MacOS Sonoma: Will Your Mac Support It?
Apple's latest operating system announced at WWDC has many new features, but you'll need a fairly recent Mac to run it.
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MacOS Sonoma will not be compatible with older computers.
Apple unveiled its newest operating system for the Mac, MacOS Sonoma, today at its annual WWDC. While it features a host of new updates like video screensavers and more customizable widgets, not every Mac will get to take advantage of these offerings.
No Macs dating from 2016 or older make the cut to run Sonoma and only one from 2017 -- the iMac Pro -- gets over the line. Otherwise, you'll need a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro or Mac Mini from 2018 or newer, or an iMac or Mac Pro from 2019 or newer in order to take advantage of Apple's newest features. The Mac Studio, which was just released last year, will also be eligible for MacOS Sonoma.
Apple generally offers software support to its Mac lineup for approximately six or seven years, though this year only one seven-year-old product -- the iMac Pro -- is eligible. Those with older Macs might not be able to upgrade to the latest software, but will still be able to use the current version of MacOS for a while longer. Eventually, all Macs become what Apple terms "obsolete," at which point Apple will no longer carry parts or offer service for the device.
Here are the devices that will support MacOS Sonoma:
- iMac, 2019 and later
- iMac Pro, 2017
- MacBook Air, 2018 and later
- MacBook Pro, 2018 and later
- Mac Pro, 2019 and later
- Mac Studio, 2022 and later
- Mac Mini, 2018 and later
The software will be available for public beta starting next month, with a full release this fall.
See all the announcements from Apple's developer conference, WWDC 2023.