macOS Sequoia vs Sonoma: What’s new in Sequoia and do you have to replace

At its WWDC 2024 occasion in June, Apple unveiled what can be within the new model of its working techniques later this yr. We’ve already seen what variations there are between iOS 17 and iOS 18, however what concerning the Mac? The subsequent model is macOS 15 Sequoia and it brings some attractive new options, constructing on these carried out in macOS 14 Sonoma.

The compatibility listing of Macs which might be in a position to run Sequoia is just a little smaller than that of macOS Sonoma, with a few 13-inch MacBook Air fashions from 2018 and 2019 that gained’t be capable of set up Sequoia. As well as, solely Macs with an M1, M2, or M3-series chip will assist the brand new AI options known as “Apple Intelligence”. So, you might be questioning whether it is price updating your Mac so you possibly can run Sequoia, or if sticking with Sonoma can be enough.

Right here’s a fast information to what macOS Sonoma and macOS Sequoia supply.

Options in macOS 14 Sonoma

When macOS Sonoma arrived in September 2023, it did so with numerous cool upgrades to make life simpler on the Mac. Right here’s our choose of the spotlight options, a few of which you won’t even have found but!

Desktop Widgets

Interactive widgets may be positioned in your Desktop, permitting you to regulate podcasts, view the climate, arrange or fulfill reminders, management sensible gadgets round your property, add a fast notice, and loads of different helpful capabilities. The widget gallery (which opens once you click on on the time and date part on the high of the display) is dwelling to all of the accessible widgets, all you’ll want to do is drag them onto the Desktop and also you’re good to go.

Because of Continuity, you too can work together together with your iPhone widgets in your Mac desktop with out even having to put in these apps.

For those who’re nervous about litter, then Apple has considered that too, because the widgets fade within the background once you use different apps. As they’re clear on this mode, they’ll additionally slot in with any coloration scheme in your wallpaper.

Screensavers

Talking of the Desktop, Apple additionally improved the screensaver and wallpaper choices, providing high-definition pictures of attractive places from world wide. These pictures slowly journey throughout the panorama till settling right into a nonetheless picture once you open the Desktop. A easy addition, however a reasonably one.

Video conferencing upgrades

In case your video calls and conferences lack pizazz, then the brand new Presenter Overlay will spark issues up. It’s restricted to M1-powered (or later) Macs although, so bear that in thoughts. When you have the required {hardware} although, you possibly can select from two modes – giant and small – with the previous having you within the middle of the display, with any slides you create displayed behind you, however nonetheless in view. If you need extra give attention to the knowledge, then the small choice makes you a floating head that may be moved round to make sure the information you’re presenting is readable by the opposite individuals.

In the event that they like what you’re doing, then they’ll use a hand gesture to set off confetti, offer you a thumbs-up, or select from a variety of different celebratory animations.

Safari upgrades

Safari gained some further options in macOS Sonoma (though strictly talking, new Safari options may be loved on the present and former two variations of macOS as a result of Apple makes the Safari replace extra extensively accessible). The primary Safari replace was Profiles, which lets you arrange devoted environments, say work and residential, which have completely different extensions, search historical past, Tab Teams, cookies and favorites.

The model of Safari that arrived with macOS Sonoma additionally allowed you so as to add any web site to the Dock in order that it really works as an online app. This protects you from having to open Safari and go to the location. So as to add a webpage to the Dock simply go to the webpage after which click on on the Share icon and select Add to Dock. Simply click on the icon within the Dock and also you’ll be there in a flash.

PDFs and the Notes app

An AutoFill for PDFs function makes filling in PDFs even simpler because it suggests data out of your Contacts, equivalent to your tackle and telephone quantity. You may also view PDFs in Notes, in truth, you possibly can retailer a number of PDFs in a notice and navigate via them web page by web page.

One of many massive adjustments in Notes is which you can import notes into Pages to edit them, if you wish to flesh a notice out right into a full doc.

To edit a notice in Pages open the notice within the Notes app, click on on the share icon and select Open in Notes.

Sport Mode

For Mac players, the brand new Sport Mode will be sure that the Mac offers the sport CPU and GPU utilization precedence to ensure efficiency is pretty much as good as it may be. There’s additionally massively decreased latency for Bluetooth controllers and AirPods audio.

Different options

Apple additionally introduced enhancements and extra options to Messages, password sharing, autocorrect, safety and extra.

New options coming in macOS 15 Sequoia

With all the above already constructed into macOS, Apple has additionally introduced the next options that can be added in macOS Sequoia in late 2024.

Use your iPhone in your Mac

One of many standout options of macOS Sequoia, for Macs with M1 or later chips (or T2-equipped intel Macs), is iPhone Mirroring. That is the flexibility to function your iPhone straight from the Mac desktop. Utilizing the capabilities of Continuity (a function, first launched with Yosemite in 2014, that hyperlinks all of your Apple gadgets), you’ll be capable of open apps, test notifications, and switch information between Mac and iPhone with out having to select up your iPhone in any respect. It is possible for you to to work together together with your iPhone even should you’re sitting at your Mac within the subsequent room.

Home windows tiling

Bored with having to manually resize home windows once you’re working with a number of apps open? macOS Sequoia to the rescue with its new home windows tiling function. Now, once you drag a window to a facet on the display it can supply to routinely modify its dimensions to snap into 1 / 4 or half of the show. You may also obtain the identical organizational feat utilizing keyboard shortcuts. Stay up for having a neater Desktop.

Video conferencing enhancements

The place macOS Sonoma added Presenter Overlay, macOS Sequoia brings Presenter Preview. This exhibits the presenter what can be shared with others on a name earlier than they’ll see it.

There are additionally new background replacements that may disguise the state of your room. Apple says that its superior layering system ought to make the mixing of the pictures fairly seamless, so that you don’t get all of the fuzzy edges and artifacts that may usually be seen on Zoom calls.

These options aren’t restricted to FaceTime, it is possible for you to to make the most of them in different video conferencing apps.

Safari updates

Apple’s browser continues to enhance. Launching alongside macOS Sequoia can be a brand new Highlights function that pulls up crucial and related data on a webpage once you arrive (though you’ll want to have it set to U.S. English). Reader mode additionally will get a lift with a abstract displayed on the high of the web page, alongside a desk of contents you should utilize to navigate via the web page.

Plus, a devoted Video Viewer will allow you to take management of movies on internet pages.

As ordinary, the updates to Safari can be accessible for the earlier two variations of macOS, so Sonoma customers will nonetheless be capable of take pleasure in them.

Passwords app

As with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia introduces a brand new password supervisor app that allows you to manage your logins, passkeys, codes, and Wi-Fi particulars, all from a single interface in your Mac. All of them securely sync together with your different gadgets, so that you’ll all the time have the small print you want wherever you might be.

Apple has lengthy helped prospects handle all their passwords and login data in iCloud Keychain however 2024 is the yr that every one this data will turn into barely extra accessible in an app.

Gaming

Constructing on the foundations of the Sport Mode launched in macOS Sonoma, for these with Apple Silicon-powered Macs, Apple is promising the arrival of latest AAA titles that may be performed on the Mac. Murderer’s Creed Shadows, Management, Sniper Elite 4, and Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown are among the many headline video games that can be accessible within the Mac App Retailer within the coming months.

Messages

As with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, in macOS Sequoia you’ll have extra alternatives to format textual content in Messages – together with including varied enjoyable animations, further Tapback updates–together with the flexibility to react with any sticker or emoji, and the flexibility to schedule messages to exit at a later time or date.

Maps

macOS will acquire the identical Maps tweaks as iOS and iPadOS. For customers within the U.S., this implies new topographical maps of 63 nationwide parks–an actual boon for hikers. These embrace detailed path networks and paths so that you’ll be capable of discover the very best route in your strolling journey. You may also plot your individual should you’d somewhat strike out in a special course. No information but on when different nations will get topographical maps for their very own parks.

Notes

In macOS Sequoia the Notes app will acquire the flexibility to document audio notes and produce a transcription of what’s being mentioned (Apple Silicon solely).

There’s additionally a brand new Math Notes function that may clear up equations and different calculations in actual time, with computerized changes should you change any of the characters.

Highlights lastly come to Notes (glory be!), as does the flexibility to create a collapsible part that may maintain your format clear and manageable.

Different options

There are numerous different tweaks in macOS Sequoia, together with enhancements for the way AirPods work together together with your Mac, an replace to the Calendar that may deal with extra advanced expressions, a brand new Scene function in Freeform that you should utilize to maneuver via a doc, in addition to new sensible collections within the Images app.

For a radical breakdown of what Apple has dreamed up for Macs, check out our macOS Sequoia superguide.

What are the Apple Intelligence options in macOS 15 Sequoia?

Apple launched Apple Intelligence at WWDC, which is able to deliver a extra personalised AI expertise to Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. This consists of writing instruments that may assist enhance your textual content, rewrite it in different types, and summarise lengthy textual content in seconds.

There’s additionally the flexibility to create pictures utilizing AI, together with a strategy to create pictures primarily based in your contacts, so you possibly can ship family and friends personalised pictures of them dressed as superheroes, having fun with a birthday celebration, or in different eventualities.

There are additionally widespread enhancements to Siri, as Apple is bringing AI enchancment to its digital assistant. These enhancements embrace the incorporation of ChatGPT, though this can be protected by the brand new Non-public iCloud Compute that can forestall your information from being misused.

It needs to be famous that on account of {hardware} limitations, solely the next M-series Macs will be capable of use Apple Intelligence:

• iMac from 2021 and later
• Mac Professional from 2023
• Mac Studio from 2022 and later
• MacBook Air from late 2020 and later
• Mac mini from late 2020 and later
• MacBook Professional from late 2020 and later

Which Macs are appropriate with macOS Sequoia?

Right here’s the official listing of Macs that can get the Sequoia replace:

• iMac from 2019 and later
• Mac Professional from 2019 and later
• iMac Professional from 2017
• Mac Studio from 2022 and later
• MacBook Air from 2020 and later
• Mac mini from 2018 and later
• MacBook Professional from 2018 and later

What’s the distinction between macOS 14 and macOS 15?

Clearly, the AI-centric options of Apple Intelligence coming with Sequoia can be a major enhancement for Macs, however since they’re restricted to solely the newer Mac fashions, with Intel-powered Macs not noted, they aren’t the only motive to replace. In truth, when the Apple Clever options launch they’ll solely be in beta, so that is nonetheless a know-how in its infancy.

Fortunately, another spectacular options are coming in macOS Sequoia. The place macOS Sonoma introduced additions that helped personalize the Mac–together with screensavers, desktop widgets, and Safari Profiles–macOS Sequoia has a extra multi-device focus, with iPhone Mirroring and improved password integration via the Password app, there are additionally options like Home windows tiling for a extra tidy desktop and the gaming enhancements that needs to be a boon for gaming on the Mac.

It’s merely a bit extra and a bit higher, though the very best stuff is reserved for these with the most recent Macs.

Ought to I improve my Mac to run macOS 15 Sequoia?

It’s not often a problem upgrading the software program on a Mac, as Apple makes the method straightforward and infrequently painless. When you have an older Mac although, you might have to get a brand new mannequin with a purpose to run Sequoia, otherwise you could possibly run Sequoia, however not make the most of all macOS Sequoia’s standout options–equivalent to Apple Intelligence,  iPhone Mirroring and audio transcription in Notes–since all require not less than an M1 powered gadget.

When you have an M-series Mac, somewhat than an older Intel-powered mannequin, then macOS Sequoia ought to show a powerful improve that makes your Mac much more helpful than it’s already.

If you wish to improve your Mac to get all the brand new options in macOS Sequoia, remember to try our finest Apple offers web page to see should you can choose up a cut price, or check out our offers round-ups for every mannequin: