O'Grady's PowerPage

  • macOS 27, and future operating systems will require an Apple Silicon-based Mac to run

    macOS 27, and future operating systems will require an Apple Silicon-based Mac to run

    You’re going to have to upgrade to an Apple Silicon-based Mac from 2020 on if you want to run Apple’s upcoming macOS 27 operating system.

    During its Platforms State of the Union segment at WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that macOS 26 Tahoe is the final major macOS version for Intel-based Macs.

    macOS 27 and beyond will only be compatible with Apple Silicon Macs, meaning that you will need a Mac with an M-series chip or a MacBook Neo with an A18 Pro chip in order to install the software update. macOS 27 should be available in beta starting in June, and the update will likely be widely released in September.

    macOS Tahoe is compatible with the following Macs:

    • MacBook Neo (2026)
    • MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
    • MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
    • MacBook Pro (16‑inch, 2019)
    • MacBook Pro (13‑inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
    • iMac (2020 and later)
    • Mac mini (2020 and later)
    • Mac Studio (2022 and later)
    • Mac Pro (2019 and later)

    Intel-based Macs that can run macOS Tahoe but will be incompatible with macOS 27 include the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019), the 27-inch iMac (2020), the 13-inch MacBook Pro (2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports), and the Mac Pro (2019).

    The exact compatibility chart between the hardware and the operating systems has yet to be released, but it’s thought that macOS 27 will support all Macs with an M1 chip or newer.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and support.apple.com

  • Rumor: Apple sends some of its engineering development team to AI bootcamp, restructres larger team for Siri overhaul

    Rumor: Apple sends some of its engineering development team to AI bootcamp, restructres larger team for Siri overhaul

    Apple is apparently sending a large portion of its Siri engineer base to a multi-week bootcamp to learn to code using AI.

    Per The Information, Apple’s decision to teach its programmers to better use AI for coding comes just two months before Apple is expected to unveil a smarter, more capable version of Siri at WWDC.

    While a number of employees are attending the bootcamp, it’s said that around 60 members of the Siri development team will remain on hand to work on Siri, while an additional 60 engineers will evaluate how Siri is performing. It’s thought that this will be to test that Siri is meeting its safety standards and is able to interpret and execute commands from users.

    It’s also rumored that while coding with AI is becoming the standard, Apple’s ‌Siri‌ team apparently isn’t taking full advantage of AI coding tools. It’s been noted that some teams within Apple have allocated large parts of their budgets to Claude Code, but the ‌Siri‌ team has a “reputation as a laggard inside Apple.” The criticism may not be unfounded, as the Siri team was unable to produce the Apple Intelligence of Siri that was slated to debut with iOS 18, which led to an organizational shakeup. Apple replaced AI chief John Giannandrea, who stepped down from his position in late 2025 and is set to retire this week following the final vesting of his stock on April 15.

    In the meantime, Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi took over and is overseeing the company’s AI development, while Mike Rockwell, who developed the Vision Pro, has become the Siri team lead. Under Federighi, Apple inked a deal with Google that will see ‌Siri‌ and other AI features powered by Google’s Gemini models.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and The Information

  • Some users report crashes and bugs following watchOS 8.8.2 update

    Some users report crashes and bugs following watchOS 8.8.2 update

    About three weeks ago, Apple quietly released updates for its older watchOS 5 and watchOS 8 operating systems. The updates featured renewed security certificates and enabled iMessage and FaceTime to carry on working.

    Unfortunately, a number of users across various channels have reported that the watchOS 8.8.2 update is causing problems with their Apple Watches. The most common issue appears to be an inability to install apps. Even Apple’s own apps, such as Maps and Weather, have experienced issues.

    Other users have reported random crashing and pairing issues, and one affected user was forced to shut their Apple Watch down, despite its battery being at a healthy 80 percent charge. Several users who’ve unpaired their Apple Watch and then paired it again have reported that this fix is less effective and that the connection sometimes fails.

    At present, there’s no permanent solution to the crashes or app installation issues, and a number of users stated they’ve contacted Apple Support, but this hasn’t led to a fix or explanation of the issue. It’s also difficult to revert back to a previous version of the operating system, which only makes the situation that much more difficult.

    Please let us know if you’ve experienced these issues from your end in the comments.

    Via Macworld, discussions.apple.com, and Reddit

  • Rumor: Next-gen iPad Air tablets to incorporate OLED panels later this year/early next year

    Rumor: Next-gen iPad Air tablets to incorporate OLED panels later this year/early next year

    Apple’s iPad Air tablets could gain access to OLED displays a bit earlier than expected.

    Citing industry sources, Korea’s ET News has stated that Samsung Display will begin mass production of OLED panels around the end of 2026 or January next year, with a view to supplying panels for Apple’s next iPad Air, expected to be released in early 2027. Apple last updated the iPad Air in March 2026 with an M4 chip.

    The current iPad Pro models incorporate OLED displays, while the iPad Air units still use the more affordable LCD displays, which Apple has dubbed the “Liquid Retina” displays. These displays do not support 120Hz ProMotion display technology and are limited to 60Hz refresh rates.

    OLED panels individually control each pixel, resulting in more precise color reproduction and deeper blacks compared to LCD. They also provide superior contrast, faster response times, better viewing angles, and greater design flexibility.

    The OLED display, in turn, feature two-stack low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED panels‌, while the iPad Air‌ is expected to use single-stack low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panels. This would indicate that the displays may be dimmer and continue to lack ProMotion.

    Rumors have also circulated that Apple is planning to transition its iPad mini displays from LCD to OLED, with reports hinting that the iPad mini 8 will adopt OLED later this year, albeit using the same cheaper single-stack LTPS panel.

    Once the iPad mini and iPad Air receive the display upgrade, the entry-level iPad will be the only model in Apple’s tablet lineup without an OLED panel.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and ET News