macOS 27 Golden Gate review: AI is unavoidable, Intel Macs are not

The integration of Apple Intelligence is described as unavoidable, with the AI models downloading to the disk upon installation and no longer offering an option to disable them. This deep integration is a core aspect of the Golden Gate release, influencing its marketing, features, and hardware requirements.

Beyond the AI enhancements, Golden Gate also brings a series of incremental improvements and under-the-hood optimizations aimed at making common tasks faster and more reliable. It addresses some of the design choices from the previous macOS 26 Tahoe release.

For users with older Intel Macs, support for macOS 26 Tahoe and macOS 15 Sequoia will continue until their respective end-of-support dates in 2027 and 2028. For Macs older than that, options include running unsupported versions of macOS, with limited browser support, or exploring alternative operating systems like Linux, though support for T2 chip-equipped Macs can be inconsistent. Running Windows via Boot Camp is also an option, but its security updates are diminishing.