Sonoma vs Sequoia

Differences between macOS Sonoma vs Sequoia

In addition to new features like Apple Intelligence and iPhone Mirroring, we’ve noticed macOS Sequoia is faster than Sonoma on modern Mac computers, while laptops get better battery life. If you have an older MacBook or desktop, however, you may find that upgrading to Sequoia slows you down.

As is often the case, Sequoia’s many new features compared to Sonoma mean that certain tasks require more memory and processing power, with Apple Intelligence particularly heavy on resources at times. But if your Mac is fast enough, you’ll find Sequoia is well worth it. Let’s look at Sequoia vs Sonoma in depth.

1. Performance and speed

When it comes to performance and speed with Sonoma vs Sequoia, your experience will vary depending on what kind of Mac you use. We’ve found that the most recent machines powered by Apple Silicon chips, particularly the M3 and M4 variants, are often faster when running macOS 15 Sequoia for basic tasks.

Bear in mind, however, that if you use a slightly older Mac, particularly those running Intel chips, you’re likely to notice a slight decrease in performance and speed after Sequoia is installed as a result of its new features. Apple Intelligence, especially the new Genmoji tool, can require a lot of computing power.

A note from our experts: 

 

You can improve performance on any Mac by clearing out redundant files and system junk that eat up precious storage space. MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup tool makes it quick and easy to find and delete all unnecessary clutter in just a few clicks. Here’s how to use it:

1. Install MacKeeper on your Mac.
2. Select Safe Cleanup in the sidebar, then choose Start Scan.
3. Once the scan is complete, select the files you want to remove, then click Clean Junk Files.

2. Interface and usability

Sequoia doesn’t make any drastic changes to the macOS interface, so if you’re the type of Mac user who struggles to get used to big changes, we’re pleased to tell you that won’t be necessary. Aside from a few new features here and there, macOS 15 mostly feels exactly the same as macOS 14.

The biggest change to usability, which we’ll look at in more detail later, is the addition of window tiling, which lets you easily snap software to the sides and corners of your Mac’s display for better organization and visibility. It’s enabled by default in Sequoia, but there’s no need to use it if you’re not interested in it.

3. Security and privacy features

macOS is famous for its excellent security and privacy features, so you probably won’t be surprised to find that when it comes to Sequoia vs Sonoma, both are excellent on that front.

As for what’s new in Sequoia, you’ll find an improved Privacy & Security menu that makes it easier to control permissions in the Settings app, plus a dedicated Passwords app, like the one on iPhone and iPad, for managing all your logins, authentication codes, passkeys, and more.

Sonoma vs Sequoia: Compatibility with Mac models

macOS Sequoia compatibility is very similar to that of macOS Sonoma, but Apple has dropped support for some older machines.

Here’s the full list of compatible Mac models:

• Mac mini (2018 and later)
• Mac Studio (all models)
• iMac (2019 and later)
• iMac Pro (2017)
• MacBook Air (2020 and later)
• MacBook Pro (2018 and later)
• Mac Pro (2017 and later).

If we compare this with the compatibility list for Sonoma, only a few MacBook Air variants miss out on Sequoia. However, some features, like Apple Intelligence, require an Apple silicon chip. You’ll also need enough space for the update, so check how much space does macOS take up before you download it.

New features in macOS Sequoia

By far the most compelling reason to upgrade to the latest macOS release is for the new features, and Sequoia doesn’t disappoint. Here’s everything you can look forward to with this release:

1. Apple Intelligence
2. iPhone Mirroring
3. Passwords app
4. Window tiling
5. Enhanced Notes
6. Safari upgrade and video conferencing improvements.

When you’re wondering should you upgrade to macOS Sequoia, we find it’s usually the new features and improvements that will help you make up your mind. Let’s take a closer look at them.

1. Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence is the standout feature of macOS Sequoia, bringing a wide range of AI features to the Mac for the first time. It’s Apple’s answer to Gemini on Android, combining the power of ChatGPT with brand new image and emoji creation tools that give you new ways to express yourself.

Apple Intelligence powers new writing tools with enhanced language capabilities that allow you to summarize documents, proofread text, and rewrite your words in a friendly, professional, or concise manner. It also improves Siri by bringing richer language understanding, context awareness, and more.

Arguably the most exciting part of Apple Intelligence is its image creation tools. You can turn rough sketches into polished images, describe memories to turn them into snapshots, and turn your friends into cartoon characters. You can even create your very own Genmoji characters by simply describing them.

2. iPhone Mirroring

Another highlight of the Sequoia OS is its new iPhone Mirroring feature, which lets you see and interact with your iPhone on your macOS desktop. You can use it for almost anything you might usually do on your iPhone, like replying to notifications, using apps, and even playing games.

What’s great about iPhone mirroring is that although it uses your actual iPhone, not just a simulator, it does so without showing all of your activity on the iPhone screen itself. So if you iPhone is in another room, no one else can see what you’re up to or the apps you’re using.

3. Passwords app

You’ll be familiar with Apple’s new Passwords app if you’re already running iOS 18 on your iPhone. It’s essentially a standalone version of the Passwords feature that used to be baked into the Settings app, which is now easier to access and use—and more powerful.

In addition to securely holding all your logins, the password app is where you’ll find passkeys, two-factor authentication codes, Wi-Fi passwords, and more—all synced across your Apple devices. It also lets you set up groups so that you can safely share certain credentials with colleagues or family members.

4. Window tiling

Window tiling is a feature that many Mac users have been requesting for decades (it’s long been available in Windows), and it’s finally here with Sequoia. It allows you to snap app windows to the sides and corners of your Mac’s screen, making it easier to organize multiple programs when multitasking.

Simply grab a window and drag it to the left or right edge of your display, or to one of the four corners, and macOS will automatically resize it and snap it into place. You can run up to four apps in this configuration, though we find that having two side-by-side is typically the best way to multitask.

5. Enhanced Notes

Sequoia brings big upgrades to the Notes app compared to Sonoma. In addition to the writing features you get from Apple Intelligence, you can also take advantage of live audio transcription for your voice recordings, collapsible sections for notes broken up by different headings, and text highlighting.

What’s more, Notes also gets the ability to do all your math for you. Simply write out your calculations, formulas, expressions, and more, and Notes will automatically solve everything inline as soon as you type the equals symbol—it’s that easy.

6. Safari upgrade and video conferencing improvements

Some smaller but still notable improvements in macOS 15 Sequoia are found in Safari and video conferencing. Apple’s built-in web browser gets a better Reader view and a new video player that detects when you’re watching something and then puts it front and center so it’s easier to see.

As for video conferencing, Sequoia finally lets you preview what others will see from your webcam before you join a call, and you can customize your background using one of the images Apple provides, or by adding one of your own.

macOS Sonoma vs Sequoia: Pros and cons

If you’re one of the many Mac owners who have experienced macOS Sonoma problems, you may be hesitant to upgrade. We believe, however, that for most users, Sequoia is better overall. Here’s a comparison of the pros and cons to help you decide which is best for you:

Conclusion

The main difference between Sonoma and Sequoia is all the new features that the latter brings to macOS, the biggest of which are Apple Intelligence, iPhone Mirroring, and the Passwords app. We believe these things make Sequoia a welcome and worthy upgrade to most Mac users.

If you have an older, less powerful Mac, you may find that Sequoia is slightly slower than Sonoma, but it’s easy to boost performance on all Apple computers by using MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup tool to rid your system of unnecessary files and junk that only take up space and slow you down.