On the 12th November 2020 Apple released its new version of macOS, 11.0 Big Sur. This is the first time Apple have incremented the version number (from 10 to 11) since the introduction of Mac OS X in the year 2000. Continuing the theme of previous releases it is named after a location in California.
macOS 11.0 Big Sur brings multiple new features, the most notably having a completely new design, that brings new icons, symbols and system sounds. Control Centre has been introduced which allows for quick control over Bluetooth, WiFi, screen brightness and system volume. Safari has improved functionality, security settings and power efficiency.
Another interesting feature is the ability to run system updates in the background, seamlessly completing upon a quick restart. This saves downtime and makes running updates a little less complicated.
Macs supported by macOS Big Sur
The system requirements for macOS Big Sur has increased over Catalina, the following models are supported,
MacBook (Early 2015 or newer)
MacBook Air (Mid 2013 or newer)
MacBook Pro (Late 2013 or newer)*
Mac mini (Late 2014 or newer)
iMac (Mid 2014 or newer)
iMac Pro
Mac Pro (Late 2013 or newer)
*Early issues with 13-inch MacBook Pro (Late 2013 / Mid 2014) have forced Apple to exclude them from compatibility currently.
If you are unsure which model Mac you have then you can identify it by going to the Apple () menu and clicking About This Mac, here the model and model year will be displayed.
As with all of Apple's big updates, we would recommend waiting a couple of months until the early release bugs have been iron out before updating.
