On stage at the WWDC 2021, Apple announced MacOS Monterey, the newest version of the Macintosh operating system for MacBooks, iMacs, and Mac Mini devices.
Available as a free update on the Apple App Store on most Macs later this fall, the release builds on the redesign introduced in 2020 with MacOS Big Sur. Last year’s update was all about new visuals and support for the new M1 architecture, and this one adds some more productivity refinements to the overall MacOS experience.
Some examples of these new productivity features include support for SharePlay, a new Focus Mode that will sync across devices, and support for Quick Note, all as seen on iPad OS 15.
More importantly, though, Apple is also introducing more continuity experiences to better sync up Mac machines with iPad and iPhones. The first is called Universal Control. With this, you can use one mouse and keyboard across multiple MacOS and iPadOS devices as a single experience. You can even drag and drop files across devices.
The other new feature is AirPlay to Mac. With the feature, you can cast audio or video from an iPhone or an iPad to a Mac without the need for an AirPlay server.
The latest MacOS release also brings a new Safari release with a new tab design and Tab Groups feature. Both are designed to better clean up your tab bar and sync up your tabs for later across devices. Apple also says that Safari is “the world’s fastest browser” and promises that users can see up to 17 hours of browsing on M1 Macbooks.
Other new features coming in MacOS Monterey include an enhanced Shortcuts experience. Shortcuts will have a rich library of prebuilt shortcuts just for Macs. Apple says it is the start of a “multiyear transition” designed to move users away from the classic Automater app, though it will continue to be supported.
Developers can preview MacOS Monterey through the Apple Developer Program today. Everyone else can expect a public beta program in July, and then an official public launch in the fall after beta testing has been completed.
This story is breaking and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.