When Apple discontinued the iMac Pro and removed the iMac from its online store, we thought it was the end of the iMac. The iMac is only sold in one size: the 24 inch version. The iMac lineup used to be dominated by the 27 inch model.
It's possible that Apple wants to leave this device dead and buried so that the Mac Studio and Studio Display can scratch that itch. There are hints that Apple may offer a larger iMac with a better level of performance than the 24 inch iMac. Everything we know about the next high-end all-in-one from Apple can be found here.
The all-new Mac Studio was unveiled at the Peek Performance event. The Mac Pro was the last Mac that hadn't transitioned to Apple Silicon. That seemed to be the end of larger iMacs.
The iMac Pro is likely to be that way. The iMac Pro won't get a new release date any time soon, as Apple's announcement would seem to confirm. It doesn't hold true for the iMac The possibility of a new iMac with an Apple chip is open since the iMac already comes with one.
There is at least one clue. The iMac is listed as "iMac 24." If it was going to be the only size option in the iMac family, Apple would just call it "iMac," as there would be no need for a differentiating feature. There is an implication that there is another size on the way, if the measurements are included in the name.
When could we see the iMac make a big deal? Now that the Mac Studio and its accompanying 27-inch Studio Display are out in the wild, we can't see a 27 inch iMac in the foreseeable future. The high-end iMac won't come out until at least 2023 according to reliable Apple analyst. With a new 27 inch display just launched, Apple will want to give it some breathing space, which could mean a 2023 launch date for the larger iMac.
Predictions for Apple's new desktop products:1. 2022: More powerful Mac mini and more affordable external display (27-inch without mini-LED).
2. 2023: Mac Pro and iMac Pro.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 6, 2022
Mark Gurman is an Apple journalist who has a strong track record for Apple leaks. Gurman said in his newsletter that he expected the iMac to come with either M3 Pro or M3 Max chips. We haven't seen M2 Pro and M2 Max chips yet, so don't expect the M3 to be available until late 2023. That could be the last time the iMac is available.
If we look at Apple's other desktop offerings, we can get a clue about the price. The iMac has a starting price of $1,200. The mac studio and studio display start at $3,598 The studio display is more expensive than the iMac, costing over $2,000 more. We would expect the iMac to have a price similar to the one it had before it was discontinued. When the 14-inch MacBook Pro came out, the starting price went up to $1999. It will fill a gap in the price range for Apple.
The iMac G3 from 1998 was brought back to life in the redesign of the iMac. The new iMac has a playful vibe that Apple hopes will make it easy to use, just like its G3 inspiration.
Is the iMac treated the same? It's possible that Apple positions it in a different way. Bright colors are all but guaranteed if it is branded as a larger version of the iMac. Maintaining the color continuity would make sense since it would be an extension of the model.
The colors are out if Apple brings back the iMac Pro name. Gray and silver are the colors that Apple's pro devices come in. The bright pink or yellow shades on the machine would probably make it feel out of place. We don't think iMac Pro branding is likely given Apple's statement on how many devices are yet to switch to Apple.
The iMac was made thinner and had a colorful outlook. Will this design stay with the iMac? There is a chance. It is possible that the larger iMac will not need to be beefed up to accommodate it because of how efficient Apple Silicon chips are.
The iMac Pro is shaped by the chip that powers it. The iMac felt like the first Mac that was designed around the benefits of Apple Silicon, but it won't be the same as the higher-end iMac.
We think the next Mac Pro will have 32-core chips. The M1 Ultra and M2 chip are not likely.
The new iMac is not expected to be launched for a while. Mark Gurman thinks it will come with either an M3 Pro or M3 Max chip.
It makes sense to have those chip choices. The current iMac uses an entry-level M1, so the next chips in the line-up would give potential users a simple choice without creating too much of a gulf between the different iMacs.
It might seem like a good fit for the iMac Pro, but if it turns out to be a 27 inch iMac, it will be too high-end. The redesign of the MacBook Air is expected to feature the M2 chip. While still offering a performance boost over the M1 in the 24 inch iMac, that chip would be a better fit for a consumer machine like the 27 inch iMac.
It is almost certain that the iMac will not have a graphics card. Even the maxed out, highest-end Mac Studio retains the in-built graphics of the M1 Ultra, as Apple is confident in its own chips.
The iMac is 24 inches across, up from the 21.5 inch model it replaced. Apple reduced the size of the screen to make it look bigger. It is almost certain that the larger iMac will get the same treatment as the smaller one, with its screen size shifting up a notch. It's in the 30 to 32 inch range. If Apple wanted to stick with a 27 inch display, they could cut down on the size of the enclosure.
We may not get a better screen resolution than the iMac. The iMac has a 4.5K resolution, while the studio display has a 5k resolution. The iMac went from 4K to 4.5K after all, but the Studio Display with a 27 inch 5K display suggests that may not be the case. The Pro Display XDR has a 6K resolution, but it weighs in at 32 inches across, so 5K at 27 inches is the ideal resolution for Apple.
We may see more than just a nice resolution. We wouldn't be surprised if Apple brought its mini-LED XDR brand name into play as it did for the iPad Pro. There is a huge contrast ratio and peak brightness with this. Ross Young, a display industry expert, believes that the iMac would come with a mini-LED panel. That would make it stand out.
Touch ID was only included in the iMac's Magic Keyboard as part of the $1,499 price point. It's a dead cert for the higher-end iMac when it's released because of that.
Touch ID could be replaced by Face ID. We know the company is working on adding this secure login tech to the Mac, but is it ready to go? We have our fingers crossed that Face ID will be ready despite the chaos caused by the coronaviruses. Mark Gurman, a reliable reporter, predicts that it will arrive as soon as this year because of the projected release date.
Fans of the iMac will be happy to see the return of the HDMI slot in the new MacBook Pro. The next top-end iMac is likely to have more ports than the current entry-level iMac due to the professional audience who might be attracted by a larger iMac. The new MacBook Pro models could give a glimpse at the ports that are coming to this device.
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