This week at WWDC 2020, Apple introduced macOS Big Sur – which is now macOS 11.0 as Apple felt it has made a big leap since the last version of macOS, Catalina.
Design
With the design of macOS Big Sur, Apple has taken some cues and inspiration from iPadOS and iOS with a new redesigned collection of icons, iOS-like control centre and much more. Apple has used more translucency in the dock, menu bar and within the apps themselves – which harks back to the days of OS X with Aqua in 2001. Everything has been rounded too, UI elements, windows and the dock too.
Widgets from iOS 14 have been carried over too with same design language.
Safari
Safari
Messages
Maps
Will my Mac run macOS Big Sur?
While iOS and iPadOS is supporting the same devices as last year, macOS Big Sur won’t be compatible with a selection of Macs from 2012 and 2013 that can run macOS Catalina currently.
macOS Big Sur can run on;
- MacBook 2015 and later
- MacBook Air 2013 and later
- MacBook Pro 2013 and later
- iMac 2014 and later
- iMac Pro
- Mac mini 2014 and later
- Mac Pro 2013 and later
This means the following won’t be able to run macOS Big Sur, that can run macOS Catalina
- MacBook Pro 2012 and Early 2013
- MacBook Air 2012
- iMac 2012 and 2013
- Mac mini 2012
