Apple will release the public OS X Yosemite beta on Thursday, with 9to5Mac reporting that the final version will be released as a free download via the Mac App Store at some point in late October, possibly alongside new Macs that will come with high-resolution displays.
FROM EARLIER: Why it makes sense for iOS 8 and Yosemite to launch separately
The publication says the final Yosemite Developer Preview version will be seeded on September 29, followed by a golden master around October 10. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Apple is also readying products with better displays, including a 12-inch Retina MacBook Air model and either a 4K iMac and/or a new 4K display.
“Those [Yosemite] interface elements [including more colorful icons, thinner text and sharper window corners] appear especially optimized on higher-resolution screens, so it makes sense for us to debut new Retina Macs around the time of Yosemite’s release,” an unnamed source told 9to5Mac.
The 12-inch Retina MacBook Air laptop, which was recently rumored to have been delayed due to Intel chip shortages, will reportedly be thinner and slightly lighter than other Air models. It’s not known though whether the PC will be included in the Air or the Pro families of notebooks, or whether Apple will create a new laptop line for it.
As for the 4K display/iMac Apple is working for, it’s not clear whether the company will label it as a Retina device. “The technology for true pixel-doubling of the current 27-inch iMac and Thunderbolt Display’s 2560 x 1440 resolution is not ready for market,” the publication says.
The new Macs may be released in late Q3 or early Q4 this year, but Intel shortages and Apple resources being diverted to other 2014 products could push back the launch of these macs to early 2015. Interestingly, a fitness and health Apple event may be scheduled for October, at which point Apple could also announce release date details for Yosemite and new Macs.
In terms of software, Apple is also said to be preparing iMovie and Final Cut Pro updates for the Yosemite release.
