A little over a year ago I sent in a question to the crew at ATP and subsequently I blogged my own answer to that question. This past week I sent in another question and they’ve kindly answered it (time stamp: 1:57:16) so I thought I would answer my own question again.
My question was about the longevity of the new Apple M1 chips and whether or not we should be worried about how long they will last. Thinking back, this wasn’t a great question and I feel a bit stupid for even asking it now.
The M1 is based on the A-series chips that Apple has been shipping in their phones and tablets for years. So of course they’ve sort of already tested these designs for longevity. I have an iPad Air 2 in my closet that is rather old and I still use it for flying my drone. I also have an iPhone 7s that I use solely for recording my podcast. Both devices function just fine.
I think my question stemmed from the fact that most iOS devices get retired pretty quickly due to the exchange program that most carriers have in place. I don’t think I’ve had a daily carry phone for more than 2 or 3 years before upgrading to the next device. Anything older than that and I start to think it may show signs of its age. But, in reality, the thing that breaks down on these devices are the batteries not the chips. The “battery gate” of recent times had to do with Apple throttling their chips due to possible issues with the batteries not the chips.
I’m grateful they kindly answered my question but thinking back now I knew the answer all along. The M1 chips are not only incredible leaps forward for the portable computer space but they will also likely last a very long time. I’m looking forward to buying one in 2024 or so when my current 16″ MacBook Pro is replaced.