macOS Sequoia to be released with iOS 18 next month; M4 Macs ‘coming later’

Macworld

The next major update of the Mac operating system could be coming sooner than expected. According to a report by MacRumors, Apple will release macOS Sequoia in mid-September and it will be released at the same time as iOS 18.

Apple usually ships the next major version of iOS in September following its iPhone announcement event and before the new iPhones are officially released. In recent years, macOS has been released after iOS, sometimes a week or two after iOS or as late as November. Last year, Apple released macOS Sonoma on September 26, eight days after iOS 17.

The beta cycle for macOS lends credence to MacRumors’ report. Currently at developer beta 7/public beta 5, the Sequoia beta releases have coincided with the iOS 18 betas. In the past, the macOS betas fell behind the iOS betas, which eventually led to a later macOS release date.

Update 11:45 a.m. PT: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple will hold an iPhone event on September 10, with M4 Macs “coming later.” If new Macs are coming in the latter part of September or early October, it solidifies the chances of Sequoia being released at the same time as iOS 18.

NEW: Apple targets Sept. 10 debut for new iPhones, Apple Watches and AirPods. M4 Macs are coming later. Details on what to expect at the event here: https://t.co/w4OSDO6nd5— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) August 23, 2024

While the release of macOS Sequoia is imminent, users don’t need to install it right away. Users may want to wait until a 15.1 release becomes available to avoid early bugs and issues.

The marquee new feature of macOS Sequoia is iPhone Mirroring, where users can directly access a connected iPhone on a Mac. With a concurrent iOS 18 and Sequoia release, this feature will be available immediately (iOS 18 is required). Other features include window tiling, video conferencing enhancements, Safari improvements including Distraction Control, a new Passwords manager app, and more.

Apple Intelligence, Apple’s set of AI-based features, will be available in macOS Sequoia but it will not be available at the initial September release. Apple plans to release Apple Intelligence features through updates over the next few months.

Learn more about the next major Mac operating system in our macOS Sequoia superguide.