Apple Ends Intel Era with macOS 27 Golden Gate Release

Apple has officially unveiled macOS 27, codenamed Golden Gate, marking the definitive end of the Intel era for the Mac. The new operating system is the first version of macOS to run exclusively on Apple Silicon, effectively dropping support for all remaining Intel-based hardware. This transition leaves several popular models behind, including the 2019 Mac Pro and the 2020 27-inch iMac, which were the last Intel machines supported by the previous macOS 26 Tahoe release.

The shift to an Apple Silicon-only architecture allows macOS 27 Golden Gate to integrate deeper artificial intelligence capabilities. Apple has introduced a new three-tier Siri architecture that leverages Google Gemini alongside Apple's own Private Cloud Compute. However, these advanced AI features come with strict hardware requirements. To access the full suite of on-device reasoning and Gemini-backed Siri functions, users must have a Mac equipped with an M3 chip or newer and at least 12GB of RAM.

Beyond the internal changes, macOS 27 Golden Gate introduces a visual overhaul known as Liquid Glass. This design refresh focuses on transparency and depth, featuring new sliders that allow users to customize the level of translucency across the interface. While the OS still includes Rosetta 2 to run legacy Intel applications, Apple has confirmed that this is the final version to support the translation layer. Rosetta 2 is scheduled for complete removal in next year's major update, macOS 28.

Power users will also note the complete removal of Boot Camp. The utility, which allowed Intel Mac owners to run Windows natively, is no longer part of the operating system. This change reinforces Apple's commitment to its own chip architecture and the virtualization-based approach for running alternative operating systems on modern Macs. As of 2026-06-10, the first beta of the software is available for developers, with a public release expected later this year.

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