock for daily
I use Monterey on my Mid-2012 with Open Core Legacy Patcher and it runs great!
@@safetyzone2962 Awesome!
@@safetyzone2962 How is Monterrey compared to Sur? I’m on the fence in Catalina.
Do you use any external monitors or accessories? Everything smooth with the patches?
@@ghost-user559 Yes, everything from my testing works great. Even Airplay worked the last time I checked.
@@safetyzone2962 Thank you that’s amazing to know. Did you upgrade in place from a previous os or install fresh for those results?
Would you recommend installing over Catalina or maybe making another partition and starting with a fresh install?
And did you upgrade ram and ssd as well?
I am using Late 2013 MacBook Pro, it is still working well.
Actually IMO the last good MBP was the non-Retina 2012 MBP. Mine is still going, and only now with the latest 2021 MBP's am I even considering upgrading.
Late 2011 for me (I know the 2012 was better). I want to upgrade, but still don't want to give up the Matte screen.
I’m a mid-2012 guy myself. That laptop has ( and continues to be ) an absolute WORKHORSE! Sure it looks big and the display is average, but it’s upgradeable, fixable, portable, and powerful enough for what I do.
@@adrianbjones You could get HiRes (not Retina) Matte Mid-2012 MBPs. I started with a 2011 like yours, but moved some years ago to the Mid-2012 to be able to upgrade to 16GB RAM. I have two, although one is starting to die...
My 13” 2015 MacBook Pro is about to be replaced with a 14” M1 pro. I have replaced the fan and the SD reader in its life also the battery. But still a good all round machine. Going to my daughter as a web search Microsoft app use.
I just upgraded to the 2021 Pro 14 inch after using my 2014 Pro 15 inch since launch. I'm glad that Apple went back to essential ports and physical keys over the touch bar, because those missing features were the reason why I stopped buying Macbooks for years.
Yup...I'm using an 2013 15 inch macbook pro...wasn't into the usb c macbooks that came...now ordered the m1 max...
This is a perfect laptop to install Linux on. My Mid-2015 was starting to show it's age a little bit, installed Linux, it's like it has a new life.
What version of Linux did you install on the Mid 2015 MBP? MacOS seems not like many scientific computing codes such as vasp, wein2k, etc.
Purchased brand new in 2016, still using this in 2023 to edit 4K footage and 33MP raw photos from my Sony a7iv. Replaced the battery about two years ago and the computer is still rock solid.
Luke, i have to disagree with the value proposition here. I think that even at 400 dollars it's not a good deal compared to the m1 macbook air. You HAVE to take longevity of support into consideration. This macbook pro is pretty much at the end of it's life. Even for someone who is budget focused this is bad news for a miriad of reasons. I would try to find a used m1 macbook air to push that price even lower, or save up for a bit longer. For people who just wanna browse or reply to emails. Man, just get a chrombook and don't buy an "at end of life" product just for it to have an apple logo. But, that's just my take!
I do front end developing on my 2011 upgraded Mac book pro if you think a 2015 is bad …. Well 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I'm still running a maxxed out late 2013 15" mbp with a 2tb SSD. Does everything I want.
this is still my daily and i honestly love the thing for the most part, but it’s really starting to fall behind my needs and those fans are no joke. sadly i lack the doubloons to replace it with M1 Pro since i’m still in high school (i only received this one to begin with because my dad moved on to M1) but my hope is that i can find a job and get into college to use my student discount to pick up an M1 Pro macbook to carry me for the next 6 years. until then, all i can do is hope it gets macOS 13 and cry every time i try to play minecraft with my friends and only pull 25fps because of thermal throttling. good video for a once great machine 😭
Mid.2015 MBP, dongle free & loving it!
So I've compared MBP 2015 speakers with MBP 2021 16 and I must say that they sound different but 2021 model not necessarily sounds better, it is heavier on bass but the sound feels muffled because of it and heights sound more clear on the 2015. I played a bunch of tracks from my favorite playlist and many of them have very pronounced heights so... I feel torn, many of the tracks do not sound as good.
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Yep. My machine as well. I still use it and I still love it.