Maybe I got lucky but I really hope my next machine (probably going to buy the next 16" pro) will last as long.
Manufactured obsolescence.
Windows 7 for example had a support lifetime of about 10 years. Any red hat release has a support lifetime of 10 years plus another 3 or 4 years of extended support for releases since 2010.
I agree that 7 years is not little, but it is not much either.
Apple too has a good track record of releasing security updates for versions of OSX that will run on 10 year old hardware, regardless of whether you can update that hardware to the latest OS.
Many PC OEMs completely abandon security updates for drivers and firmware when their systems go out of warranty, if not immediately after they're discontinued. I had this issue with my last Thinkpad which was less than 2 years old.
But more to the point, it is a true rarity to find manufacturers that provide support that far out for their devices. If we’re bemoaning planned obsolescence, Apple is not the poster boy for it (in my opinion)
It's very obvious what it's about, make "old" hardware feel outdated and force the customer's hand.
Inducements to buy new hardware is a company’s life blood, and the methodology you’ve outlined seems like the tamest way to do so.
The current scheme is designed to extract our disposable income as much as possible. You are given a trivially better deal by Apple, but it’s still very much a raw deal.
Can you really choose not to have a smartphone? No. It’s a necessity of modern life just as a car is for many. This tilts the balance in favor of the manufacturer, you’ll buy one anyway.