Other Bring macOS to iPhones, Apple!

[BiBaBasti]

Hey Guys,

I was just wondering about the pure power of the latest iPhone 17´s and with all the power they have right now, they should be able to run even macOS 26 and further quite easily.

So my idea of any future iPhone at this point would be the opportunity to even let them run macOS, because with all that power iOS is quite limited.

I mean, imagine any future iPhone Pro Max or even Ultra with a (Mini-)HDMI-port, so connected to a display and with adjustable resolution to work on a mac right inside your pocket... Maybe even wireless like CarPlay?

Despite Apple probably won´t give us this option due to iMac and MacBook sales, don´t you think it would be theoretically possible at this point?

Don´t get me wrong, the iPhone itself could still just be on iOS, but let´s just say a dedicated button or menu would turn it into a Mac?

Still able to answer calls etc. even when working in Mac-mode while playing games and working with connected bluetooth mouse and keyboard.

Google is working on combining ChromeOS and Android into one, so at a certain point this will be the standard with Android phones, to even have a Dekstop mode.

I mean, in the EU an iPhone 17 Pro Max with 2 TB ist 2.449,- € and even with the power of a gaming PC or even Workstation in your pocket you are still limited to iOS.

Again, my idea is just macOS as an option, not the default OS on future iPhones, but I think that would be my dream one day to see iPhones run macOS.

It even becomes more real if you think of a future budget Macbook with an A series chip, so even the hardware shouldn´t be a problem anymore...

Besides all this imagination, don´t iOS, iPadOS and macOS already share one platform already? This year Apple made the first step by renaming all their OS´s into 26, so what about just one OS to run them all with just different modes (iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro and Mac)?

What about Cyberpunk 2077 on macOS natively even running on your iPhone, not to mention steam and all the working and editiing Mac programs?

What are your thoughts?

 

[vvvvvv]

Navigating through Finder on a 6.5" screen sounds delightful

 

[uller6]

I want this so badly! Please Apple let me use my phone as a full desktop when docked to a monitor with keyboard and mouse.

 

[BiBaBasti]

Navigating through Finder on a 6.5" screen sounds delightful

I was thinking of macOS as an option first and second I mentioned the opportunity to connect your iPhone to displays, screen whatever for this reason... 🙄

 

[ProbablyDylan]

Won't happen. Not for any technical reason. Just that it works better for Apple if you buy an iPhone and a Mac.

 

[FeliApple]

Ridiculous. The worst idea ever. Apple already killed touch-first multitasking on iPads due to the incessantly annoying minority wanting a tablet to replace a laptop.

Now people want them to kill the iPhone, too?

Buy a Mac.

 

[JPack]

Reminds me of Steve Jobs when he said something along the lines of, most other companies invent a technology and then try to create a product to sell it. The product fails because the user experience is poor and nobody wanted it.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

 

[BiBaBasti]

The product fails because the user experience is poor and nobody wanted it.

How do you wanna know it will be a bad user experience if Apple would make it happen and how can you say nobody wants a phone that turns easily into a desktop Mac right out of your pocket?

 

[Aaltug_34]

Hey Guys,

I was just wondering about the pure power of the latest iPhone 17´s and with all the power they have right now, they should be able to run even macOS 26 and further quite easily.

So my idea of any future iPhone at this point would be the opportunity to even let them run macOS, because with all that power iOS is quite limited.

I mean, imagine any future iPhone Pro Max or even Ultra with a (Mini-)HDMI-port, so connected to a display and with adjustable resolution to work on a mac right inside your pocket... Maybe even wireless like CarPlay?

Despite Apple probably won´t give us this option due to iMac and MacBook sales, don´t you think it would be theoretically possible at this point?

Don´t get me wrong, the iPhone itself could still just be on iOS, but let´s just say a dedicated button or menu would turn it into a Mac?

Still able to answer calls etc. even when working in Mac-mode while playing games and working with connected bluetooth mouse and keyboard.

Google is working on combining ChromeOS and Android into one, so at a certain point this will be the standard with Android phones, to even have a Dekstop mode.

I mean, in the EU an iPhone 17 Pro Max with 2 TB ist 2.449,- € and even with the power of a gaming PC or even Workstation in your pocket you are still limited to iOS.

Again, my idea is just macOS as an option, not the default OS on future iPhones, but I think that would be my dream one day to see iPhones run macOS.

It even becomes more real if you think of a future budget Macbook with an A series chip, so even the hardware shouldn´t be a problem anymore...

Besides all this imagination, don´t iOS, iPadOS and macOS already share one platform already? This year Apple made the first step by renaming all their OS´s into 26, so what about just one OS to run them all with just different modes (iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro and Mac)?

What about Cyberpunk 2077 on macOS natively even running on your iPhone, not to mention steam and all the working and editiing Mac programs?

What are your thoughts?

Bad idea.. won't happen ever

 

[BiBaBasti]

Ridiculous. The worst idea ever. Apple already killed touch-first multitasking on iPads due to the incessantly annoying minority wanting a tablet to replace a laptop.

Now people want them to kill the iPhone, too?

Buy a Mac.

Again, just as an option... Don´t tell me every single iPhone user out there is using it´s full capabilities, so a desktop or Mac OS mode wouln´t dsitract or disturb someone at any time...

 

[JPack]

How do you wanna know it will be a bad user experience if Apple would make it happen and how can you say nobody wants a phone that turns easily into a desktop Mac right out of your pocket?

How can it possibly be a bad experience, right?

That's why Windows CE is what everyone uses in their pocket today. Oh, wait.

You're probably too young to realize this, but the concept of "let's squish a desktop OS into a handheld" has already been tried in the 90s and 2000s. It failed. iPhone didn't do that and that's why it became successful.

 

[whatnot]

Besides all this imagination, don´t iOS, iPadOS and macOS already share one platform already?

correct, the direction of travel is your Mac as a phone, not the other way round, and at current rate, by the time 'future' comes, OS will be fully cannibalised by iOS.

 

[eyoungren]

Again, just as an option... Don´t tell me every single iPhone user out there is using it´s full capabilities, so a desktop or Mac OS mode wouln´t dsitract or disturb someone at any time...

Can my iPhone do this?



And yes…all 10 displays are connected to ONE Mac.

 

[BiBaBasti]

How can it possibly be a bad experience, right?

That's why Windows CE is what everyone uses in their pocket today. Oh, wait.

Oh wow, comparing 2000s PDAs to todays possibilitiesis really Steve Jobs´ thinking... How dare we invented cars if we could just use our horses... 🤦‍♂️

 

[BiBaBasti]

Can my iPhone do this?

View attachment 2563354

And yes…all 10 displays are connected to ONE Mac.

In the future hopefully yes ;-)

 

[FeliApple]

Again, just as an option... Don´t tell me every single iPhone user out there is using it´s full capabilities, so a desktop or Mac OS mode wouln´t dsitract or disturb someone at any time...

Again, this shows a fundamental misunderstanding of Apple’s ideology.

Apple does not allow choice.

On iPadOS 26, Apple switched the multitasking “mode” to Mac-like windowing.

Split View and Slide Over? Completely removed, with no ability to downgrade to iPadOS 18 and no ability to re-enable those. It is a “forced” change if you update iOS and/oe if you upgrade your phone.

Apple is NOT and has NEVER been about choices.

You post fundamentally misunderstands that.

 

[eyoungren]

In the future hopefully yes ;-)

I'll keep an eye on it then. That's 5x 30" Apple Cinema Displays and a 55" HDTV for starters. With the rest, it takes three video cards.

Apple Genius tried to sell me on an iPad as a replacement Mac once. Once I started telling him my Mac was connected to (at that time) six displays he dropped the conversation.

PS. I'm always fiddling with this, so the pic above is not the most current. I've since replaced the smaller monitor on the bottom left with a 24" display.

 

[JPack]

Oh wow, comparing 2000s PDAs to todays possibilitiesis really Steve Jobs´ thinking... How dare we invented cars if we could just use our horses... 🤦‍♂️

If you still don't get it, Jobs was all about making custom hardware and software. The two need to be specifically made for each other.

Watch the 2007 keynote again.

It's the same reason why Apple TV doesn't run macOS even though it has HDMI and connects to Bluetooth keyboards.

You're seriously asking Apple to bring macOS to iPhone? I thought this thread was a joke.

 

[BiBaBasti]

It's the same reason why Apple TV doesn't run macOS even though it has HDMI and connects to Bluetooth keyboards.

You're seriously asking Apple to bring macOS to iPhone? I thought this thread was a joke.

No it´s not, the capabiliies of Apple TV are much less than an iPhone and I´m not even talking about it´s price point here.

And no, not asking Apple directly, just thinking about and discussing it here, since we´ve come a long way now and the latest iPhones have never been this powerful with 12 GB RAM and A19 Pro, to run mac OS easily...

And if it just would be an option... Why would it bother anyone? If you still want to have iPhone, iPad and Mac seperatly go for it, I´m just talking about an OPTION here for iPhones.

And since Google plans something very similiar to my idea, why Apple shouldn´t?

Do you really think somebody would think of Google making Android for desktops couple of years ago? Yet, we have it already with Android 16, despite Samsung DEX for even longer....

Just my two cents on this and wondering if Apple will follow...

 

[BiBaBasti]

I'll keep an eye on it then. That's 5x 30" Apple Cinema Displays and a 55" HDTV for starters. With the rest, it takes three video cards.

Apple Genius tried to sell me on an iPad as a replacement Mac once. Once I started telling him my Mac was connected to (at that time) six displays he dropped the conversation.

PS. I'm always fiddling with this, so the pic above is not the most current. I've since replaced the smaller monitor on the bottom left with a 24" display.

Well, maybe your requirements are even in my wettest dreams a little bit too much for an iPhone with HDMI and mac OS option 😂

 

[eyoungren]

Well, maybe your requirements are even in my wettest dreams a little bit too much for an iPhone with HDMI and mac OS option 😂

Not so much a 'requirement', as it is a want. In order to get the five Cinema Displays, it required a third video card capable of handling the extras. That left me with four extra ports between all three. So…I filled those ports up because I wanted to. But, I am atypical. Your average person is using maybe 2-3 monitors, at most four and that's pushing it. I used just six for years before this.

My work Mac (an M2) only uses two of the displays (connected via a KVM switch).

I understand the idea of MacOS on an iPhone. Take your iPhone to work or wherever you need it, plug it in, you essentially have a 'Mac' driving a keyboard, mouse and a monitor (or two). It still serves as a phone when not being used as a computer. It's compact and powerful.

This is the same reason the company I work for got us laptops instead of desktops. Plug in (work or home) and go. You can even use it outside of those two places.

But…IMO, Apple isn't going to do this. Or if they do, it'll be to the iPad first. Which I don't believe they will do. Apple still sells plenty of Macs and this would cut in to their sales of that.

It's also, when you get right down to it, like a foldable. It's a jack of all trades and master of none. For serious purpose, most people are not going to be wanting to plug a phone in to do the work of a Mac.

 

[BiBaBasti]

But…IMO, Apple isn't going to do this. Or if they do, it'll be to the iPad first. Which I don't believe they will do. Apple still sells plenty of Macs and this would cut in to their sales of that.

It's also, when you get right down to it, like a foldable. It's a jack of all trades and master of none. For serious purpose, most people are not going to be wanting to plug a phone in to do the work of a Mac.

That´s exactly what I´m talking about, eyoungren!

Even the iPads come with powerful M-chips nowadays and still don´t give us the opportunity or choice to run mac OS.... So if they will (like rumours say) bring a budget Macbook on an A series chip, there is no more technological hurdle to give us Mac OS on iPhones.

And speaking of let´s say 99% of the people, not including you of course eyoungren, who needs more than one or two screens for some writing applications or stuff like that?
Just buy an iPhone, plug it into your cheap Samsung screeen and Logitech mouse and keyboard and enjoy Mac OS with all the Apple subscriptions and cloud services.

Even I´m am not a fan of foldables as well due tue toughness and longevity, but that´s the direction we´re talking about here.

Steve Jobs is still mentioned all the time by a couple of people here and still believe in his thoughts of 2007... Do you really believe he would´ve stayed in 2007 if he would still be alive? Come on Guys, we´ve come this far with iPhones running AAA games, so how far is Mac OS away?

 

[JPack]

No it´s not, the capabiliies of Apple TV are much less than an iPhone and I´m not even talking about it´s price point here.

And no, not asking Apple directly, just thinking about and discussing it here, since we´ve come a long way now and the latest iPhones have never been this powerful with 12 GB RAM and A19 Pro, to run mac OS easily...

And if it just would be an option... Why would it bother anyone? If you still want to have iPhone, iPad and Mac seperatly go for it, I´m just talking about an OPTION here for iPhones.

And since Google plans something very similiar to my idea, why Apple shouldn´t?

Do you really think somebody would think of Google making Android for desktops couple of years ago? Yet, we have it already with Android 16, despite Samsung DEX for even longer....

Just my two cents on this and wondering if Apple will follow...

Because it would be a universally bad experience.

If you haven't noticed, Apple decides what is best for the customer and focuses on delivering the best experience. They don't let you choose a dozen ways to customize things. It "bothers" the user experience. Allowing macOS as an option means Apple endorses it. You make it sound like iOS hasn't evolved over the past two decades and there's a good reason for macOS on iPhone. Just because Google makes round smartwatches doesn't mean Apple should do it.

"Focus is about saying no."

 

[BiBaBasti]

Because it would be a universally bad experience.

If you haven't noticed, Apple decides what is best for the customer and focuses on delivering the best experience. They don't let you choose a dozen ways to customize things. It "bothers" the user experience. Allowing macOS as an option means Apple endorses it. You make it sound like iOS hasn't evolved over the past two decades and there's a good reason for macOS on iPhone. Just because Google makes round smartwatches doesn't mean Apple should do it.

"Focus is about saying no."

And you decide for Apple now as well, whats good for customers or not?

How can you even say it would be a universally bad experience... How? How do you even think of knowing how Apple´s solution for this would look like?

Did you predicted an orange iPhone Pro (Max) in 2025 as well?

And regarding customization you´re wrong again, Apple has never gotten as more to choose from then before, even on an iPhone.

Some people in Germany even recommend Pixel phone for elderly people because there are not as many options to choose from custumization as on an iPhone.
Times have changed and so does Apple and so would Steve Jobs... Do you really think Steve Jobs would still be in his 2007 mind with nowadays capabilities of an iPhone?
And your reference to Google´s watch is a joke, isn´t it? We´re talking about something fundamentally here...

 

[joeblow7777]

I remember how much everyone (especially Apple users) dumped on Microsoft for trying to make Windows 8 a fusion of desktop and mobile operating systems to give a consistent experience on all their devices.