Apple announced the new macOS Monterey at the WWDC 2021 alongside iOS 15, iPadOS 15. The new Mac operating system comes with a bunch of new features, including Universal Control, AirPlay, etc. Some of the newly-introduced macOS features would not work with some older MacBook models. Apple states that some macOS features require an M1 chip, which is only found on some laptops and desktops introduced in late 2021. These include the M1 MacBook Pro, M1 MacBook Air, iMac 24-inch, and the M1 Mac mini. What features will other Mac users miss out on and why? Here’s everything we know.
You can’t have these macOS Monterey features if you don’t have an M1 Mac
Apple states that select Mac models will not get some of the new macOS Monterey features. The Mac models are mostly the ones that feature an Intel chip. Apple stated that some of the features coming with the new macOS update will run on a Mac with an M1 chip. Currently, there are only four Mac models that come with the new Apple silicon. These are the M1 MacBook Pro, M1 MacBook Air, iMac 24-inch, and the M1 Mac mini. Other Mac devices running on Intel-based chips will not get the following features, according to MacRumors.
- Portrait Mode blurred backgrounds in FaceTime videos
- Live Text for copying and pasting, looking up, or translating text within photos
- An interactive 3D globe of Earth in the Maps app
- More detailed maps in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and London in the Maps app
- Text-to-speech in more languages, including Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Finnish
- On-device keyboard dictation that performs all processing completely offline
- Unlimited keyboard dictation (previously limited to 60 seconds per instance)
The company did not list the reason behind Intel-based Macs not getting these features. However, YouTuber Rene Ritchie stated that Intel Macs lack the Neural Engine that many of the features require.
It’s because Intel Macs don’t have the neural engine these features require. M1 is an A14X+. T2 is an A10 (pre-ANE). T1 was an S2 (watch SiP). Previous Intel Macs had nothing. These features all lean on the neural engine. https://t.co/jxqB7LsR2Q
— Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie) June 9, 2021
macOS Monterey comes with many more features like AirPlay, Universal Control, etc. You can click here to check our coverage on the same.
