The next version of the Mac operating system, macOS 15, is expected to debut at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off with a keynote on June 10. After a beta period, the official release will take place in the fall.
Rumors about what macOS 15 will entail are rare, as usual – because software development doesn’t rely on third-party production and manufacturing like hardware does, rumors about macOS don’t happen often. But when rumors leak, they will be followed in this article. Here’s everything we know so far.
macOS 15 release date: When will macOS 15 arrive?
Since 2013, Apple has released macOS in the United States in the fall. The company established a trend of releasing iOS first, followed a few weeks later by macOS. Here are the release dates for the last five years.
- macOS 14 Sonoma: September 26, 2023
- macOS 13 release: October 24
- macOS 12 Monterey: October 25, 2021
- macOS 11 Big Sur: November 12, 2020
- macOS 10.15 Catalina: October 7, 2019
Apple will unveil macOS 15 at WWDC during a keynote on June 10, where it will showcase the biggest new features. Apple will also launch the developer beta period at that time, followed by a public beta a few weeks later. Apple releases beta updates twice a week before the official release in the fall.
macOS 15 compatibility: which Macs will receive macOS 15?
There is no report on the macOS 15 compatibility list. On average, Macs get 6.6 years of macOS updates, with older models only getting an extra year or two of macOS updates. security and bug fixes.
The compatibility list is becoming a pressing concern for Intel Mac users. After Apple introduced its M-series Macs, the company said it would continue to support Intel Macs for several years, but did not provide details. The last Mac to move from Intel to Apple Silicon was the Mac Pro last year. The clock is ticking on Intel Macs, but it’s likely that the latest generation of Intel Macs will be on the macOS 15 compatibility list.
Here is the current compatibility list for macOS Sonoma:
- iMac from 2019 and later
- Mac Pro from 2019 and later
- iMac Pro from 2017
- Mac Studio from 2022 and later
- MacBook Air from 2018 and later
- Mac mini from 2018 and later
- MacBook Pro from 2018 and later
Apple launched its first M1 Macs (MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro Mac mini) in late 2020, so some Intel models will still get another year of updates with macOS 15. Candidates most likely to drop out support are the 2018 models and the iMac Pro. To find out which version of macOS and older Macs can run, see our macOS compatibility list.
macOS 15 name: what will the new version be called?
Since Apple stopped using jungle cats with macOS 10.9 Mavericks, the company has been using California sites to identify its annual operating system updates. Recent years have been Sonoma, Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur and Catalina. We don’t yet know what language Apple will choose for macOS 15, but it has trademarked several unused place names, including Condor, Mammoth, Redwood, and Sequoia.
macOS 15: new rumored features
It’s possible that macOS 15 won’t have many new features. Last November, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple had shifted from developing new operating system features to fixing bugs and improving performance. Since this report was published a few months ago, Apple may have completed this task and started developing new features again. Either way, the change has impacted development time for new features and that could mean macOS 15 has fewer than initially expected.
AI everywhere
Several reports in recent months have indicated that Apple is doing a lot of work towards AI and that generative AI (using AI to create content) will play an important role in macOS. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in October 2023 that AI would feature prominently in iOS 18, followed by macOS at a later date. This seems to indicate that macOS 15 won’t benefit from as many AI features as iOS 18.
If macOS 15 doesn’t match iOS 18 feature-for-feature, it’s unclear when Apple will bring these missing features. It could decide to introduce them in updates throughout the year, or wait until macOS 16 in 2025. iOS has long been Apple’s priority, so it wouldn’t be surprising if macOS 15 doesn’t does not have the same new features as iOS 18. However, it is unlikely that macOS will integrate new AI features.
Accessibility
A report from MacRumors states that macOS 15 will have several new accessibility features. These include Adaptive Voice Shortcuts, which activate accessibility features by speaking a phrase; a Live Speech enhancement that allows users to create categories; and extensive app support for custom font sizes.
Freeform scenes
MacRumors reports that the Freeform app will get a new feature called Freeform Scenes, which will allow the user to select specific sections on boards for easier navigation. Scenes would work with iCloud for sharing and editing.
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