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Other How long until the iPhone runs MacOS?

TSE

TSE

macrumors 601
Original poster
When will we be able to plug an iPhone into a USB-C monitor, connect to a mouse and keyboard via bluetooth, and run MacOS on the monitor?

Get with it, Apple!
 
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Ja. Probably need to boost the SSD a lot for that to be practical to hold macOS and macOS applications.

More SSD, more RAM ... gonna wind up boosting cost of the phone 1.5x to 2x mebbe.
 
I think they won't let macOS ever run on iPhone. But it's possible that future iPhone Pro or Ultra model has a Dex or Desktop mode when connect to external display.
 
TSE said:
When will we be able to plug an iPhone into a USB-C monitor, connect to a mouse and keyboard via bluetooth, and run MacOS on the monitor?

Get with it, Apple!
Click to expand...
This question keeps popping up and I see it happening some day, but not soon.

In any case, this is not the real question for me because this is not anything I'd do with my iPhone until I can definitively be told that I can do the following:

2026-04-10 21.33.06.jpg

That's 10 displays my Mac Pro is driving, 5 of which are 30" Cinema Displays and one display being a 55" HDTV.

So far I keep hearing that what I do/have is not possible with an iPhone. Even if that iPhone is running MacOS.

My apologies to those who keep seeing this popup in threads like this. But people keep making threads with the same question.
 
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eyoungren said:
This question keeps popping up and I see it happening some day, but not soon.

In any case, this is not the real question for me because this is not anything I'd do with my iPhone until I can definitively be told that I can do the following:

View attachment 2621848

That's 10 displays my Mac Pro is driving, 5 of which are 30" Cinema Displays and one display being a 55" HDTV.

So far I keep hearing that what I do/have is not possible with an iPhone. Even if that iPhone is running MacOS.

My apologies to those who keep seeing this popup in threads like this. But people keep making threads with the same question.
Click to expand...

Not everyone is working for Disneyland or Disney Hollywood Studios.

I don't have a smart phone, but expect there are people out there who want to plug in and drive 1 PC monitor with an iphone. I have friends without a laptop, tablet or desktop PC and their only gateway to the modern world is a smart phone.
 
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Refractor said:
Not everyone is working for Disneyland or Disney Hollywood Studios.

I don't have a smart phone, but expect there are people out there who want to plug in and drive 1 PC monitor with an iphone. I have friends without a laptop, tablet or desktop PC and their only gateway to the modern world is a smart phone.
Click to expand...
As I said, one day this will happen. It's just not now. In the future, your friends will be able to do this.

However, my gateway to the world is through a traditional computer and it will always be that way.
 
eyoungren said:
This question keeps popping up and I see it happening some day, but not soon.

In any case, this is not the real question for me because this is not anything I'd do with my iPhone until I can definitively be told that I can do the following:

View attachment 2621848

That's 10 displays my Mac Pro is driving, 5 of which are 30" Cinema Displays and one display being a 55" HDTV.

So far I keep hearing that what I do/have is not possible with an iPhone. Even if that iPhone is running MacOS.

My apologies to those who keep seeing this popup in threads like this. But people keep making threads with the same question.
Click to expand...
Well he asked for one monitor. which is fine for 98% of people.
No one expects to replace a mac pro with an iphone.
Btw what do you do on 20 diplays except of dispaying elfs and wizards?
 
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maerz001 said:
Well he asked for one monitor. which is fine for 98% of people.
No one expects to replace a mac pro with an iphone.
Click to expand...
Then why ask? Why the interest if not to actually substitute the device for a computer? Wouldn't that be the entire point? So you'd never need a computer?

Asking opened the door, even if it's just about one monitor. I am simply stating that this will never do for me - and showing why it won't.

maerz001 said:
Btw what do you do on 20 diplays except of dispaying elfs and wizards?
Click to expand...
It's 10 and it allows me to dedicate displays to different windows and documents from the same or different apps, as well as keep app palettes out of the way. It means I can have multiple apps open at once and not have anything hidden behind another app's windows.

I just tend to take pictures with the desktop showing is all.
 
eyoungren said:
Then why ask? Why the interest if not to actually substitute the device for a computer? Wouldn't that be the entire point? So you'd never need a computer?

Asking opened the door, even if it's just about one monitor. I am simply stating that this will never do for me - and showing why it won't.


It's 10 and it allows me to dedicate displays to different windows and documents from the same or different apps, as well as keep app palettes out of the way. It means I can have multiple apps open at once and not have anything hidden behind another app's windows.

I just tend to take pictures with the desktop showing is all.
Click to expand...
What is wrong with virtual desktops?
 
eyoungren said:
Then why ask? Why the interest if not to actually substitute the device for a computer? Wouldn't that be the entire point? So you'd never need a computer?

Asking opened the door, even if it's just about one monitor. I am simply stating that this will never do for me - and showing why it won't.


It's 10 and it allows me to dedicate displays to different windows and documents from the same or different apps, as well as keep app palettes out of the way. It means I can have multiple apps open at once and not have anything hidden behind another app's windows.

I just tend to take pictures with the desktop showing is all.
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Well cos 1 monitor (or maybe 2 with 4k) would be now possible without any hardware changes to the iphone.
Its just software holding it back.

To run a mac pro in an iPhone shell might be possible 20years later

but in the end its the same discussion why we dont have ipads with macos or MB with touchscreen. A camera in the apple watch or folding iphones.
Some people want it, others hate it.
 
I predict in the not-too-distant future, 'M' chips and 'A' chips will be merged. And if you combine the 'C' modem chips... the MAC chip. A Mac powered by MAC. An iPhone powered by MAC. An Apple Watch powered by MAC.

The same chip deployed across all Apple devices, including Apple watches. The cheaper ones have a chip that has fewer cores, is underclocked etc.

Apple Silicon and the divorce with Intel was the best thing that happened to Apple. Observe the mess on the other side with Intel, Qualcomm, Microsoft and various Windows OEMs all fumbling hard.

Microsoft should learn from Apple on how to push/not push an account on users i.e. Microsoft account vs Apple account.

Apple should learn from Microsoft on how NOT to push A.I onto users i.e. Copilot shoved in your face.
 
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capamac said:
Ja. Probably need to boost the SSD a lot for that to be practical to hold macOS and macOS applications.

More SSD, more RAM ... gonna wind up boosting cost of the phone 1.5x to 2x mebbe.
Click to expand...
The hardware you describe is basically the Neo which is iphone 16pro level
 
fzJNotIBOxgnbqejSeVCvJScL said:
I predict in the not-too-distant future, 'M' chips and 'A' chips will be merged. And if you combine the 'C' modem chips... the MAC chip. A Mac powered by MAC. An iPhone powered by MAC. An Apple Watch powered by MAC.

The same chip deployed across all Apple devices, including Apple watches. The cheaper ones have a chip that has fewer cores, is underclocked etc.

Apple Silicon and the divorce with Intel was the best thing that happened to Apple. Observe the mess on the other side with Intel, Qualcomm, Microsoft and various Windows OEMs all fumbling hard.

Microsoft should learn from Apple on how to push/not push an account on users i.e. Microsoft account vs Apple account.

Apple should learn from Microsoft on how NOT to push A.I onto users i.e. Copilot shoved in your face.
Click to expand...
Well its already kind of like that. But also not. While the pro and ultra chips are similar built they are physically substantial larger cos of space for additional cores etc.
thats why they are more costly and this will always be like that.
They don’t fit in a watch or iphone and money wise it makes no sense to use them.
 
fzJNotIBOxgnbqejSeVCvJScL said:
I predict in the not-too-distant future, 'M' chips and 'A' chips will be merged.
Click to expand...
What does that mean? That Apple will reduce the number of chips in one generation from 4/5 (A19, A19 Pro, M5, M5 Pro, M5 Max) to fewer than that? The A vs. M is just branding and has no deeper technical meaning. The A12X might as well have been an M0. Or the M1 might as well have been called the A14X.
 
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