It's been almost 1 year since Apple released the latest version of macOS, and that means we're going to meet a sequel. 

If past launches are planned, Apple may announce the next version of macOS at the WWDC6 developer Conference on May 2024. But unlike last year's introduction of macOS Sonoma at WWDC, this time a lot of AI talks could be involved.

This is because competitors like Microsoft have driven AI hardware and capabilities strongly over the past 1 year, and the surge is showing no signs of slowing in the second half of 2024.  If anything, the recent debut of the new Windows11 laptop with Qualcomm's promising new Snapdragon X Plus or new AI-focused Copilot+ capabilities powered by Snapdragon X Elite chips has only amplified the AI craze that is currently driving the tech industry. 

So we still know what to call macOS 15 or what features it will bring to your MacBook, but what we will focus on

Apple's software release schedule is very reliable and will rarely change, so when to call macOS15? If the previous year about what you can meet yourself is a sign of something, Apple officially announced the MACOS2024 at WWDC15 and will explain all the new features with the appropriate name. YOU SHOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO WATCH IT AT HOME, AS APPLE HAS CONFIRMED THAT THE WWDC2024 KEYNOTE IS TAKING PLACE ON 6/10 AT 1PM ET/10AM PT.

Early beta versions for developers will be available at the same time, with a public beta likely to last for 7 months. If you are not familiar with installing and running beta software on your Mac, you may have to wait until the public release of macOS15 2024-9.

Every new macOS release leaves behind some older models of the MacBook, and the macOS15 may also remain the same. 

In fact, when there are many fancy AI features that require powerful hardware, such as the Apple M4 chip, more Macs than usual are scraped from the macOS15 compatibility list, so we speculate that the only Mac that supports macOS15 is the one with Apple silicon (aka M-Series chips) inside. This will be a big step, with the old Intel-powered iMac and iMac Pro finally removed from the list of Macs that are compatible with the latest version of macOS. The ongoing AI race could be a good excuse because older Intel chips don't have the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) available on all Apple M-series chips as part of the Neural Engine.

With that in mind, here are our predictions for what Macs will support macOS15:

The macOS15 will support Reports of the new features coming are very scarce this year, but we know what

First of all, it is expected that macOS15 will have a significant redesign of system settings and Siri, adding new settings to the menu, how they are arranged, etc. Siri is expected to have a visual redesign and better performance thanks to an upgrade that apple is believed to be enhancing Ajax generation AI.

We also expect a handful of other apps to get visual updates and new features focused on AI, including calculators, Notes, Safari and voice memo apps. Expect features like improved transcription, a better menu bar in Safari and a new math note feature that makes math notation easier to use in calculators.

But the most exciting thing we've heard is that Apple is planning to show off how good AI is on macOS. Apple chief Tim Cook has claimed that this year will "open new ground for generative AI" and that IOS18 is likely to make up the bulk of the AI features that will debut at WWDC2024.

This conjecture is based on reports that APPLE heard in WWDC2024 that APPLE was stepping up its acquisition and adoption of AI before the rumored Siri2.0 was revealed, as well as reports from Apple experts that Apple software chief Craig Federighi instructed Apple engineers to meet iOS18 "with features running in the company's large language model." It is corroborated by words from Mark Gurman (and Bloomberg reporter).I hope that the Mac will come with the feature as well.

Such new AI-powered features include a real chatbot, la Windows Copilot, which can be called to ask for help with questions and tasks. But apps like iMessage are likely to have more nuanced integration of AI-powered chatbots, with AI-generated suggested responses, or the ability to use AI to generate custom emojis on the fly.

We have also heard reports that it is working on AI-enhanced features such as automated photo editing, better voice message transcription, and more competent Spotlight search.

Such AI capabilities will almost certainly take advantage of the power of Apple's M-Series chips, but they may also be able to run on remote servers.

However, there have recently been reports that Apple's upcoming iOS18AI feature may have a "preview" label, which could mean that a similar label will be applied to the macOS15AI feature in the near future.

Little is known yet about apple's plans for the macOS15, but this is comparable to the course. New iOS features and updates tend to be leaked and talked about every year, months before WWDC, but Apple usually does a better job of keeping things mom about what's coming to macOS.

However, while predictions about expected features in macOS15 may be a bit off, there is no doubt that AI will be an important topic. EVEN IF APPLE FAILS TO SHOWCASE THE HARDWARE'S COMPELLING NEW AI-POWERED FEATURES AT WWDC2024, IT WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY HAVE TO RESPOND TO THE CLAIMS OF ITS COMPETITORS. In particular, Qualcomm says Snapdragon X Elite will speed up Apple's M3 chip by 28%, and Microsoft believes the Snapdragon X Elite laptop will surpass the MacBook Air M3 in performance tests. 

And while these chest-beating moments were somewhat underestimated by Apple's release of an even more powerful M4 chip just before Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chip was announced, the fact that the M4 is only available on the new iPad Pro2024 remains. If you're a Mac user, the Apple M3 chip is currently the most powerful chip you can get even the best Macbook. 

As competition breaks down the performance barriers that separate Macbook and Windows laptops, Apple may feel pressured to demonstrate AI features and capabilities that are only possible on macOS. We have to wait until we attend WWDC2024 — stay tuned.