macOS 27 Golden Gate Ends Intel Support as Apple Chases 1 Billion-User AI Era
Updated
Updated · MacStories · Sep 14
macOS 27 Golden Gate Ends Intel Support as Apple Chases 1 Billion-User AI Era
1 articles · Updated · MacStories · Sep 14
Summary
macOS 27 Golden Gate closes Apple’s Apple-silicon transition by dropping support for Intel-based Macs, a milestone arriving alongside a broader reset of the Mac platform.
Two years after Apple launched Apple silicon and after WWDC 2024 AI promises, the release is framed around three jobs: finish the chip transition, deliver Apple Intelligence commitments, and tighten the Liquid Glass redesign.
Apple enters that push with mixed advantages in AI: unified memory and macOS’s UNIX foundation suit local LLM work, but AI-driven demand has stretched Mac wait times into weeks or months and pushed prices higher.
The pressure extends beyond hardware supply, with hundreds of employees drawn into the AI talent war and a trade-secrets lawsuit against OpenAI involving former Apple staff working on AI hardware.
Golden Gate lands as Apple navigates a turbulent handoff from Tim Cook to John Ternus, making the update a test of whether the Mac can turn Apple’s hardware lead into a stronger AI position.