The end for Intel Macs: Apple to discontinue software support with macOS 27

On Monday, Apple unveiled macOS 26 Tahoe, the latest operating system for MacBooks, iMacs and other devices, that will be available as a free update starting this fall. In addition to Apple's Liquid Glass design, the update also introduces several productivity and AI features, such as the ability to translate phone calls in real time and an intelligent Spotlight search that can execute shortcuts directly. The update is also interesting for gaming enthusiasts in view of the gaming app, Metal 4 and an alternative to Nvidia's DLSS Frame Generation.

However, macOS 26 Tahoe is only compatible with a few Intel Macs such as the Mac Pro (2019), the MacBook Pro 16, the MacBook Pro 13 (2020), and iMac. In fact, the operating system doesn't run on a single MacBook Air or Mac mini with an Intel processor. As Apple recently confirmed at its Platforms State of the Union presentation at WWDC, macOS 26 Tahoe marks the end of software support for Intel-based Macs, as macOS 27 will only be available for Macs with Apple M1 or a newer ARM processor next year.

As usual, Apple is likely to release critical security updates for macOS 26 Tahoe for several years, but anyone wanting to receive new operating system features in the future will inevitably have to upgrade to a Mac with an ARM chip. This means that select Macs will only receive about five years of software support, which is relatively short even by Apple's standards. Following this announcement, it's likely that third-party software will increasingly be developed exclusively for ARM Macs.