The new APFS file system is heading mainstream.

The next version of macOS will be named High Sierra, with Apple promising it to be a refined, polished update to Sierra.

Apple's APFS file system will be the default in the new version, bringing its superior performance and robustness to the desktop Mac, months after Apple made the switch on the iPhone.

Safari is adding a new intelligent tracking feature that will block trackers so that sites such as Amazon will no longer advertise the products you already bought on every site you visit. The new Safari will also block auto-playing video.

Mail is going to be more disk-space efficient, taking up 35 percent less space for mail storage. Full screen users will enjoy a new split-view compose window.

Apple is also making big improvements to graphics and motion video. Hardware-accelerated H.265/HEVC video will be integrated across the operating system and Apple's apps. Apple's proprietary 3D API Metal is also being updated to version 2, with a claimed 10-times performance boost in draw calls relative to the first version. Metal 2 will also provide built-in first party support for external GPUs connected with Thunderbolt 3. Finally, Metal 2 will also offer virtual reality support, with Valve's Steam VR, Unity, and the Unreal engine all supported.



ArsTechnica