Apple unveils macOS Sonoma, discover the main novelties
On the sidelines of the formalization of the 15-inch MacBook Air M2, Mac Pro under M2 Ultra and Vision Pro, Apple presented the new version of macOS called Sonoma. Available in beta in July 2023 and in final version during the fall, MacOS Sonoma benefits from many innovations brought to iPhones with iOS 16 and iOS 17. Here are the main features that will arrive on your Mac in the coming months.
While Windows 11 enjoys improvements throughout the year, macOS has long since caught up with the pace of iOS updates. A big update once a year and some corrective updates from time to time. Thus, during each edition of the WWDC, a new version of macOS is presented at the same time as that of iOS, iPadOS 17, tvOS and watchOS. And this was the case this evening, during the opening keynote of the 2023 edition of the Apple conference dedicated to developers.
Read also – Apple launches a MacBook Air with M2 and giant screen of 15 inches at 1599 €
Fortunately, standardization does not affect all aspects of macOS. Unlike Android, the laptop and desktop operating system retains the right to have an official nickname for each version. macOS Venturaannounced in 2022, is therefore replaced in 2023 by macOS Sonoma. This future version of the operating system will arrive on all compatible Macs in July in beta version and this fall in public version. Of course, Apple took advantage of this induction to lift the veil on some new features.
MacOS Sonoma handles widgets much better
The main one concerns the widgets. They’re coming to macOS the same way they came to iPadOS this year. Even now, the widgets are confined to the side menu that you reveal by sliding two fingers from the right side towards the center of the trackpad. With Sonoma, you can drag them onto the workspace, wherever you want. Installed on your desktop, widgets become semi-transparent when an application partially hides them, so that the user can focus on it. Sonoma is not only compatible with native macOS widgets (and those that developers will create), but also with those of iOS and iPadOS, thanks to Continuity.
The other novelty is Game Mode. Even though the Mac game library is improving considerably, macOS is still not an operating system that appeals to gamers and developers who prefer Windows. Apple wants to attract this ecosystem to the Mac thanks to Game Mode, a set of tools that will adapt the performance of Macs when a game is launched. Performance of the CPU, the GPU, but also of the Bluetooth connection with the Xbox and PS5 controllers. Additionally, Apple promotes Metal 3, the latest version of its engine. To convince of this goodwill, Apple invited Hideo Kojima to his keynote. The famous Japanese designer has announced the arrival of Death Stranding Director’s Cut on macOS and promises that all future games from Kojima Productions will come to Mac. Fifteen AAA games, including Stray, have also been announced.
MacOS Sonoma turns any website into an app
Last important novelty announced: the Web Apps. With Sonoma, it is possible to transform a website into an “application” thanks to Safari. The principle is simple: the system encapsulates the website in a Safari browser and isolates it. Once created, the Web App behaves like any other application: you can place it in the Dock, its window appears in Stage Manager, etc. And when you launch it, it opens like a normal app. But you don’t have to install anything. This is handy for keeping track of a web service that you use often.
There are many other new features in MacOS Sonoma: animated screensavers (like Apple TV), Safari profiles, videoconference overlays (FaceTime, Zoom, Teams and Webex compatible), native forms support PDFthe compatibility of Messages with decalsthe integration of a new automatic corrector (also seen in iOS), etc.
MacOS Sonoma will be compatible with all of the following Macs:
- iMac from 2019
- iMac Pro from 2017
- MacBook Air from 2018
- MacBook Pro from 2018
- Mac Pro from 2019
- Mac Studio from 2022
- Mac mini from 2018.
