Update: Microsoft's Surface Laptop 4 has been announced with official specs.

The consumer tech industry has always focused on what comes next. It's the next big cell phone or laptop. Like Microsoft's Surface Laptop 4, which is rumored to arrive next week. Despite the hundreds of dollars spent on the previous model, the opportunity to upgrade a device is always the next one.

It's clear that companies want your money, and fancy new products are the way to get it. But should we really be focused on upgrading our machines every time there is an opportunity available?

I got to thinking about this recently after some issues with my laptop, a 2018 Huawei MateBook X Pro. I almost dropped it on a tiled floor and somehow managed to break the hinge that separates the screen from the keyboard in the process.

When my hands are full, I instinctively slam my open laptop against the door. So my laptop screen is now able to move a full 180 degrees instead of stopping at a 150-degree angle as before

Fortunately, the damage is only that bad, and not as bad as if it had hit the hard floor at an odd angle. However, this incident, along with the other damage this machine has sustained over the past three years, has led me to believe that it may be time for an upgrade.

Until I realized that it doesn't make much sense. Because my laptop still works fine.

There is no shortage of new technology. The laptop industry in particular seems to release a new model every couple of weeks. However, none of them seem to be particularly exciting. Compared to the machine I have, it still runs incredibly well. There is some outward damage, though.

The Surface Laptop 4 would be new and shiny. It won't suffer from scratches, a dented chassis, or hinges that are more tilted than Huawei seems to have intended. In terms of actual performance, however, there doesn't seem to be much to gain.

Chips are faster than they were three years ago, efficiency has improved, and some of the best laptops can even display content in 4K. But how serious are these improvements compared to what I already have?

My MateBook X Pro was pretty top of the line when I got it in the spring of 2018, but in those three years it has done little more than a basic work computer. Its specs still work perfectly for what I need.

Sure, I could get a Surface Laptop 4, which is rumored to come with an 11th generation Core i7 instead of an 8th generation chip, more RAM and a better graphics card. But I don't see any benefit to me. Besides, I don't need the increased CPU or graphics power for everyday use. If I play games, I might need it, but I've never been much of a PC gamer.

A more powerful battery would be nice. However, so is software, which is often open all day.

So why bother spending $1,000 to $2,000 on something I don't actually need and set up the way I want it? Often, buying new technology feels more exciting than actually owning it, as I felt when I recently purchased an Xbox Series X.

I feel the same way about smartphones; despite the release of the OnePlus 9 Pro, I still use the OnePlus 7 Pro on a daily basis. I admit that I was tempted to get that new device.

But at the same time, there is little point in spending $1,000 on a new phone when the phone I have now works perfectly. Nor is there any need to go through the hassle of migrating everything to a new phone, logging into all the apps, etc.

Of course, smartphones now have a built-in expiration date. Android phone manufacturers typically only support phones with new software for three years, but during that last 12 months they typically provide only critical security updates.

After this window closes, your phone will not only no longer be supported by the manufacturer. It is a security risk because the problem will not be fixed. In other words, replacing your phone after three years is not just about upgrading, it's about keeping you and your data safe.

Laptops do not have such issues. Security issues will come up, but Microsoft has a history of supporting older operating systems that users should have upgraded to all along; support for Windows XP ended in 2014, 12 years after its launch, but even that was not the end of the story; WannaCry and security threats like BlueKeep caused Microsoft to release emergency updates for XP in 2017 and 2019, respectively.

Even if Windows 10 is not effectively the "final version" of Windows and the updates are permanent, it will still be a very long time before my laptop poses enough of a security risk to warrant an upgrade.

Upgrades for the sake of upgrades are futile. That's how I see it. Not only does it cost huge amounts of money to replace them with the latest models on a regular basis, but environmental factors must also be considered.

There are many potential downsides to developing new technologies, such as mining, production, and transportation around the globe. In addition, there is the problem of disposing of existing machines responsibly and hoping that their parts are properly recycled.

It is clear that there will come a time when a new laptop will have to be purchased. Is it because the current machine has aged beyond its useful life, or is it because it has been damaged by something more important than aesthetics?

But it doesn't look like it will be anytime soon. At least, I hope it doesn't. Because I have more important things to spend my money on right now. Like actual windows, mine is long overdue for an upgrade.