Apple’s redesigned 24-inch iMac is exciting; it features a slimmer build, larger screen, Apple’s M1 processor and a host of hardware improvements, and it’s also available in a variety of eye-catching colors.
But now it’s over a year old, so we’re expecting an updated version powered by Apple’s newest M2 chipset, let alone a big-screen successor to the 27-inch iMac.
Hopes for a larger version were fueled by the introduction of the Mac Studio and its accompanying 27-inch Studio Display, and the subsequent discontinuation of the standard 27-inch iMac in March 2022.
Here’s everything there is to know so far, including release date rumors, price speculation, and the latest leaks.
When will the new iMac be released?
Apple first released the redesigned 24-inch iMac in 2021, so it’s now been almost two years since we’ve received a new version – we’re late.
That iMac was powered by the M1 processor, which has since been supplanted by the M2, first announced in June 2022 and now available on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini.
This suggests we should get a new version soon, but it’s not that simple – BGR and other sites report that Apple analyst Mark Gurman wrote in Bloomberg that Apple may skip the iMac M2 – although oddly the comment is no longer found in the Bloomberg blog post. Here is what he wrote, quoted by BGR:
I haven’t seen anything to indicate there will be a new iMac before the M3 chip generation, which won’t arrive until the end of this year at the earliest or next year. So if you want to stick with the iMac, you’ll just have to sit tight.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg
That means we shouldn’t expect a new iMac until end of 2023 at the earliest, and most likely later – and he won’t have an M2 when he arrives.
How much will the new iMac cost?
Given that we don’t have anything near a solid release date yet, we can only speculate on the potential price of the larger redesigned iMac. And that, of course, means looking at the 24-inch iMac version to give us an idea of what to expect – and that could spell good news.
Despite the redesigned form factor, increased screen size, and the introduction of new technologies, including Apple’s M1 and an improved webcam, the price of the 24-inch iMac mirrors that of its older counterpart. 21 inches – although it has since grown slightly thanks to inflation.
If Apple can stay at the same price, we should expect any updated 24-inch iMac to start at around $1,299 / £1,399. Apple’s consistency also hopefully means that if it brings back the larger model, it will stay close to the price of the older 27-inch variant – which in its latest iteration started at $1,799/ £1,799.
What specs and features will the new iMac have?
Despite the possibility that the next iMac won’t appear until 2024, the rumor mill is in full swing, giving us a good idea of what to expect from the next-gen iMac.
New Apple Silicon chip
Of course, a new iMac means a new processor. The latest version featured the M1 processor, which debuted in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro line in late 2020, and has since made its way to many devices, including the iPad Pro.
The M1 has since been replaced by the M2, which already has its own M2 Pro and M2 Max variants. For a while it seemed like the likely candidate for the next iMac, but Gurman’s report mentioned above suggests that instead we could jump straight to the M3.
This chip – not yet announced – is expected to move to a 3nm process, a major improvement over the current 5nm form factor. That could mean another generational leap in fuel efficiency and performance, rather than the relatively modest improvement from M1 to M2.
Unchanged form factor
The main feature of the smaller 24-inch iMac, apart from the transition to Apple Silicon, was its redesigned form factor, offering a thinner all-in-one than most alternatives in a variety of colors that reflect the old Apple G2 from the early 2000s. The bezels have shrunk considerably, allowing Apple to expand the screen size without much impact on the overall form factor, paving the way for a sleeker, more modern iMac.
It’s the latest in a long line of product redesigns as Apple seeks to unify the design of its lineup, and since it’s so new it seems unlikely that Apple will be in a hurry to get back to the drawing board. . Instead, expect the next iMac to be identical to the 2021 model, except perhaps with updates to the color gamut available.
Larger display option
Apple offers two sizes of iMac: 21.5 inches and 27 inches. The updated 24in looks like a halfway house, but it was really a redesign that packed a bigger screen into a similarly sized body to the old 21.5in model – which has many wondering. why the 27 inch did not receive the same treatment.
With the 27in now discontinued – and Apple offering a 27in Studio Display to go along with the Mac Mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro – it’s possible Apple just decided to do away with the form factor.
Many prognosticators and analysts, however, suspected otherwise. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggested it in an early July 2021 edition of his Power On newsletter, saying there will be a new model with a “jumbo” screen, although he didn’t go into specifics.
This echoes previous claims from leaker l0vetodream, who suggested there would be a bigger iMac, where “the screen is really big, bigger than the biggest”.
Some of the more enthusiastic pundits are suggesting that Apple could upsize the display to 32 inches to mirror that of Apple’s Pro XDR monitor, a display that would share its design language with the new iMac. However, if l0vetodream is accurate, it might measure a bit larger than the existing 32-inch monitor – the largest Apple currently makes.
It should be noted, however, that there are conflicting rumors when it comes to the display department. While several leakers are convinced something bigger is coming, analyst Ross Young suggests that a 27-inch MiniLED display is heading to an iMac in the future, with ProMotion technology going from 24Hz to 120Hz.
Young has a pretty good track record when it comes to display technology — he correctly predicted the iPhone 12 would skip ProMotion, and he was also on the money with his Mini-LED MacBook Pro prediction — but as with all the leaks and rumors, it’s worth taking with a pinch of salt.
With Apple’s obvious desire to unify its product design, it’s safe to assume that if the 27-inch iMac gets a redesign it will look like the 24-inch iMac, with bezel reduction and the slimming of the overall form factor as well as other hardware improvements. .
What’s unclear is whether it will be available in the same vibrant colors; while standard products like the iPhone 14 and iPad Air come in a variety of fun colors, Pro-level products like the iPad Pro and iPhone 14 Pro are considerably more understated.
The color scheme likely depends on who Apple thinks will be using the iMac – while the 24-inch iMac is intended for everyday use, expected use of the larger model in offices and other professional environments may limit brightness and the liveliness of the finish.
Face ID for iMac
There were rumors that Face ID was a feature of the 24-inch iMac, but as we now know, that never happened. Bloomberg reported that Apple originally planned to include Face ID on the new model, but it was ultimately pushed back.
In the report, Mark Gurman explains that, unlike iPhones and iPads, Mac screens are significantly thinner, which makes it harder to include the technology needed to make Face ID work.
That said, Gurman is confident that Face ID will be coming to Mac in the “next few years”. Given the current suggestion that the biggest iMac might not debut until 2024, it’s possible that Apple will take the extra development time to successfully implement Face ID on the next model.
If it does exist, it’s also not clear if it would be in the computer’s bezel or in a notch – something Apple has now introduced to the MacBook Pro lineup, so it might be willing to s extend to its iMacs.
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