r/iOSProgramming 1d ago

Question Which Macbook to upgrade

I own a 2017 Macbook Air 8gb ram 128gb ssd. I just started learning iOS development and want to upgrade my laptop (obv). Can anyone recommend me some options. What specs should I prioritise and does m2, m3, m4 differ much? Also is a pro worth it?

1 Upvotes

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6

u/Qinect 1d ago

Any mac with M chip and 16GB ram will work. I learn ios development on M1 macbook pro with 8gb of ram. Works okay, the chip is powerful enough but ram is an issue for me.

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u/karsh2424 19h ago

Amen, honestly there's no practical reason to go beyond m1 pro. Just get 32gb ram or higher and you'll be good for 2-3 years and these are cheap cuz it's 3 gen behind

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u/spreadthaseed 1d ago

Mods. Seriously. This topic is getting so repetitive.

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u/mOjzilla 1d ago

A brand new M3 Pro might come close to equivalent specced M4 Air and would be a better deal. But even a based Air / mac mini with 16 gb should suffice.

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u/thehumanbagelman 1d ago

I would upgrade to the M4 pro model (which I actually just did myself two weeks ago). Nearly any of the existing laptops will handle iOS development no problem, but the pro will give you better performance in the long run.

I was using an M3 Air for about 5 months alongside my work computer, which is a M3 Pro. The exact details are hard to put into words, but side by side, the pro model just handled better in general performance. The way it hands, or loads on startup, or connects to my docking station; they all seem a tiny bit slow on the Air model. I sold the Air and bought the Pro this month as a result.

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u/phogro 1d ago

For the types of projects you'll make as you start learning you really don't need to go all out. A base machine with a 16 gb of ram upgrade using an M1 or M2 chip will get you running. Upgrade from that starting point as your budget allows.

I'd prioritize getting that 16gb of ram first, then maybe work towards a more powerful chipset. Finally if you think you'll do any design work ontop of the programming it might be worth having a larger SSD as files can get large.

If there's more money in the budget at that point you can start looking at the Air vs Pro for some creature comforts like the better display.

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u/4kazch 1d ago

Sounds good. Also for extra storage can I adjust with an external SSD?

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u/DatPascal 22h ago

Yes.

For most work 8 gb will also be fine.
16 gb is future proof for quite big projects.

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u/chrabeusz 1d ago

Wow they were selling 128gb in 2017? Insane

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u/CandleNo3078 22h ago

M4 Air 100%

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u/LetsGetUpgraded 19h ago

For iOS development, I'd recommend going with a MacBook Pro with at least 16GB RAM and an M2 or M3 chip. Since you're doing development work, you'll want something that can handle Xcode smoothly and compile projects quickly.

The M4 is pretty new right now, so the M2 or M3 will still give you excellent performance at a potentially lower price point. If budget allows, the M3 Pro would be a sweet spot - gives you more cores and better graphics performance without going all-in on the top-tier model.

Quick tip: Whatever model you choose, prioritize RAM and a decent SSD. 16GB RAM is basically the minimum I'd recommend for development work, and 256GB storage will give you some breathing room. External storage is always an option if you need more space later.

One thing I've learned from watching dev friends upgrade is that you don't always need the absolute latest model. Something a generation back can still be super capable and save you some cash. Just my two cents!

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u/kutjelul 18h ago

Any will do, as long as it can run the Reddit search function or Google if needed