Are mid 2012 MacBook Pros still supported?

I am an engineering student and up until one year ago I was strictly using my MBP mid-2012 for almost 10 years. When I initially bought it cost me 1200+. It came with an i5 processor. 4 BG of ram and a 500 HDD.

About 4 years ago I upgraded to it Crucible SSD and 16 gb of ram. When I first turned it on; I imagined it was the same feeling Nicholas Cage’s character got when he turned on the 1967 Shelby Cobra after it was rebuilt by his team.

My mid-2012 MBP has gotten me through so much. It was always reliable, fixable, ascetically pleasing, and durable.

I had an opportunity to get a hold of a i7 16gb ram Surface Pro 7 and for about 3 months o continued to take my MBP with me to using in conjunction with the SP7. I soon realized how damn power my SP7 was and began to use my MBP less and less.

Eventually I had too make the difficult decision of putting down my MBP. The same MBP that was with me through broken down cars on the side of the road. Countless movie streaming through sketch websites. Motorcycle accident. Break ups. Everything. When all else failed me. My MBP never did. It is actually the reason WHY I separated myself from Apple as a customer. My MBP taught me the value that is “Right to Repair” with respect to electronics. Noted; windows is no saint in this field but at least Windows does not trap you in a Windows only market for accessories and what not.

I digress, I still have that old monster of a machine. In fact I just turned it on a few days ago to pull some old files from it. When I heard that old nostalgic chime when I first turned it on brought a smile in my face and warm feeling in my heart.

I know this thread is old and somewhat in active but I was just laying in bed reflecting on how amazing my SP7 was today and it made my remember old faithful.

If anyone is ever considering buying a Mid-2012. I would 100% recommended it. Maybe not if you are trying to run state of the art software such as Autocad 2023 or Google Earth Pro. But if you need laptop to run Microsoft Office or similar lightweight programs with out breaking the bank. A maxed out mid2012 MBP is definitely the laptop for you. Granted, it is heavier than your standard modern day lap top but where else can you get a i5/i7 16gb ram with a SSD for less than 500usd?

Honestly I can’t even imagine parting way with my MBP. Someday I will show my grandkids it and tell them the story of this “wonder hunk of junk.”

Even if you don’t need it I would still advise getting one if you can find a maxed out one for less than 300 usd. If anything it can serve as a back up laptop in a pinch or even just as relic of simpler times.

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Worried that your shiny new MacBook Pro won't be supported in a few years? Fret not, Apple supports its MacBooks for a long time.

macos 12 monterey on macbook air m1

Apple's MacBooks are some of the most popular and best laptops on the market. There's a good reason why they're so popular, and even more so nowadays, thanks to the introduction of Apple Silicon, which delivers fantastic performance in a super-efficient package. But a good laptop is more than what you get at launch; it's also about how long it lasts and how long you can rely on it. So you may be wondering how long your MacBook model is supported and how long it's going to last you.

The good news is, it will probably last you pretty long. Apple has an excellent track record when it comes to supporting their devices, whether it's phones or laptops. iPhones get software support for longer than just about anything in the Android world, and laptops are pretty much on par with modern Windows devices.

How long will my MacBook get updates?

Apple tends to support its devices for quite a few years once they've been launched, though it can fluctuate a bit. The latest version is macOS Ventura, which was released in October 2022. This model supports Mac models all the way back to the models announced in June 2017, including the MacBook, MacBook Pro, and iMac. These models are over five years old at the time of the release of macOS Ventura, and this is actually one of the versions that drops a lot of older models. In 2021, macOS Monterey released supporting models all the way back to 2015.

Screenshot of a list of Mac computers that support the upgrade to macOS Ventura

This isn't a one-off situation, either. The previous version of macOS, Big Sur, supported MacBook models as old as the mid-2013 MacBook Air. macOS Catalina, released in 2019, supported MacBooks from mid-2012 onward. Apple is fairly consistent with its support, so there's no reason to worry.

It's also worth noting here that Apple has been transitioning from Intel-based MacBooks to its own Apple Silicon processors since 2020. This is a major architectural shift, but even then, Apple has been supporting a lot of Intel-based models with each macOS release. Even though Ventura drops support for a few models, that's still an impressive track record considering there are almost no Intel-based Macs being made anymore.

And of course, even if your MacBook is no longer getting major updates, you can technically still use it, and apps usually continue to support older versions of macOS for a while longer. Older versions of macOS also continue to get security updates for a while after subsequent versions are released. For example, macOS Big Sur, released in 2020, received a security update as late as December 2022. A 2013 MacBook Air could be running macOS Big Sur and still getting updates today, nine years later.

All of this is to say that if you're thinking about buying a new MacBook and you want to make sure you're not throwing away your money, you can rest easy. The laptop you buy today will be supported for a long time to come, and you'll keep getting new features for at least a few years. There's a good chance you'll be buying a new laptop before the current models become unsupported.


If this article reassured you it's a good idea to buy a MacBook, you can check out the latest models below. Whether it's the newly-redesigned MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, or the extra powerful 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that are made for creators, Apple has some fantastic options available right now, and they're all going to get support for a long time to come. These are some of the best Macs Apple has ever made, and they're very easy to recommend.

  • The MacBook Air is an incredibly thin laptop, and with the Apple M2 chip, it's both fast and efficient and it can handle just about any kind of work.MacBook Air (M2)

    Apple MacBook Air (2022)

    The 2022 MacBook Air features a complete redesign of the chassis, which is more balanced and lighter than ever. Not only does it look great, but it performs very well with the Apple M2 chip, and it's still as efficient as its predecessor.

  • The 2022 MacBook Pro comes with the new Apple M2 processor, delivering even more performance than the M1 model.MacBook Pro (2022)

    Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (2022)

    The 13-inch MacBook Pro packs the same powerful processor as the MacBook Air, but it retains the design language of previous models, including the Touch Bar.

  • The
MacBook Pro 16 with the M1 Pro or M1 Max processors delivers a ton of performance in a very efficient and portable package.MacBook Pro 16

    Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021)

    Powered by the Apple M1 Pro or m1 Max processors, the 14-inch MacBook Pro, along with the 16-inch sibling, is the most powerful MacBook on the market, yet it's incredibly efficient so you get battery life you just can't get with Intel-based laptops with this kind of power.

Is MacBook Pro mid 2012 still good in 2021?

Due to its good performance and supported by an attractive appearance. One of them is the Macbook Pro released in 2012. Even though it is old school, aka its 8 years old since it was first released, this Macbook still has a lot of enthusiasts, even though this type of Macbook is out of production.

Is my MacBook Pro 2012 too old to update?

Apple advises that macOS Catalina will run on the following Macs: MacBook models from early 2015 or later. MacBook Air models from mid-2012 or later. MacBook Pro models from mid-2012 or later.