Apple’s latest Mac mini and Mac Studio models are reportedly set to ship with macOS Golden Gate, rather than macOS Tahoe.
The upcoming software appears to be mentioned on the product pages for both new Macs, giving us an early indication that Apple plans to have its next-generation operating system ready before the computers arrive.
According to Daring Fireball’s John Gruber, the new Mac mini and Mac Studio are “slated to ship” with macOS Golden Gate. Apple’s product pages already reference features coming with the next version of macOS, including Siri AI, further suggesting that the software will be installed on the machines from launch.
Apple itself also refers to the upcoming operating system in its announcement for the new Mac mini, saying that the computer will launch with “the upcoming macOS 27”. The company highlights Siri AI, Apple Intelligence features and improvements designed to make the Mac more responsive and reliable.
There’s some additional evidence behind the claim, too. FCC documents and other findings reported by MacRumors reportedly point towards macOS Golden Gate being pre-installed on the new Macs.
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That also gives us a fairly narrow window for when Apple needs to release the software. Apple says the new Mac mini and Mac Studio will be released on Tuesday, September 22, meaning macOS Golden Gate would need to arrive before then if customers are to receive the machines with the new operating system already installed.
Apple hasn’t confirmed an exact release date for macOS Golden Gate yet, but its previous release patterns provide a reasonable clue. The software could arrive during the week beginning Monday, September 14, giving Apple enough time to get it onto the new Macs before they start shipping.
For existing Mac owners, this means the launch of Apple’s latest hardware could also mark the arrival of the next major macOS update. However, Apple has yet to officially confirm the release date, so we’ll have to wait for further details before treating that timing as final.
Opinion
it seemed odd that Apple announced these new Macs, and then said it wouldn’t ship them until late next month.
However, this makes a lot more sense now. Apple probably also wants to get these out (at least the official launch of them) before the real fun stuff starts to arrive, like the firxt foldable iPhone.