macOS High Sierra is coming.
macOS 10.13, also known as macOS 10.13 High Sierra, was announced today at WWDC, complete with Apple executive Craig Federighi highlighting the following changes:
Safari: Apple benchmarked a new version of Safari, which offered 80 percent better performance on modern JavaScript, blocking of auto-play videos and Intelligent Tracking Prevention using machine learning to identify trackers and segregate cross-site traffic monitors.
Mail: The new Mail application includes a new composition screen, and 35 percent less space to store mail boxes.
Photos: The new Photos program has a new view, including a chronological display, and new filtration mechanisms. Metadata including categorization are automatically synchronized across devices.
In addition, new editing tools have been added including selective color modification, curve changes, and all edits synchronized from Photoshop or Pixelmator back to the photo library.
Apple stated that it has opened up its printed photos to third parties, but didn’t share details as to what was involved with this.
APFS coming to macOS: Apple will be switching its new default file system to APFS, which offered a nearly instantaneous copy in a demo and was designed around Flash and SSD storage. The new architecture has also been designed with encryption as a primary feature.
Migration of H.264 to H.265/HEVC: Apple is adding macOS-level support for H.265 and HEVC. The updated MacBook, MacBook Pro and other new hardware will also feature hardware decoding support for H.265, but all High Sierra compatible machines will support the codec.
Metal: The new Metal 2 application programming interface support driver optimizations, and apple claims that it brings up to a 10 times better draw call throughput. More bugging tools are now available, and the Mac Window Server has been migrated to Metal as well. Federighi also noted that Metal uses deep learning, which will continue in High Sierra. Metal 2 will also use Thunderbolt 3 external enclosures for high performance video cards officially in macOS. A developer kit will be made available with an AMD GPU, with the capability ultimately being brought to all users.
Virtual reality, and augmented reality: Apple will use Metal to help develop augmented reality applications and Apple is working with Steam, Epic with the Unreal Agency, and Unity to bring their VR platforms to macOS.
A developers preview of High Sierra is available today and Apple will release a beta later in the month for the developer community. Any computer that supports Sierra will run High Sierra.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors