Golden Gate supports many Mac models, but it’s the end of the line for Intel machines.
The latest version of macOS, called Golden Gate, is finally here. Unfortunately, macOS 27 is not an update available to all MacBook users. Depending on the age of your computer, you might be stuck with macOS 26 Tahoe indefinitely. However, that doesn’t mean that some older MacBook models are no longer worth the investment – it depends on the specific chipset inside.
Golden Gate introduces several new features and improvements to your Mac, perhaps the biggest of which is an AI-centric overhaul of Siri aimed at making the digital assistant more useful in everyday tasks. Other changes include more customizable (and in theory less controversial) Liquid Glass, AI photo editing tools, automatic tab organization in Safari, general performance improvements, and much more. You may need to free up space for macOS 27, which takes up a lot more space than Tahoe, that is if your device can run the operating system.
MacBook models that don’t support macOS 27
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Golden Gate draws the line at the start of the Apple silicon era, so if your Mac uses an Intel chip, macOS 27 is incompatible across the board. Generally, this means that if your MacBook is from 2021 or later, you are ready to upgrade your operating system. There are a few exceptions for the 2020 version: the M1 chip versions of the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air can also run Golden Gate.
If you’re not sure what you have, click the Apple menu at the top left of the screen and choose About this Mac. If you see Chip followed by an M series processor like M3you are on Apple silicon. Intel Macs will instead say Processorfollowed by a CPU model like Intel Core i5.
This discontinuation of support comes as no surprise, given that the Mac transition from Intel hardware has been in the works since 2020. While the change may have been triggered by a desire for more in-house technology, according to a former Intel engineer, it may also have been due to increasingly poor quality assurance with Intel’s Skylake line. As inconvenient as it may be for those with older MacBooks, Golden Gate being the first version of macOS made entirely of Apple silicon is just the latest step in this transition.
If Apple’s recent support delays continue, macOS Tahoe will receive two more years of security updates, so those with an Intel Mac will be covered until September 2028. At that point, it will be time to upgrade. Aside from six-year-old computers getting the latest software update, it’s safe to say that Apple’s older hardware support has been solid.
