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macOS 27 Top Features: much more than just Siri AI [Video]
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Although Apple’s revamped personal assistant is no doubt the headlining feature in macOS 27 Golden Gate, there are many other new features and refinements in this year’s update that don’t involve Siri AI. Read our post as I cherry-pick a few of my favorite new macOS 27 updates, and be sure to watch our video as I walk through them all.
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macOS 27 changes almost all of the built-in app icons in some way, with a few icons like Siri, Preview, and Chess undergoing complete redesigns. Other app icons, like Finder, Photos, and Reminders, also receive noticeable revamps, with a trend toward emphasizing the Liquid Glass design language. Few app icons were spared changes in macOS Golden Gate, but many of the updates are subtle.
If you watch my video below, you’ll see slider comparisons showing how each app icon looked in macOS Tahoe and how it now looks in macOS Golden Gate.
Some of the updates, like the Photos app, I’m a fan of. Other updates, like Finder, I’m not fully sold on. Let me know what you think about the app icon changes down below in the comments.
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One of the coolest things about macOS 27 is its broad support for HDR across the OS’s visuals. Icons, toolbars, and other parts of the Liquid Glass design language gain support for additional dynamic range that users of HDR-capable displays will immediately notice.
To identify which elements have additional dynamic range, you can use macOS’ built-in Digital Color Meter utility to see where shadows or highlights clip while viewing native SDR values. Be sure to watch my video as I explore various areas of the OS to show HDR support.
If you’re a Studio Display XDR user, you’ve no doubt seen the differences, but even if you haven’t ponied up for Apple’s most expensive display, you’ll still be able to enjoy the benefits on a third-party display that supports HDR.
I recently went hands-on with Asus’ ProArt QD-OLED 32-inch 4K display, and, given the panel technology, the HDR effects throughout the OS stood out. Unlike Apple’s first-party displays with Extended Dynamic Range support, you’ll need to venture into Settings > Displays and enable the High Dynamic Range toggle to enjoy the benefits.