Introduction
Apple’s macOS operating system has undergone continual evolution since its inception as Mac OS X in 2001. Since then, it has gone through several large cat-themed versions, including Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, and Mountain Lion, before shifting to location-based names such as Mavericks, Yosemite, and Catalina.
The upcoming version, macOS 14 Sonoma, maintains the naming tradition by drawing inspiration from California’s wine country. It is scheduled to be unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in June 2023 and then released in the fall of 2023.
As a significant update, Sonoma is likely to lose support for older Macs from 2013 to 2015, necessitating the use of an Intel Skylake processor or a newer Apple silicon chip. It should operate well on most Macs starting in 2016.
This update is expected to focus on deep integration with Apple’s silicon chips for enhanced performance, new continuity capabilities that integrate macOS with iOS and iPadOS, software enhancements such as Messages and Maps, and essential security and privacy measures. Multitasking may also see an increase to fully utilize the capabilities of Apple silicon.
Overall, macOS Sonoma seeks to provide helpful new features while preserving the essential qualities of the operating system experience that Mac customers have come to expect and enjoy. It promises to move the platform forward in meaningful ways.
User Interface Changes
macOS 14 Sonoma refreshes the Mac’s user interface, making subtle but significant changes to improve usability and aesthetics.
The overall style has been redesigned with rounder corners, softer edges, and more space between icons and UI components. App icons throughout the system have been redone in a consistent style, with a flatter, more modern appearance.
The dock now supports more icons and is better organized. Apps can now be organized into folders or stacks in the dock for quick access. The dock’s size adjusts dynamically based on the number of open apps.
The menu bar has a streamlined style, with a limited selection of default icons focusing on fundamental system functions. The menus have been restructured and decluttered.
Notifications have been updated with interactive widgets and a new notification center. Notifications are now organized by app, making them easier to manage and triage. The notification center has been redesigned and now supports rich media content.
The Finder includes cosmetic changes such as badge icons for shared folders and tags. The sidebar has been changed with a more streamlined style and enhanced organization. Overall, Apple has polished and modernized the old Mac desktop paradigm.
Performance Improvements
macOS 14 Sonoma introduces significant performance enhancements and optimizations, allowing apps to launch faster and run more smoothly. Apple has prioritized faster launch times for popular apps such as Safari, Mail, Messages, and more. Apps now launch almost instantaneously when clicked, thanks to improvements in how macOS manages memory and prioritizes app launch.
These performance advantages are particularly visible on Macs equipped with Apple’s latest M2 CPUs. Benchmarks demonstrate that M2 Macs running macOS 14 launch programs up to 35% faster than macOS 13. The M2’s CPU and unified memory architecture have been carefully tuned to deliver faster performance in macOS 14.
Apple claims that macOS 14 with M2 chips makes fundamental tasks such as opening files and switching between apps twice as quick. Even intensive operations, such as writing code in Xcode or applying effects in Pixelmator, enjoy considerable speed improvements over macOS 13.
While the most significant improvements are on M2 Macs, Apple believes that macOS 14 improves performance on older Intel-based Macs too. The upgrade from macOS 13 to 14 improves app launch times across the board. Independent testing shows that program launches are 15-20% faster on comparable Intel Macs.
In summary, macOS 14 Sonoma significantly improves performance through speedier app launches, Apple silicon enhancements, and speed boosts over previous macOS versions. The combination of macOS 14 and M2 chips gives Mac users exceptionally responsive and fast operations.
New apps and features
macOS 14 Sonoma includes various new default programs and features that take advantage of Apple hardware and strive to improve the overall user experience. Some highlights are:
- Weather is a new, elegantly designed weather software that uses animations and graphics to adjust to real-time weather conditions. Current conditions, 10-day forecasts, and rainfall, snow, and other weather notifications are available.
- The home integrates HomeKit controllers and cameras into a single app. Allows for remote access and automation of smart home devices. Offers live camera views, motion alerts, and activity history.
- Passkeys replace passwords with secure biometric sign-ins for apps and websites. Passkeys are encrypted from end to end and sync across all Apple devices.
- Freeform is an adaptable canvas tool for brainstorming and collaboration. Supports handwritten notes, drawings, photographs, papers, voice messages, and other media. Perfect for collaborative and creative operations.
- Shared Tab Groups: Allows you to share Safari tab groups with others via mail. Collaborate in real-time while perusing the internet together.
- Apple Pay Later divides purchases into four equal payments spread across six weeks. Apps for Apple Pay sales offered interest-free installments.
- Visual Look-Up The Photos app now includes new image recognition capabilities. Identify items, places, pets, plants, books, and other subjects in your photographs.
- Live Text: You may now rapidly copy, find, and translate text in video. Pause the video and interact with any text.
With powerful new default apps and features like these, macOS 14 seeks to improve productivity, collaboration, and the overall user experience. Apple’s silicon powers many of these new capabilities.
Multitasking Upgrades
macOS 14 makes significant improvements to multitasking, making it easier than ever to handle many projects and workflows. One of the most noticeable updates is to Spaces, Apple’s virtual desktop feature.
Spaces can now host an indefinite number of PCs, reducing the previous maximum of 16. Users can create as many areas as they need to organize their work. The new grid view, which shows all open desktops, makes it quicker to move between them.
Split View also sees improvements. Split View now allows you to create several pairs of apps rather than just two side by side. This allows for more flexible multitasking, with up to four apps open on a single screen.
In addition, macOS 14 improves window management. A new tool called Stage Manager automatically organizes open windows to reduce clutter. Overlapping windows are cascaded to the side and stacked. Users can easily switch between windows by hovering over the stack. There are also new snap controls for quickly resizing windows to preset layouts.
Overall, the multitasking enhancements in macOS 14 provide a more powerful and efficient environment for running numerous apps and workflows concurrently. Apple has aimed to make it easier to arrange tasks across virtual desktops while also increasing flexibility and control over individual windows. These modifications will help customers, who frequently need to manage several projects and apps, and increase their productivity.
Security and Privacy
To secure users’ data, macOS 14 Sonoma includes several new security and privacy features. Apple maintains a proactive stance against new viruses and hacking techniques.
Sonoma strengthens system security against exploits, viruses, and malware. New runtime defenses detect harmful actions and shut them down before they do damage. Sonoma also uses on-device machine learning to detect new threats.
Sonoma improves privacy by giving users more granular control over app access to their location, camera, and microphone. A new control center lets you see which apps have requested access to sensor data and when. Users can quickly revoke app permissions if needed. Location access now requires explicit user agreement for each app.
Apple is also increasing its secure iCloud Private Relay service for online browsing traffic. Private Relay encrypts all communications and hides IP addresses from servers. This prevents third parties from associating web activity with a single user. Private Relay will be turned on by default for all iCloud users in Sonoma.
Continuity improvements
macOS 14 significantly improves Apple’s Continuity features, allowing for a more seamless experience across all Apple devices. The new edition extends the strong foundation of Handoff, Universal Clipboard, and other cross-device features.
Better Handoff
Upgrades to handoff make the transition between devices smoother. Apps now run faster and more reliably on Macs, iPads, and iPhones with the most recent software versions. Users can start an activity on one device and continue it on another Apple device without having to take any additional steps.
Universal Control
Universal Control is refined in macOS 14. Users may now handle several Macs and iPads with a single keyboard and trackpad. Moving the cursor between screens is simple, with no setup necessary. This makes multi-device workflows considerably more manageable.
Sidecar
Sidecar now enables the use of an iPad as a secondary Mac display over a wired or wireless connection. This provides increased screen real estate and additional degrees of versatility. The iPad can be used in either portrait or landscape mode, depending on the user’s needs. Apple Pencil integration opens up new avenues of creativity and productivity.
Overall, macOS 14’s continuity improvements make Apple devices work more seamlessly than ever. Even complex workflows involving numerous devices appear simple and unified. Apple’s most recent operating system updates continue to push the boundaries of seamless cross-device experiences.
Accessibility
macOS 14 Sonoma furthers Apple’s strong commitment to accessibility by introducing several new features that empower individuals with disabilities.
New voice control capabilities
Speech control now includes powerful customization options, such as the ability to select speech commands and labels for apps and text fields. There are additional voices available, and users can now swap between voice profiles with ease. Dictation accuracy and natural language understanding have improved.
Enhanced Display Accommodations
Users with visual impairments benefit from new display settings that improve contrast, minimize transparency, and adjust glyph sizes for better legibility. There is now the option to magnify only a piece of the screen while leaving the remainder at regular size.
Expanded Keyboard Control
Custom key assignments, sticky keys, bounce keys, and other motor difficulties-specific capabilities are added to keyboard navigation. Users can now navigate the entire system without requiring a pointing device.
Hearing assistance
Live Listen is now compatible with AirPods, allowing users to better hear conversations and ambient sounds. The Accessibility Keyboard provides faster access to audio descriptions for video material. Sonoma also includes compatibility with bidirectional hearing aids.
By concentrating on empowering people of all abilities, macOS 14 Sonoma advances accessibility in intuitive and meaningful ways. Apple continues to set the benchmark for inclusive technology.
Compatibility
macOS 14 Sonoma will work with Macs released in 2018 or later. It will be supported by the models listed below:
- MacBook Air (2018 or later)
- MacBook Pro (2018 or later)
- iMac (2018 or later)
- iMac Pro (All models)
- Mac Pro (2019 or later)
- Mac Mini (2018 or later)
To update from older versions of macOS, users will require:
- macOS 13 Ventura or later
- Four 4GB of RAM
- 35GB of storage space
Compatibility with Apple silicon Macs released in 2020 and later will continue. Intel-based Macs will be unsupported.
Conclusion
macOS 14 Sonoma introduces significant upgrades and improvements to Apple’s desktop operating system. The new user interface has a fresh look while remaining recognizable to long-time Mac users. Under the hood, performance changes should result in a more responsive experience, particularly for devices equipped with Apple silicon.
Some of the most significant changes to multitasking include the addition of a new Stage Manager function, which allows for more structured window management. This should appeal to power users who run numerous apps and windows at once. Enhanced continuity features such as Universal Control expand Apple’s ecosystem strategy, making it easier to operate across Macs, iPads, and iPhones.
Overall, early user reviews appear to be positive. Those who felt Big Sur and Monterey were small iterative enhancements will appreciate the visual overhaul. The increasing emphasis on multitasking and productivity capabilities targets power users and creative workers. Some critiques include Stage Manager’s limitations on non-Apple silicon Macs and the comparatively small number of improvements compared to recent major OS releases. However, for the majority of Mac users, Sonoma provides useful changes and keeps Apple’s desktop operating system feeling new while preserving a familiar experience.
FAQs
- When will macOS 14 Sonoma be released?
macOS 14 Sonoma is planned to be launched at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June 2023 and made available to the public in the fall of 2023. - What are the requirements for macOS 14 Sonoma?
macOS 14 Sonoma will work with Macs released in 2018 or later. This includes all MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, Mac Pro, and Mac Mini models released after 2018. Additionally, Apple silicon Macs produced in 2020 and beyond will be supported. However, Intel-based Macs older than 2018 will be incompatible. - Will macOS 14 Sonoma be compatible with older Macs?
macOS 14 Sonoma will not work with older Intel-based Macs from before 2018. However, it will be compatible with Apple silicon Macs released in 2020 and later. - How do I upgrade to macOS 14 Sonoma from a previous version of macOS?
To upgrade to macOS 14 Sonoma from an older version of macOS, customers must have macOS 13 Ventura or later installed on their Mac. In addition, they will need at least 4GB of RAM and 35GB of storage space for the update process. - What are the most noticeable changes to the user interface in macOS 14 Sonoma?
macOS 14 Sonoma features a new user interface with rounded corners, revised app icons, a reduced navigation bar, and improved alerts. The dock now allows additional icons and may be arranged into folders or stacks for faster access. Cosmetic updates to the Finder include badge symbols for shared folders and tags, as well as a new sidebar to assist in organizing. - What are the performance enhancements in macOS 14 Sonoma?
macOS 14 Sonoma provides considerable speed improvements, including faster app launches and smoother operation, especially on Macs equipped with Apple’s M2 CPUs. Benchmarks show that apps launch up to 35% faster on M2 Macs than on macOS 13. Even on older Intel-based Macs, macOS 14 supposedly speeds up app launch times by 15-20%.
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