As part of its ongoing transition to Apple Silicon, Apple has announced that the upcoming macOS 27 Golden Gate release will no longer support Intel-based Macs. This move marks a significant milestone in the company’s efforts to phase out Intel hardware and focus on its own custom-designed processors.
The requirement for Apple Silicon chips means that only Macs with M1 or newer processors, such as those found in the original MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini from 2020, will be able to run macOS 27. This change has been a long time coming, with each new macOS release leaving behind an increasingly large list of Intel-based Macs.
For those who purchased late-model Intel machines in 2019 and 2020, this news may come as a disappointment. However, it’s worth noting that these users can still run the latest version of the operating system for the time being. Third-party utilities like OpenCore Legacy Patcher have also helped adventurous Mac owners use their unsupported hardware a bit longer.
But with macOS 27 Golden Gate, those workarounds will no longer be viable. Apple is jettisoning most of the remaining Intel code in macOS, much like it did when ending support for PowerPC machines in the Mac OS X Snow Leopard release. Without this code, continuing to force new macOS versions to run on old Intel machines becomes functionally impossible.
Even some Apple Silicon Macs will miss out on certain features. The basic version of Apple Intelligence, a feature demonstrated during the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, will continue to work on all Apple Silicon Macs with at least 8GB of RAM. However, more capable on-device models will require an M3 Mac or newer with at least 12GB of RAM.
The first macOS 27 and developer beta is available now, with a public beta version set to follow in July. The final release is expected to land in the fall.
This move marks a significant step towards Apple’s goal of creating a seamless ecosystem between its devices. By focusing on Apple Silicon, the company can optimize its operating system for its own hardware, leading to improved performance and battery life.
However, this transition also raises questions about the future of Intel-based Macs. While some users may be able to run their existing machines with third-party utilities, others will need to consider upgrading to a newer Apple Silicon-powered Mac in order to take advantage of the latest features and security patches.
As the tech industry continues to evolve, it’s clear that Apple is committed to its vision for a future where all devices are powered by custom-designed processors. While this may be a challenging transition for some users, it also presents opportunities for innovation and improvement in the years to come.
Source: Original article