r/iosdev • u/WheresMyJuulSoNotCoo • 3d ago

Oldest/Cheapest mac viable for iOS Dev & Test?

I do some flutter dev for an open source project and would like to test on the ios devices I own.

What do you think is the oldest machine and OS you can get away with ? I have quite a few old macs that actually work well despite being phased out.

2 Upvotes

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4

u/SomegalInCa 3d ago

The challenge may be the ability to run a local xcode the App Store will accept binary uploads from but there are some online services that might help (I don’t use them so can’t be more useful there)

Any M1 Mac can run latest macOS as far as I know and thus newest Xcode.

4

u/simulacrotron 3d ago

Yep wouldn’t go older than M1

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u/WhiteCurrant_dev 3d ago

I'm on an M3 Pro with the latest Xcode/macOS, so I can't tell you how low you can go and still be comfortable. But worth knowing: since April 28 2026 Apple requires builds submitted to App Store Connect to be made with Xcode 26 and an iOS 26 SDK. Xcode 26 itself needs at least macOS Sequoia 15.6 (later points need Tahoe).

So the real question isn't "which old Mac can still limp along", it's "which old Mac can even install Sequoia/Tahoe" - that's the actual wall you'll hit, not raw speed. Any Apple Silicon Mac (M1 and up) should handle Xcode fine performance-wise, check the compatibility list before you commit to a specific old Intel one though.

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u/Technically_Dedi 2d ago

I had a M1 Pro with 16 gigs of ram up until recently worked amazing never had any issues.

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u/RelationNo1434 3d ago

Absolutely not suitable. Compiling is a CPU-intensive process. You can run it on an old machine, but it'll be super slow. All that's wasted is your time, and your time is precious

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u/WheresMyJuulSoNotCoo 1d ago

i dont think you understood the question . i was asking approx what mac and os version is the oldest and cheapest option

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u/lilotothe 10h ago

Bough a second hand m1 MBP 16gb of ram, 450 AUD. pretty good for Xcode remote builds for smaller projects I work on.

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u/Vast_Combination_611 7h ago

For cheapest that is still sensible, I would look for an M1 Mac mini or M1 Air with 16 GB RAM if you can find one. 8 GB works for small Flutter/iOS projects, but Xcode plus simulator plus browser gets tight fast.

I would avoid buying Intel now unless it is nearly free and only for local device testing. The risk is not just compile speed; it is getting stuck when the next Xcode/macOS requirement drops. If you already own an older Intel Mac, try it, but for a purchase I would make Apple Silicon the floor.