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The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple’s annual developer and software-focused conference, is just a week away. We heard very little about macOS 13 prior to its announcement this year, so we could be in for some big surprises on June 6th. Here’s what we know so far about the next version of Apple’s Mac operating system.
macOS 13 name?
Every year on the way to WWDC, many Mac fans wonder what name Apple will choose for the next version of macOS. The tradition stretches back to the early days of Mac OS X with its big cat names, and then Apple switched to Calfornia-themed names in 2013 with the unveiling of OS X Mavericks.
Back in the early days after OS X Mavericks debuted, we discovered a total of over 20 California-themed trademark applications filed by various limited liability companies that were almost certainly shell companies set up by Apple to protect its identity to hide.
Over time, some of the brands like Yosemite, Sierra, Mojave, and Monterey were actually used by Apple for its major updates to the Mac operating system, while trademark applications for almost all other names were abandoned, such as: B. Rincon, Redwood, Pacific , and Skyline.
Apart from mammoth, that is. Mammoth is likely related to Mammoth Lakes and Mammoth Mountain, a popular area for skiing and hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The name’s trademark application was granted in March 2019, and since then, applications for life extensions have been approved five times, most recently in November 2021. That seems to indicate that Apple could announce macOS 13 Mammoth at WWDC next week.
compatibility
With Apple nearly completing its two-year Mac move from Intel to Apple chips, the company’s future macOS development is now firmly focused on extracting as much performance and efficiency as possible from its custom processors.
However, Apple needs to ensure that macOS will continue to support Intel-powered Macs for a number of years, so it’s possible that macOS 13 will be compatible with a similar lineup of Macs as macOS Monterey supports:
- iMac – Late 2015 and later
- iMac Pro – 2017 and later
- “MacBook Air” – Early 2015 and later
- MacBook Pro – Early 2015 and later
- Mac Pro – Late 2013 and later
- Mac mini – Late 2014 and later
- MacBook – Early 2016 and later
It’s important to remember that there are several features in macOS 12 that are only available for machines powered by Apple silicon chips, so there’s a good chance macOS 13 could be the same.
Rumored new features
Well connected Bloomberg Journalist Mark Gurman has claimed that macOS 13 will come with overhauled System Preferences to better align with the Settings app on iPhone and iPad, including individual preferences organized by app.
Gurman also thinks we’ll see redesigns for other stock apps, putting updates to Mail, Notes, Reminders, Podcasts, Safari, Messages, Music, and more in competition.
Otherwise, there have been few rumors about macOS 13 from reliable sources. Some have interpreted this as an indication that Apple has spent more time tweaking and fixing bugs in the macOS code for its latest Apple Silicon Macs, but we won’t know for sure until the company releases the new version of its long-lived operating system featured below at WWDC next week.
Other possible functions
Last year, macOS Monterey shared several new innovations with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, including new features in Messages and FaceTime, SharePlay, Live Text, and Visual Lookup, along with a dedicated Shortcuts app for Mac.
Based on that, what can we glean from this year’s iOS 16 rumors? Actually not much. Early versions of iOS have been leaked over the past few years, giving us a pretty good idea of what to expect. That’s not the case this year, and we only have a few details on what might be in iOS 16.
According to Gurman, the Messages app in iOS 16 will likely get “more social media-like features, particularly in regards to audio messaging,” so this could find its way into the Messages app for macOS 13.
Apple is also rumored to be planning major improvements to the iOS lock screen, including wallpapers with “widget-like abilities.” Lock screen improvements will likely be exclusive to iPhone and iPad, but there’s room for improved Mac widgets. Widgets in macOS are currently in the Slide-Away Notifications Center, but some users are yearning for widgets with more flexibility, e.g. B. the possibility to move them on the desktop or to keep them permanently in view.
Apple is also said to be developing an optional dedicated Apple Music iOS app for classical music. Whether this will also be a separate app in macOS or part of a (some say much-needed) overhaul of the Music app is currently unknown.
release date
Apple usually shows off its next-generation operating system for Macs during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in early June in San Jose, California, and releases the first developer betas shortly after the event. iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9 and tvOS 16 are expected to be released in September, followed by macOS 13 in October.
What would you like to see in macOS 13?
What new features or improvements would you like to see in the next version of Apple’s Mac operating system? Let us know in the comments.
