Apple's Upcoming macOS 26 Could Be Bad News For Owners Of Older Models
Apple's WWDC event nears as we move onto the second half of 2025, and we await our first look at the upcoming versions of its myriad operating systems. Following recent developments, it looks like iOS will be skipping version 19 – at least in terms of the numerical value — in favor of streamlining the naming scheme. In addition to iOS 26, we are likely to see corresponding OS updates for the Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV aligning with the upcoming calendar year — giving us macOS 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26, respectively.
MacOS 26 is also rumored to get a design overhaul, akin to the rumored visionOS-style iOS revamp. Apple has also been pushing hard on the AI front, so you can expect to see a few more Apple Intelligence features sprinkled in on compatible Macs with the upcoming release.
Following a recent report by Apple Insider, however, it seems like the next version of macOS might drop support for a few Mac devices. The speculated list mentions that the 2017 iMac Pro, the 2018 MacBook Pro and Mac mini, and the 2020 Intel MacBook Air, all, will likely not receive the macOS 26 update. On closer inspection, it looks like Apple is gradually dropping software support for its older Intel-based Macs — which is not totally unexpected given that we're already in the fifth iteration of the reimagined M-series Mac lineup.
Which Macs will be compatible with macOS 26?
Apple devices are praised globally for their longevity, and this comes directly as a result of them being supported by the latest software updates for a much longer time than the competition. In a realm where many Android phones lag behind an OS iteration or two, iPhones not only receive the latest version of iOS for longer, but do so on day one of the update's release. Macs are no different, with support for macOS 15 Sequoia dating as far back as the 2017 iMac Pro.
According to the tip, it looks like the 2019 MacBook Pro and 2020 5K iMac models will still receive the macOS 26 update. Here's the speculated compatibility list for macOS 26:
- MacBook Pro 2019 and newer
- Mac Pro 2019 and newer
- MacBook Air M1 and newer
- Mac Mini M1 and newer
- Mac Studio (all models)
- iMac 2020 and newer
You can find your Mac's serial number and model through the System Settings app. If the rumored overhaul is indeed true, macOS 26 might be a considerably big update — both visually, and in terms of functionality. In case you've been holding off your laptop upgrade, our review of the MacBook Air M4 details why it's a solid machine for anyone looking to get the latest from Apple.