What's next for iMac? What We Know About the New Design, the M3 Chip, and More Tuesday, November 15, 2022 8:13 AM PST by Sami Fathi
In April 2021, Apple released a brand new 24-inch iMac with the chip M1. currently one and a half years old. As a result, customers may wonder what's next for iMac and the Apple Universal Desktop.
We've heard a few rumors and reports about what Apple has in store, which gives us a good idea of what's coming next, and we've outlined some of the details we know . about the design, performance and more of the new iMac below.
Pro or No Pro?
Apple releases 27-inch iMac Pro in 2017, at the time it was the answer to professional customers who needed a powerful all-in-one desktop PC from Apple. Apple discontinued the base 27-inch iMac in March 2022 after the launch of Mac Studio and the 27-inch Studio Display. Following its discontinuation, sources disagreed as to whether Apple's next big-screen 27-inch iMac will be referred to as a Pro product or simply a larger consumer-facing version of the iMac.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the iMac Pro will be released next year, while other reports say Apple has no plans to release iMac with big screen. anytime soon. Apple's plans change frequently, so it's unclear what Apple's current plan is.
Two iMacs in development
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Apple is working on two new iMacs: a larger-screen model with a 27-inch display and an update to the current 24-inch model. For the current 24-inch model, Apple reportedly plans to keep the M1 model in the lineup until the end of 2023, and then possibly introduce a new version with the M3 chip.
Updated 24-inch iMac may have the same design and footprint but benefit from the M3 chip. Apple recently introduced the M2 chip in June of this year, so the M3 still far away.
iMac Pro Design and Performance
New addition to iMac family, will it be called “iMac Pro” or not, will include M3 Pro and M3 Maximum chips, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The chips will be the third generation of Apple silicon and will be based on the performance of the upcoming M2 Pro and M2 Max, which are expected to be used in the updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
In terms of display and design, the larger iMac can use the same display technology currently used in the highest-end Apple MacBook Pro models, consisting of mini LEDs and ProMotion. Apple has also tested Face ID for Mac, but it's unlikely to happen any time soon.
When Apple announced the 24-inch iMac with M1 he touted the computer's thin design as a tribute to the performance and efficiency of Apple's silicon compared to the larger motherboard and cooling system required for an Intel-based iMac.
Regarding “iMac&zwnj ; Pro”, it is not entirely clear what design the desktop will have. Apple could have made it thinner while still maintaining the performance of the M3 Pro and M3 Max or make a bigger, thicker, heavier “professional” system similar to the 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pros. According to some rumors, the 27-inch iMac will have a similar design to Pro Display XDR with black borders.
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