Best Prices Today: Sonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it’s SuperDock! But what makes Sonnet’s latest Thunderbolt 4 laptop docking station so super?

The super-ness is not the 19 top-end ports, although these are certainly impressive. It’s not the 2.5x faster Ethernet connection. And it’s not the backward-compatible Thunderbolt 4 technology that is certified to the very latest Intel standards.

What makes the Sonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock so super is its built-in M.2 NVMe SSD slot which means you can add up to 8TB of SSD storage to your system without connecting an external storage device to the dock or computer.

But first, let’s look at the abundance of ports this dock boasts to connect devices at top speed.

Specs and features

The Sonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock has a copious 19 ports. The “20” in the Echo 20’s name includes the power supply port, which we don’t usually count in our port countdown.

• One upstream Thunderbolt 4 port (40Gbps, 100W)
• Two downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports (40Gbps, 15W)
• One HDMI 2.1 video port
• Four USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W)
• Four USB-C ports (10Gbps, 7.5W)
• Internal M.2 NVMe SSD slot
• 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet
• UHS-II SD card reader (312MBps)
• 3.5mm combo audio jack (front)
• 3.5mm microphone jack (back)
• Two (right and left channels) line out RCA jacks (back)
• 150W power supply

The Echo 20 has more ports than we’ve seen with any docking station. Even the Caldigit TS4 Dock has only (!) 18, and it’s this kind of Thunderbolt 4 docks that Sonnet is gunning for. Read our fuller roundup of our other recommendations for the best Thunderbolt docks for Mac.

Thunderbolt 4, USB-C and USB-A ports  

All the Echo 20’s USB ports are at least 10Gbps (twice the bandwidth of the many docks’ USB ports). The TS4 has as many (8) but the Echo 20 has one more USB-C, while the TS4 has the extra USB-A. As more devices eschew Type A for Type C, we applaud Sonnet for having as many USB-C as USB-A.

You can daisy-chain up to six Thunderbolt devices via the two downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports, although the devices connected will be sharing the 40Gbps bandwidth upstream to the laptop.

Rather than add the maximum possible three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports, Sonnet includes two plus a high-end HDMI 2.1 video port so the user can add a direct external display without the need for an adapter.

If you plan to connect an HDMI display, that makes more sense than a third Thunderbolt 4 port.

Adding internal storage

The Echo 20 doesn’t ship with an SSD, so you need to purchase one yourself. A 1TB SSD can be found for under $50, 2TB for around $100, 4TB for $250. 8TB SSDs can cost between $800 and $1,000.

If you were configuring a new MacBook with 8TB of internal storage, Apple would charge you $2,200, so adding it to your connected docking station at half the price makes a lot of sense, and you can swap it out with other capacities as you desire.

It must be an M.2 NVMe SSD. With the right SSD, transfer and access data rates are up to 800MBps.

SSD installation is simple if you know how to use a screwdriver and don’t have shaky hands. Unscrew the two screws securing a panel cover on the back panel of the dock. Insert the SSD and re-secure the bottom cover.

However, we would have preferred Sonnet to include the correct screwdrivers with the dock as what you need—a tiny crosshead—may not be in the average toolbox.

The Echo 20 isn’t heavy but even with its compact power supply it’s not particularly portable, so what you store on that SSD isn’t going with you when you disconnect the laptop from the dock. It’s great for backups, archiving, and for large files you don’t need with you on the road.

There’s also a fast SD card reader for more portable storage…

Portable storage

The Echo 20 features just one SD card reader for portable storage, while the TS4 has both SD and MicroSD readers.

Having both formats offers more flexibility, and the two slots can be used at the same time, so the TS4 wins if you prefer portable storage to be installed.

Most MicroSD cards come with an SD adapter so the lack of MicroSD doesn’t stop you from choosing between the two memory-card formats on the Echo 20. MicroSD cards are usually cheaper than full-size SD.

Tiny memory cards were once the preserve of professional users such as photographers who use them to quickly transfer files. However, anyone can buy a quality 512GB card for around $75/£75, and they offer an inexpensive way of upping the storage in your laptop and are super portable, too.

The Echo 20’s UHS II SD card reader is rated fast at 312MBps—the same as the TS4’s.

As with other docks, if you prefer portable storage there are other options, too. For example, you could add a pocketable SSD enclosure, such as Ugreen’s M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure Adapter, available for around $30 (also not including the SSD itself).

Dock display options

You can connect an external display via the HDMI 2.1 port (without the need for an adapter), and another screen via one of the Thunderbolt ports, or two via both the downstream Thunderbolt ports.

Dual-display support means M1/M2 Pro, M1/M2 Max and M1/M2 Ultra Macs can hook up either a single 4K/5K/6K screen or two HD/4K/5K/6K displays.

A Mac with an M2 Pro/Max/Ultra chip can support up to a single 8K display at 60Hz, or two HD/4K/5K/6K displays (both 4K at 60Hz).

Windows PCs and Chromebooks sporting Thunderbolt 4 can support up to a single 8K display at 60Hz, or two HD/4K displays at 60Hz.

If you install DisplayLink software you can run two displays off connected plain M1 and M2 Macs, which otherwise are limited to one display. Learn more about adding multiple screens to M1 or M2 Macs in our tutorial and solution recommender.

An interesting difference between the Echo 20 (HDMI 2.1) and the Caldigit TS4 (DisplayPort 1.4) is the choice of video port.

HDMI is the more popular port on displays but DisplayPort has traditionally been superior on the specs front. However, HDMI 2.1 has more than caught up with DP 1.4 so is a fine option even for high-end pros. HDMI 2.1 is a big leap up from HDMI 2.0, which is found on most other docking stations with a video port.

Audio ports front and back

Visuals aren’t the Echo 20’s only strength. There are four audio ports available. At the front is a 3.5mm combo jack for either wired headphones or a microphone, and at the back are separate left/right channel RCA line-out jacks that can deliver a clean signal to powered speakers or an amplifier, plus an extra 3.5mm microphone jack.

The TS4’s three audio ports are all 3.5mm. While there is no noticeable difference in sound quality between RCA and 3.5mm connectors, a lot of consumer A/V equipment still supports RCA connectors, which also provide a more secure connection than 3.5mm connectors.

Audio enthusiasts would prefer a Digital Audio port to connect directly to their amplifier, speakers, or home theatre receiver for the highest-quality, pure audio playback. Caldigit’s Thunderbolt 3-based TS3 Plus dock has one, but the audio ports on the Echo 20 will be good enough for most users.

Super-fast Ethernet

Another bid for “Super” status is the Echo 20’s super-fast 2.5Gb Gigabit Ethernet, which has the potential to be 2.5 times faster than standard Gigabit Ethernet. This again matches the wired-network port on the TS4.

To take advantage of the 2.5GbE speed, you need a connected device—such as a router/network switch—that is 2.5GbE or above

The 2.5Gb Ethernet port is backwards and forwards compatible with other speeds of Ethernet, so will work with a standard Gigabit Ethernet network.

Docking power

With 100W Power Delivery (PD), the Echo 20 can keep even the largest connected laptop powered up in full use.

Each USB port on the Echo 20 has a minimum charging power of 7.5W, and the downstream TB4 ports can offer 15W to power connected devices.

While this is impressive, it’s one area where the Caldigit TS4 has more muscle. Its 230W power supply is the most powered-up docking station we’ve ever tested, and one of the front USB-C ports can charge at a generous 20W–enough, for example, for fast-charging an iPhone via USB-C.

The Echo 20’s 150W power supply should, however, be powerful enough to charge a 100W laptop and have enough left for a few connected devices.

Design

Docking stations either lie horizontally, like the Echo 20, or stand vertically, like the TS4. Vertical docks save desk space but horizontal docks can offer a cleaner look.

Personally, I prefer the vertical design, but most docks, if doing their job correctly, soon blend into their desktop environment anyway.

Most docks place the upstream Thunderbolt 4 port (to the host laptop) at the front, which means a trailing cable messing up your desk. Both the Echo 20 and TS4 handily position the upstream port at the back of the dock.

The Echo 20 is jet black, while the TS4 is metal gray, although this is unlikely to be a decider when choosing between these two excellent two docking stations.

Price

The Sonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock costs $299.99, which measures up very favorably against the Caldigit TS4’s $399.99 and other Thunderbolt 4 docks such as Kensington’s SD5700T ($369.99).

Given its top-end specs, this is easily the best-value Thunderbolt 4 dock we have tested.

Note that there’s no SSD included with the Echo 20 so you need to factor in this if you want to add the internal storage, but it’s not even an option with other docks so doesn’t spoil the comparison.

Even if you don’t need the SSD enclosure now, the Echo 20 still represents great value for money.

Verdict

We didn’t think that Caldigit’s TS4 could be beaten but the Sonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock is a very close match for the number and quality of ports but for $100 less.

It lacks a MicroSD card reader and doesn’t offer as much multi-device power, but it has other benefits—most noticeably the internal storage enclosure—and is specced high enough for most users.

The 19 ports are all top-end—Thunderbolt 4, 10Gbps USB-C and USB-A, 2.5Gb Ethernet, HDMI 2.1—and the inclusion of the onboard M.2 NVMe SSD slot gives the Echo 20 our crown as the new Thunderbolt 4 docking station of choice.

Computer Accessories, Tablet Accessories

Adobe Photoshop is for image editing like Microsoft Office for the office: absolutely dominant and in a professional environment you can’t get around it. However, if you aren’t using Photoshop and the Creative Suite, or Creative Cloud as it is now called, for professional reasons (and even if you are) the package has become very unattractive since the introduction of the subscription model more than a decade ago.

If you only want to edit a few photos every now and then you probably won’t think that a monthly subscription for around $9.99/£9.98 is worth it – because most of the time it is not.

A cheap and affordable alternative to Photoshop is Affinity Photo, which was released in its second major version in late 2022. Here you get an unlimited license for an extensive image editing toolbox for $69.99/£67.99 (the iPad version costs only $18.49/£17.99 up front).

If you also need software for vector graphics and print media, you can also get the complete Affinity V2 Universal License as a one-off payment of $164.99/£159.99. This consists of Affinity Photo 2, Affinity Designer 2 (an alternative to Adobe Illustrator) and Affinity Publisher 2 (an alternative to Adobe InDesign). This way you can even save a little – the complete package costs only 200 euros, including the versions for the iPad.

We’ve been testing Affinity Photo 2 for a while now and are generally very satisfied, especially considering what the software does for a relatively low price.

Familiar interface

If you are already familiar with Photoshop, you will quickly find your way around Affinity’s interface: The (default) layout overall is virtually identical, and the icons in the toolbar on the left differ but are similar or easy to follow with a few exceptions. Most of the basic keyboard shortcuts are also the same, which makes getting used to them much easier.

Affinity Photo does some things better than Photoshop, although this is of course a matter of taste. Personally, for example, I like the fact that the options for supported alignment (pixel alignment, magnetic alignment) are located in the top toolbar and not hidden in menus.

However, if you are familiar with image editing, Affinity Photo can be as confusing as stepping into an airplane cockpit and seeing tons of buttons and not knowing what they do. Luckily, to make it easier to get started and get around, Serif, the company behind Affinity Photo, has uploaded several dozen video tutorials to Affinity Photo’s YouTube channel.

In addition to the standard interface, there are several other pre-configured interfaces for special purposes – Serif calls them “Personas”: The standard interface is called “Photo Persona”, but there is also the “Liquify Persona”, which is specially designed for deforming, distorting and retouching images, the “Develop Persona” for developing raw images, and a handful of others. You can easily switch between the individual personas in the upper bar.

Just as in Photoshop, you can drag individual elements, windows and tools from the main window to another monitor. This allows you to effectively enlarge the workspace by swapping out tools and other settings.

It’s different on the iPad, where the interface is significantly simplified and optimised for the smaller screen and pen input with the Apple Pencil and fingers. Here, too, it is clearly reminiscent of the touch-optimised version of Photoshop.

Remarkable range of functions

The number of tools that Affinity Photo offers is also quite impressive. If you are interested in image editing and composing, the software offers almost the same functions as Photoshop: various layer types, (live) filters, adjustments (tonal value correction, contrast, etc.), effects (shadows, glows, etc.), masks, color gradients, brushes and much more – Affinity Photo will not fail to provide the basic functions. Affinity Photo even has a counterpart to the content-based filling of Photoshop, but here it is called “Inpainting”.

Differences to Photoshop only become apparent with AI-related functions. For example, some time ago Adobe added an AI-supported function that can completely replace the sky in landscape photos, which Affinity Photo does not have. Similarly, Photoshop can now recognise objects in images and select them quite accurately – also with the help of AI.

Affinity Photo can’t do that either, here you still have to select everything manually, even though the magic wand and the selection brush do a solid job even without AI.

One function that surprised me due to how intuitively it works in Affinity Photo is crop masks. To create a blurred background in the cover image for my article “The best games for the iPhone“, I drew three shapes, dragged the respective images into Affinity Photo and dropped them onto the respective shape in the layer list – done.

In Photoshop, this is only slightly more complicated, but still less intuitive: there, you drag the respective image in the list over the respective shape and then, while holding down the Option key, click on the line between the two layers to create a cut mask from the one above for the one below.

Surely this is a matter of habit, but for me personally, the drag-and-drop principle using only the mouse wins here against the combination of mouse and keyboard input.

The sample files that Serif makes available for download are very helpful. You can find them in a tab in the “Open” dialogue and can then look over the shoulder of professionals and see what they have used which tools for and in what way. In addition, there are also many YouTube tutorials for Affinity Photo, partly from Serif itself, and partly from a large community.

Creative Cloud – the biggest difference

Like many large software companies, Adobe has switched to a software-as-a-service model, which means that the focus is no longer on the software alone, but on a large package of software and various additional services. A big advantage of Adobe’s Creative Cloud, of which Photoshop is now a part, is precisely these additional services: You get access to Adobe Stock, a database of stock photos by professional photographers, over 20,000 different fonts and many other services that you would otherwise have to take obtain yourself.

Most of this is missing from Affinity Photo, where there is only the software with which you can edit images. You have to take care of fonts, cloud storage and collaboration tools yourself, but this can save you a lot of money, especially as a hobbyist, and use free platforms like Unsplash.

Stock photos are at least connected via Pixabay, an external platform for free or license-free photos and vector graphics. Affinity Photo does not explicitly refer to this–I only found the tab after a reader had pointed it out to me. It is commendable that Pixabay is completely integrated into the interface and does not refer to external browsers. The selection of graphics is perfectly fine, but cannot quite keep up with commercial platforms.

Online store for additional content

If you need additional or pre-configured tools, some add-ons can be downloaded for a fee from the Affinity Photo online store – textures, overlays, brush presets and a few more. In terms of price, the offer seems quite fair: for $25/£25, you get 53 textures, brushes and templates with the “Vibrant Paint Strokes Bundle“, for example.

The “Handwritten Font Bundle” with six different handwritings and several styles each is currently the most expensive add-on at $44/£44, and the “Nature Brush Pack” with 68 “bio brushes” for $9.99/£9.99 is the cheapest. All in all, the selection is manageable, but the shop will probably be more of a nice add-on for Serif than a source of income to be taken seriously.

Verdict

If you are a beginner, hobby graphic artist, or photographer, Affinity Photo is an incredibly attractive alternative to Adobe Photoshop, which hardly differs from the class leader in its essential functions. You lose out on the really smart features here and there, but there is nothing wrong with learning how to retouch and select objects properly by hand.

In terms of appearance and handling, Affinity Photo is now so similar to Adobe’s software that if you know Photoshop it will take no time to get familiar with Affinity Photo. The main selling point, of course, is that Affinity Photo, for all that it offers, is available for $69.99/£67.99 with an unlimited license, unlike Adobe Photoshop, and does not require a monthly subscription. Buy once, use always – that’s how we like software. For the indecisive, there’s a free 30-day trial for each platform – Mac, Windows, iPad.

Translated from Macwelt by Karen Haslam.

MacOS, Personal Software

The next version of macOS will be called Sonoma, named after the Californian wine region.

Widgets – can add anywhere on the screen. Make sure they aren’t distracting, glanceable with out feeling intrusive. Add more Widgets form Widget Gallery. Through Continuity can access Widgets from iPhone on the Widgets on your Mac. iPhone just needs to be near by on or same WiFi network. You can use car widget from iPhone. Photographers can select photos from the widget without even going in to Photos app. 

Game Mode – ensures the game gets highest priority on GPU and CPU. Makes gaming on Mac more immersive. Reducing latency with controllers. In game responsiveness. With more Mac games coming, such as Death Stranding Directors Cut.

Metal – New Game Porting kit. New tools so devs can see in days how well their game will work on Mac. Significantly reducing the game development time. 

Video Conferencing – When you share your screen your face and presence can get lost. New video effect called Presenter overlay – various designs, you are separated from the background.  You can also add a reaction to your video to show how you feel about something. Two thumbs up brings up fireworks. YOu can use these video effects with other video conferencing apps./

Safari – “World’s fastest browser”. WebKit is being constantly updted and more updates are coming including new typography. Private browsing blocks private browsing windows when you aren’t using them. Passkeys and Passwords can be shared with a group – end to end encrypted via iCloud Keychain. Safari Profiles so you can separate between work and home profiles and school settings.

Web Apps – you can make a website you use a lot as a Web App. Add to dock and that icon appears in the Dock. You then get an app like appearance for the web page. Works great with other ways to access apps. Makes it easy to get to your favourite websites on Mac.

We will update this story as the news breaks, please reload this page for the latest news.

— Here are the rumors —

Apple’s WWDC will kick off with a keynote on June 5 at which we expect the company to take the wraps off of macOS 14, the next major version of the Mac operating system.

In this article, we’ll track the latest news about macOS 14, the features we hope to see and the rumors, and when it is officially unveiled, it’ll be your place to learn about all of the new features and updates.

macOS 14: What will be the name of the next macOS release?

Every year since macOS 10.9 Mavericks, Apple has used California landmarks to identify each new version of macOS. Apple has trademarked numerous names over the years, as shared by Parker Ortolani of The Verge:

there are 15 names of places in California Apple trademarked but never used, to date every name they have used was one of those trademarks

UNUSED:
Diablo
Condor
Tiburon
Farallon
Miramar
Rincon
Pacific
Redwood
Shasta
Grizzly
Skyline
Redtail
Sonoma
Sequoia
Mammoth

USED:
Ventura…

— Parker Ortolani (@ParkerOrtolani) April 21, 2023

If macOS 14 is a so-called maintenance release–as is rumored–with few new features, it will likely be named after a location near Ventura. Based on the names above, Rincon and Skyline are the most likely names.

Another potential name is Malibu, suggested by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg and about 40m miles south of Ventura, but that name hasn’t been trademarked by Apple.

macOS 14 release date: When will macOS 14 arrive?

Apple’s usual venue for revealing the next major version of macOS is its Worldwide Developers Conference. WWDC 2023 starts at 10am (PDT) on June 5, and during the keynote, Apple will reveal the name and new features of macOS.

Apple usually releases a beta of the new macOS to developers at WWDC, and you have to be a registered developer to access it. A public beta is released about a month later, and in order to get that, you must join Apple’s Beta Program. Read about How to install macOS beta.

This is what the beta release timeline could look like:

• June 5: macOS 14 is revealed and the developer beta is released.
• July: Apple releases the first public beta.
• June to September/October: This is the beta period. Apple will release several beta updates during this time.
• September/October: macOS 14 is released to the general public.

The final version of macOS 14 will be released to the general public in the fall. In the recent past, the release has come several weeks after the new version of iOS ships. Here are the release dates for the previous five versions of macOS:

• macOS 13 Ventura: October 24, 2022
• macOS 12 Monterey: October 25, 2021
• macOS 11 Big Sur: November 12, 2020
• macOS 10.15 Catalina: October 7, 2019
• macOS 10.14 Mojave: September 24, 2018

macOS 14 compatibility: Which Macs will be able to run macOS 14?

When Apple released macOS Ventura, the company cut numerous older Macs from the compatibility list, including:

• 2015 iMac
• 2016 MacBook
• 2015-2017 MacBook Air
• 2015-2016 MacBook Pro
• 2014 Mac mini 
• 2013 Mac Pro 

There haven’t been any rumors about Apple dropping support for any Macs this year like we have with the iPad, so it’s very possible that the compatibility list for macOS 14 is the same as Ventura. Here’s the possible compatibility list:

• MacBook models from 2017 or later
• MacBook Air models from 2018 or later
• MacBook Pro models from 2017 or later
• Mac mini models from 2018 or later
• iMac models from 2017 or later
• iMac Pro (all models)
• Mac Pro models from 2019 or later
• Mac Studio (all models)

There is always the possibility that a Mac may be compatible with macOS 14, but some of the new features won’t run on older Macs of the list. Some new features may also require Apple chips and not run on Intel-based Macs.

macOS 14: How to install the beta and official version

Apple changed the beta process in macOS 13.4, so the way to install the macOS 14 beta is different to what it was previously. Instead of downloading the Beta Access Utility for every device, you’ll only need to register your Apple ID for the beta program to install betas on every Apple device that is signed into that account.

Then when you go to Software Update, you’ll see a new tab for Beta Updates, which will list the version of the beta you’re running. If you want to install the beta, select macOS 14 Public Beta, and if you want to return to Ventura, select Off. To install the official version, you need to wait for Apple to start shipping it in the fall. Then, you’ll be able to use Software Update in System Settings, or you can download it from the App Store.

Just remember: betas are not as stable as the official version–features may be implemented and then withdrawn, or they may not work properly, UI can change, and third-party app compatibility isn’t guaranteed.

macOS 14: Rumored new features

Rumors about new features have been light—all we know so far is that macOS 14 is not expected to be a major release loaded with new features. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in April 2023 that it likely won’t be “groundbreaking or significant” but rather will continue the trend of adding iOS features. As he writes: “The dream scenario is that you own an Apple Watch, an iPhone, a MacBook, an iPad, an Apple headset, and all five of those devices are capable of doing all the same things just in different use cases and at different times of the day.”

It’s also been reported that Apple has shifted some macOS resources to xrOS as Apple prepares to launch its new AR headset at WWDC.

macOS 14: New features we want to see

Even if macOS 14 consists entirely of iOS features that make their way to the Mac, there are plenty we’d like to see.

Dynamic Island for the Mac

With the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple introduced the Dynamic Island, which uses the pill-shaped cutout for Face ID and the selfie camera as an extraordinary UI element. It’s an ingenious feature that needs to at least come to the MacBook Pro.

Dynamic Island would alleviate the clutter on the right side of the macOS interface, which houses notifications, reminders, and widgets. But it could also be a great way to monitor the progress of something an app is working on in the background, act as an indicator for battery life, or display what Apple Music is playing, as on the iPhone. 

Besides, Apple’s 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro and the M2 MacBook Air already have display notches, so a trip to the Dynamic Island should be easy to book.

Time Machine iCloud backups

This was on our wishlist for macOS 12 and macOS 13, and it’s going to stay on every wishlist until it happens. As I said before, I’ll say it again: Having an offsite backup is always a good idea, and Time Machine could be updated to do that along with the option for a local backup.

Since Apple doesn’t seem to be interested in adding this feature to macOS out of necessity, allow me to take a different angle: It’s good for Apple’s bottom line. Think about it, Apple. You could make precious Services money from Time Machine iCloud backups by selling iCloud+ storage. Apple already has a $9.99/£6.99 tier that offers 2TB of storage— and I could see a new $6.99/£3.99 for 1TB of Time Machine iCloud+ storage tier. That’s about $84/£48 per year, and say, 500,000 users sign up for that. That’s a lot of money you’re making each year and a lot of happy Mac customers. How can you pass that up, Apple?

Multi-item clipboard

One thing that we think could make a huge difference to the way we work is something that Windows users have enjoyed for years: the ability to copy and paste multiple items. Right now Mac users can copy and paste one thing at a time, but Windows users can have multiple items on their clipboard and can choose which one to paste. It’s such a simple thing and so useful, we really can’t understand why it’s not available on Macs unless you use a third-party tool, like Parallels Toolbox.

Fine-tune System Settings

In my macOS 13 wishlist, I wanted Apple to rename System Preferences to Settings to match iOS and iPadOS. My wish came true, but at a price: Apple took it a step further and redesigned the UI to be more like the iPhone. That caused consternation for the most hard-core Mac fans and confusion among even iPhone users–and sent a lot of Mac users to Google to find settings they thought were lost. There’s no going back now; System Settings and its UI are here to stay. But it could use some fine-tuning.

We’d love to see Apple separate the interface from iOS. The look is fine, but some settings don’t make sense tucked away behind General or Desktop & Dock. Top on the list: Time Machine (especially if Apple unlocks iCloud backups).

More Apple iOS apps

With macOS Ventura, Apple finally made Mac versions of the Clock and Weather apps that have been in iOS since forever. Why stop there? There are plenty of iOS apps that aren’t available on the Mac: Translate, Clips (which was on my macOS 13 wishlist), Health, Wallet (those two were on my macOS 12 wishlist), Support…maybe not Compass, Measure, and Magnifier. And hey, while they’re at it, revive Warren Buffet’s Paper Wizard and bring it to the Mac!

A version of macOS for iPad

Apple’s always said it won’t happen, but there was a rumor (back in October 2022) that macOS 14 could be destined for the M2 iPad Pro.

According with my source Apple would be testing a smaller version of macOS exclusively for the new iPad Pro M2!
“Mendocino” should be the codename for macOS 14. A simplified version should be planned for the M2. pic.twitter.com/f4RrainlZ1

— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) October 20, 2022

The rumor came via Majin Bu Twitter, who said that Apple is working on a “smaller version of macOS” that will run “exclusively” on the M2 iPad Pro. Majin Bu doesm’t have a great track record though, and there is little evidence that Apple is working to merge the iPad and Mac lines, so it may never happen. But with Final Cut and Logic Pro now available on the iPad Pro we should never say never.

Bu claims that the “simplified” version of macOS 14 will have “a 25% larger macOS UI” that’s presumably optimized for touch. Apple’s already optimised Final Cut and Logic Pro for touch–if it did the same for macOS could we even see a touch-screen Mac? Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has suggested such a Mac could be in Apple’s sights, despite Apple’s insistence that it won’t go down that path.

Sync the Clock app across all devices

As I just said, with macOS Ventura, Apple finally brought over Mac versions of the Clock and Weather apps that have been in iOS and iPadOS. Yay! However, the Weather app syncs between devices, and the Clock app doesn’t. That means that alarms that you set on one device aren’t available on others. Boo!

It’s easy enough to set an alarm, but it would be way easier if those alarms synced across devices. While we’re at it, why not sync world clock entries? Or even timers–I create a lot of timers and would like to be able to control them from multiple devices. Oh, and since everyone might not want their iPhone timers on their Mac, then give us the option to turn syncing off.

Stability and optimization

I can keep going with the wishes–a lot of what I wanted in my macOS 12 and macOS 13 wishlist have yet to become reality, and I’d still like to see them happen. But reports have said that macOS 14 won’t have many major changes, since the company is supposedly focusing on the AR/VR headset and its operating system, rumored to be called xrOS. Development for macOS 14, iOS 17, and iPadOS 17 is seemingly a lower priority until that device is unveiled.

Unified version numbers

Speaking of which, wouldn’t it be easier to read if they had the same version number? We’d love to see Apple jump from macOS 14 to a number more akin to iOS 17. Is it time for macOS 2024, iOS 2024 and iPadOS 2024?

MacOS

Apple’s WWDC will kick off with a keynote on June 5 at which we expect the company to take the wraps off of macOS 14, the next major version of the Mac operating system.

In this article, we’ll track the latest news about macOS 14, the features we hope to see and the rumors, and when it is officially unveiled, it’ll be your place to learn about all of the new features and updates.

macOS 14: What will be the name of the next macOS release?

Every year since macOS 10.9 Mavericks, Apple has used California landmarks to identify each new version of macOS. Apple has trademarked numerous names over the years, as shared by Parker Ortolani of The Verge:

there are 15 names of places in California Apple trademarked but never used, to date every name they have used was one of those trademarks

UNUSED:
Diablo
Condor
Tiburon
Farallon
Miramar
Rincon
Pacific
Redwood
Shasta
Grizzly
Skyline
Redtail
Sonoma
Sequoia
Mammoth

USED:
Ventura…

— Parker Ortolani (@ParkerOrtolani) April 21, 2023

If macOS 14 is a so-called maintenance release–as is rumored–with few new features, it will likely be named after a location near Ventura. Based on the names above, Rincon and Skyline are the most likely names.

Another potential name is Malibu, suggested by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg and about 40m miles south of Ventura, but that name hasn’t been trademarked by Apple.

macOS 14 release date: When will macOS 14 arrive?

Apple’s usual venue for revealing the next major version of macOS is its Worldwide Developers Conference. WWDC 2023 starts on June 5, and during the keynote, Apple will reveal the name and new features of macOS.

Apple usually releases a beta of the new macOS to developers at WWDC, and you have to be a registered developer to access it. A public beta is released about a month later, and in order to get that, you must join Apple’s Beta Program. Read about How to install macOS beta.

This is what the beta release timeline could look like:

• June 5: macOS 14 is revealed and the developer beta is released.
• July: Apple releases the first public beta.
• June to September/October: This is the beta period. Apple will release several beta updates during this time.
• September/October: macOS 14 is released to the general public.

The final version of macOS 14 will be released to the general public in the fall. In the recent past, the release has come several weeks after the new version of iOS ships. Here are the release dates for the previous five versions of macOS:

• macOS 13 Ventura: October 24, 2022
• macOS 12 Monterey: October 25, 2021
• macOS 11 Big Sur: November 12, 2020
• macOS 10.15 Catalina: October 7, 2019
• macOS 10.14 Mojave: September 24, 2018

macOS 14 compatibility: Which Macs will be able to run macOS 14?

When Apple released macOS Ventura, the company cut numerous older Macs from the compatibility list, including:

• 2015 iMac
• 2016 MacBook
• 2015-2017 MacBook Air
• 2015-2016 MacBook Pro
• 2014 Mac mini 
• 2013 Mac Pro 

There haven’t been any rumors about Apple dropping support for any Macs this year like we have with the iPad, so it’s very possible that the compatibility list for macOS 14 is the same as Ventura. Here’s the possible compatibility list:

• MacBook models from 2017 or later
• MacBook Air models from 2018 or later
• MacBook Pro models from 2017 or later
• Mac mini models from 2018 or later
• iMac models from 2017 or later
• iMac Pro (all models)
• Mac Pro models from 2019 or later
• Mac Studio (all models)

There is always the possibility that a Mac may be compatible with macOS 14, but some of the new features won’t run on older Macs of the list. Some new features may also require Apple chips and not run on Intel-based Macs.

macOS 14: How to install the beta and official version

Apple is changing the beta process in macOS 13.4, so by the time the macOS 14 beta arrives, the method will be different. Instead of downloading the Beta Access Utility for every device, you’ll only need to register your Apple ID for the beta program to install betas on every Apple device that is signed into that account.

Then when you go to Software Update, you’ll see a new tab for Beta Updates, which will list the version of the beta you’re running. If you want to install the beta, select macOS 14 Public Beta, and if you want to return to Ventura, select Off. To install the official version, you need to wait for Apple to start shipping it in the fall. Then, you’ll be able to use Software Update in System Settings, or you can download it from the App Store.

Just remember: betas are not as stable as the official version–features may be implemented and then withdrawn, or they may not work properly, UI can change, and third-party app compatibility isn’t guaranteed.

macOS 14: Rumored new features

Rumors about new features have been light—all we know so far is that macOS 14 is not expected to be a major release loaded with new features. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in April 2023 that it likely won’t be “groundbreaking or significant” but rather will continue the trend of adding iOS features. As he writes: “The dream scenario is that you own an Apple Watch, an iPhone, a MacBook, an iPad, an Apple headset, and all five of those devices are capable of doing all the same things just in different use cases and at different times of the day.”

It’s also been reported that Apple has shifted some macOS resources to xrOS as Apple prepares to launch its new AR headset at WWDC.

macOS 14: New features we want to see

Even if macOS 14 consists entirely of iOS features that make their way to the Mac, there are plenty we’d like to see.

Dynamic Island for the Mac

With the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple introduced the Dynamic Island, which uses the pill-shaped cutout for Face ID and the selfie camera as an extraordinary UI element. It’s an ingenious feature that needs to at least come to the MacBook Pro.

Dynamic Island would alleviate the clutter on the right side of the macOS interface, which houses notifications, reminders, and widgets. But it could also be a great way to monitor the progress of something an app is working on in the background, act as an indicator for battery life, or display what Apple Music is playing, as on the iPhone. 

Besides, Apple’s 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro and the M2 MacBook Air already have display notches, so a trip to the Dynamic Island should be easy to book.

Time Machine iCloud backups

This was on our wishlist for macOS 12 and macOS 13, and it’s going to stay on every wishlist until it happens. As I said before, I’ll say it again: Having an offsite backup is always a good idea, and Time Machine could be updated to do that along with the option for a local backup.

Since Apple doesn’t seem to be interested in adding this feature to macOS out of necessity, allow me to take a different angle: It’s good for Apple’s bottom line. Think about it, Apple. You could make precious Services money from Time Machine iCloud backups by selling iCloud+ storage. Apple already has a $9.99/£6.99 tier that offers 2TB of storage— and I could see a new $6.99/£3.99 for 1TB of Time Machine iCloud+ storage tier. That’s about $84/£48 per year, and say, 500,000 users sign up for that. That’s a lot of money you’re making each year and a lot of happy Mac customers. How can you pass that up, Apple?

Multi-item clipboard

One thing that we think could make a huge difference to the way we work is something that Windows users have enjoyed for years: the ability to copy and paste multiple items. Right now Mac users can copy and paste one thing at a time, but Windows users can have multiple items on their clipboard and can choose which one to paste. It’s such a simple thing and so useful, we really can’t understand why it’s not available on Macs unless you use a third-party tool, like Parallels Toolbox.

Fine-tune System Settings

In my macOS 13 wishlist, I wanted Apple to rename System Preferences to Settings to match iOS and iPadOS. My wish came true, but at a price: Apple took it a step further and redesigned the UI to be more like the iPhone. That caused consternation for the most hard-core Mac fans and confusion among even iPhone users–and sent a lot of Mac users to Google to find settings they thought were lost. There’s no going back now; System Settings and its UI are here to stay. But it could use some fine-tuning.

We’d love to see Apple separate the interface from iOS. The look is fine, but some settings don’t make sense tucked away behind General or Desktop & Dock. Top on the list: Time Machine (especially if Apple unlocks iCloud backups).

More Apple iOS apps

With macOS Ventura, Apple finally made Mac versions of the Clock and Weather apps that have been in iOS since forever. Why stop there? There are plenty of iOS apps that aren’t available on the Mac: Translate, Clips (which was on my macOS 13 wishlist), Health, Wallet (those two were on my macOS 12 wishlist), Support…maybe not Compass, Measure, and Magnifier. And hey, while they’re at it, revive Warren Buffet’s Paper Wizard and bring it to the Mac!

A version of macOS for iPad

Apple’s always said it won’t happen, but there was a rumor (back in October 2022) that macOS 14 could be destined for the M2 iPad Pro.

According with my source Apple would be testing a smaller version of macOS exclusively for the new iPad Pro M2!
“Mendocino” should be the codename for macOS 14. A simplified version should be planned for the M2. pic.twitter.com/f4RrainlZ1

— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) October 20, 2022

The rumor came via Majin Bu Twitter, who said that Apple is working on a “smaller version of macOS” that will run “exclusively” on the M2 iPad Pro. Majin Bu doesm’t have a great track record though, and there is little evidence that Apple is working to merge the iPad and Mac lines, so it may never happen. But with Final Cut and Logic Pro now available on the iPad Pro we should never say never.

Bu claims that the “simplified” version of macOS 14 will have “a 25% larger macOS UI” that’s presumably optimized for touch. Apple’s already optimised Final Cut and Logic Pro for touch–if it did the same for macOS could we even see a touch-screen Mac? Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has suggested such a Mac could be in Apple’s sights, despite Apple’s insistence that it won’t go down that path.

Sync the Clock app across all devices

As I just said, with macOS Ventura, Apple finally brought over Mac versions of the Clock and Weather apps that have been in iOS and iPadOS. Yay! However, the Weather app syncs between devices, and the Clock app doesn’t. That means that alarms that you set on one device aren’t available on others. Boo!

It’s easy enough to set an alarm, but it would be way easier if those alarms synced across devices. While we’re at it, why not sync world clock entries? Or even timers–I create a lot of timers and would like to be able to control them from multiple devices. Oh, and since everyone might not want their iPhone timers on their Mac, then give us the option to turn syncing off.

Stability and optimization

I can keep going with the wishes–a lot of what I wanted in my macOS 12 and macOS 13 wishlist have yet to become reality, and I’d still like to see them happen. But reports have said that macOS 14 won’t have many major changes, since the company is supposedly focusing on the AR/VR headset and its operating system, rumored to be called xrOS. Development for macOS 14, iOS 17, and iPadOS 17 is seemingly a lower priority until that device is unveiled.

Unified version numbers

Speaking of which, wouldn’t it be easier to read if they had the same version number? We’d love to see Apple jump from macOS 14 to a number more akin to iOS 17. Is it time for macOS 2024, iOS 2024 and iPadOS 2024?

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