The news: At WWDC 2025, Apple announced its upcoming macOS 26 Tahoe, marking the final operating system supporting Intel-based Macs and the end of a computing era. 

Apple’s transition will accelerate replacement cycles for millions of business users and marketing technology stacks.

• Select 2019-2020 Intel models will continue to have macOS 26 support—including 16-inch MacBook Pro, Mac Pro, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and iMac—through the end of 2028. 
• All Intel MacBook Air and Mac mini models lose support immediately.

Apple Silicon dictates the pace: Next year’s macOS 27 will support Apple Silicon exclusively. 

While this may have a minimal impact on consumers, it has implications for critical security updates on enterprise devices.

• Companies have a three-year security window for migrations, forcing enterprise procurement leaders to accelerate hardware refresh plans.
• App developers now face pressure to create native Apple Silicon versions of their software and services to ensure continuity.

Why it’s worth watching: Apple is completing its transition to Apple Silicon that started five years ago, and it’s not the only one shifting away from Intel’s architecture to faster, more energy-efficient, and AI-capable ARM-based hardware.

• Microsoft’s new Surface devices use Qualcomm ARM chips for on-device AI like Copilot, but it still offers Intel models for businesses with legacy apps.
• AMD is planning to shift to ARM-based hardware by 2026.
• Other PC OEMs, like Lenovo, HP, and Dell, are similarly diversifying their products to feature Qualcomm-powered laptops and tablets. 

Our take: The shift will require a massive reset for Apple-reliant companies. They will need comprehensive technology audits across devices and software to weed out unsupported tools.

Organizations delaying transitions, particularly for models that have already lost support, risk security vulnerabilities and performance limitations, affecting campaign execution and creative production timelines.

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Non-clients can click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.