Apple unveiled macOS 27 Golden Gate, the final Mac OS to support Intel hardware. The update restricts installation to devices with M‑series or the new A‑series chips. It adds a standalone Siri AI app and expanded Apple Intelligence that reads screen content. The shift ends a decade‑long transition that began when Apple launched its first silicon chips in 2020.

The new Siri app lands on any Mac equipped with an M1 processor or newer, as well as the MacBook Neo powered by the A18 Pro. More advanced on‑device Apple Intelligence—personal context, system‑wide app integration and Visual Intelligence—requires an M3 chip with at least 12 GB of unified memory, unlocking deeper prompt handling and UI customization. These capabilities let developers embed contextual shortcuts into their apps.

Golden Gate also promises system‑level speed bumps: AirDrop transfers complete faster, file browsing feels snappier, and Safari pages load quicker. Visually, Apple scales down its Liquid Glass motif, adding a slider to adjust opacity across toolbars and menus, and confirms support for 5K/120Hz ultrawide panels. Developer beta begins today, public testing follows in July, with a September ship.