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.

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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

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