Till March 2022 Apple offered two sizes of its iMac desktop laptop. The smaller mannequin was extra suited to house customers as a consequence of its much less highly effective processor, whereas the bigger 27-inch mannequin, with extra pace and higher-end options, was meant to be highly effective sufficient for extra demanding customers.
When Apple launched the 24-inch iMac in 2021 with a colourful redesign and M1 chip, it was the start of the top for the high-end model. First Apple discontinued the iMac Professional, and a 12 months later launched the Mac Studio with the 27-inch Studio Show in March 2022 and discontinued the 27-inch iMac on the similar time.
However the story doesn’t finish there. Ever because it was retired, there have been rumors that Apple has plans to introduce a brand new model of the iMac Professional that will additionally mark the return of the 27-inch iMac–though it may have an excellent greater display! On this article, we’ll consider the studies that counsel that Apple may revive the previous model with a brand-new iMac Professional. Learn on to search out out when it may launch and what options it’d provide.
Is there even a necessity for a brand new iMac Professional now the Mac Studio has arrived? We expect there’ll all the time be room for a professional desktop with a big display inbuilt. See: How the iMac Pro could come out of retirement to dominate the desktop.
Replace July 19: Mark Gurman has indicated {that a} big 32-inch iMac is in testing and will launch in late 2024, extra under.
Is a brand new 27-inch iMac Professional popping out?
The rumors that Apple would revive the iMac Professional have been circulating for years. Again in October 2021, in a tweet that’s now not on-line, retired Apple leaker Dylan tweeted the next particulars about an iMac Professional:
iMac (Professional)
Promotion and Mini Led
Base mannequin 16gb Ram 512gb Storage
M1 Professional and Max
Darkish bezels
HDMI, SD Card, Usb C
Related design to iMac 24 and Professional Show XDR
Beginning worth at or over 2000 {dollars}
Ethernet on brick commonplace
Face ID was examined (Not confirmed)
1H 2022
— Dylan (@dylandkt) October 30, 2021
Clearly, Dylan was incorrect about this prediction, however even when we low cost him, others have additionally claimed that Apple is engaged on a brand new iMac Professional.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo made predictions a few new iMac Professional in March 2022. He tweeted that an iMac Professional would ship in 2023. This prediction got here simply earlier than Apple launched the Mac Studio and eliminated the 27-inch iMac from the lineup although, and Kuo has since been quiet in regards to the new iMac, as an alternative suggesting {that a} mini-LED 27-inch exterior show is within the works.
Kuo may need gone quiet on the way forward for the bigger iMac, however Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman was unfazed by the discharge of the Mac Studio and the elimination of the 27-inch iMac following the March 2022 Apple occasion. Gurman wrote in April 2022: “For these asking, I nonetheless suppose an iMac Professional is coming. It simply received’t be anytime quickly.”
In July 2022 a report on Macrumors, based mostly on data shared by a supply to a discussion board member—so we are able to’t vouch for its accuracy—instructed that “Apple prototyped no less than three bigger iMac fashions with Apple silicon chips” in 2021.
If these studies are true Apple has been engaged on a alternative for the 27-inch iMac (and iMac Professional) for a while, and but nothing has materialized. It appears that evidently there are difficulties which are resulting in delays. In December 2022, Gurman indicated that the iMac Professional had been delayed, citing (as with the brand new Mac Professional) excessive growth prices and difficulties engineering chips as the reason for the delay. In his first publication of 2023, Gurman additionally wrote that the iMac Professional “has been on and off Apple’s street map”, and that “I might be shocked at this level if it arrives in 2023”.
LeaksApplePro (through Howtoisolve) was extra optimistic, claiming, in January 2023, {that a} new iMac Professional, with M2 Professional and M2 Max processors, can be launched in 2023. This clearly didn’t occur and LeaksApplePro got here underneath criticism from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who referred to as him a troll.
Then in February 2023, Show Provide Chain Consultants analyst Ross Younger told MacRumors that Apple’s plans for a 27-inch display with ProMotion help (with refresh charges as much as 120Hz) had been delayed and it might not launch within the first quarter of 2023 as he had anticipated. He did be aware, nonetheless, that this show could possibly be destined for a 27-inch iMac, or it could possibly be a brand new Professional Show XDR.
In June 2023 Gurman talked about the bigger iMac once more in a weekend publication. He claimed that Apple “can also be conducting early work on an iMac with a display over 30 inches.”
27-inch iMac Professional: Launch date
Gurman referred to this huge iMac once more in one other publication in early July, claiming that the rumored 32-inch iMac has entered the early testing phase of growth and will launch in late 2024 on the absolute earliest, though we could possibly be ready till 2025.
Earlier than this new iMac with a bigger display seems Apple is predicted to launch an M3-powered iMac, maybe in late 2023 or early 2024.
If the brand new 27-inch iMac (or bigger) arrives in 2025 that shall be three years after the equal mannequin was discontinued. That’s an extended hiatus.
So a brand new iMac Professional in 2023 is trying unlikely, even though the iMac will be 25 years old on August 15, 2023. Wouldn’t that be a becoming date to launch a brand new iMac?
27-inch iMac Professional: Design and colours
In a July 31, 2021 newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman instructed that the brand new iMac Professional may have “an identical design to the present M1 iMac.”
It is sensible that the iMac Professional will borrow a few of its design inspiration from the 24-inch iMac. Apple provides the 24-inch iMac in a number of shade selections, however there haven’t been studies on what shade selections Apple will use for the iMac Professional. To create a differentiation between the patron and professional ranges, Apple might resolve on completely different shade selections as with the iPhone Professional, or stick to the normal silver like that on the 27-inch iMac or Area Grey as on the discontinued iMac Pro.
One other distinction we may see on the bigger iMac is dark bezels rather than a white border across the display. There can also be a notch as there may be with the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Professional. This might permit Apple to increase the peak of the display because it has with these fashions. We’d additionally prefer to see the iMac Professional lose a few of its “chin.” Based mostly on teardowns of the iMac and the Studio Show, and the low energy and warmth necessities of Apple silicon, a chinless iMac Professional could possibly be doable.
The subsequent giant iMac Professional will in all probability look nothing like the present 27-inch mannequin (proper) and extra just like the 24-inch iMac (left).
Apple
27-inch iMac Professional: Show dimension
Show analyst Ross Younger and others had said that the iMac Professional may have a 27-inch show, which we have now to confess to being dissatisfied by. Nonetheless, in June 2023 Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman indicated that he had data suggesting that Apple is growing an iMac with a display bigger than 30-inches. He then elaborated additional a number of weeks later suggesting {that a} big 32-inch iMac is reportedly in testing. At present, the 32-inch Professional Show XDR is Apple’s largest show.
A bigger show will surely make the iMac Professional extra engaging to potential patrons. Subsequent to the 24-inch iMac, with its 4.5K show (4,480 x 2,520 pixels), the 27-inch iMac solely seems to be barely extra spectacular with its 5K show (5,120 x 2,880 pixels). Nevertheless it’s not solely the 24-inch iMac that the iMac Professional shall be in comparison with. The 27-inch display additionally doesn’t examine notably favorably with many fashionable shows which are bigger than 30-inch (together with the 32-inch, 6K Apple Professional Show XDR). We wish to see a 32-inch show on the brand new iMac Professional.
Gurman has beforehand predicted that the 27-inch iMac may see its show dimension enhance by an identical quantity to the 24-inch iMac: “I completely nonetheless imagine {that a} bigger, redesigned iMac to exchange the Intel 27-inch fashions is en route. Apple growing the display dimension of the smaller mannequin from 21.5 inches to 24 inches appears to point that the 27-inch mannequin may see a dimension enhance as nicely,” he wrote in July 2021.
A bigger show could possibly be doable with out growing the dimensions of the iMac considerably. The 27-inch iMac measured 25.6-inches large, 20.3-inches tall, and 8-inches deep, and Apple’s new design helps make the 24-inch iMac smaller than even the 21.5-inch iMac it changed (21.5-inches x 18.1-inches x 5.8-inches vs. 20.8-inches x 17.7-inches x 6.9-inches). Apple may additionally incorporate a notch into the highest of the display to accommodate the FaceTime digital camera, thereby decreasing the dimensions of the bezel on the prime of the display.
The brand new iMac Professional wouldn’t truly should be as huge because the Professional Show XDR to supply a 6K show. A 30-inch show with smaller bezels may nonetheless accommodate the 6,016 x 3,384 pixels for Retina 6K decision and a 6K iMac.
It’s doable that the display of the iMac could also be extra similar to the standard of the present 27-inch Studio Show, which lacks ProMotion and HDR, however these are each options that will be useful to an iMac Professional consumer. Apple has added these options to its different Professional gadgets–iPhone, iPad, MacBook, we’d prefer to see them right here too.
To get an thought of what we may anticipate with the show within the bigger iMac if Apple takes it past the Studio Show we are able to have a look at the way it compares to Apple’s Pro Display XDR.
- Professional Show XDR: 6K Retina show (6,016-by-3,384 decision), 1,000 nits (XDR) or 500 nits (SDR) brightness, large shade (P3), True Tone
- Studio Show: 5K Retina show (5,120-by-2,880 decision), 600 nits, large shade (P3), True Tone
The upcoming bigger iMac is prone to have smaller bezels than the 27-inch iMac and iMac Professional, which may assist the show attain the next pixel density with out having to make the show a lot greater. A rumor by Ross Young in October 2021 and a follow-up report in December 2021 claimed that Apple will deliver a Liquid Retina XDR show with “round 1,000 zones and over 4,000 mini-LEDs” to the iMac. That might be fewer than the ten,000 mini-LEDs within the iPad and the 8,000 mini-LEDs within the MacBook Professional, although it might possible be visually indistinguishable as a result of dimension and viewing distance.
The 27-inch iMac has a nano-texture glass choice (proper) that does a greater job of resisting glare and reflections.
IDG
The 27-inch iMac used to ship with commonplace glass on the entrance of the show, however (for $300) Apple provided a nano-texture glass that supplied a matte-like end and did an excellent job of reducing down glare. Apple will in all probability proceed to supply this with the brand new iMac Professional. As you’ll be able to see above, it dramatically cuts down on the gloss and glare.
27-inch iMac Professional: CPU and GPU
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported again in January 2022 that the iMac Professional would have “comparable chips to the M1 Professional and M1 Max processors within the MacBook Professional.” That rumor got here earlier than the launch of the Mac Studio, which did ship with M1 Professional and M1 Max chips, so it appears possible that Gurman’s supply was referring to that machine.
Now that there are M2 Professional and M2 Max chips obtainable within the MacBook Professional (and the Mac mini has gained an M2 Professional) will the iMac Professional ship with M2 Professional and M2 Max? There are rumors suggesting that this received’t be the case: studies counsel that the subsequent iMac will ship with M3 chips. Gurman has repeatedly claimed that Apple will bypass the M2 and move straight to the M3 chip for the subsequent era of the 24-inch iMac and it’s doable that the iMac Professional can even make the identical leap, though there aren’t any latest rumors about what chip shall be used.
If the iMac Professional options the M3 Professional what sort of specs can we anticipate? In a Power On publication in Might 2023, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote {that a} model of the chip seen in testing provides a 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU and 36GB of reminiscence. That’s with six high-performance cores and 6 effectivity cores. Gurman means that that is “possible is the base-level model of what would be the M3 Professional coming subsequent 12 months”.
The usual M2 Professional provides 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU and 16GB RAM. The brand new specs symbolize an identical leap because the one from the M1 Professional to M2 Professional. Examine what to expect from the M3.
Will this iMac solely provide the M3 Professional, or will it provide the M3 Max too? It’s unclear however the expectation is that Apple will differentiate the Mac Studio and Mac Professional from the iMac Professional by providing simply the M3 Professional with that mannequin, because it does with the Mac mini.
27-inch iMac Professional: RAM
The M2 Professional can help as much as 32GB RAM whereas the M2 Max can help as much as 96GB Unified Reminiscence. That is lower than the 128GB RAM that was supported by the 27-inch iMac. This could possibly be a disappointment to customers.
One limitation of Apple’s RAM is that it’ll not be consumer upgradable. The 27-inch iMac had RAM slots that had been user-accessible. With Apple silicon RAM – correctly referred to as Unified Reminiscence – is constructed into the SoC, so it’s not consumer upgradable.
The utmost quantity of RAM provided by Apple is 192GB unified reminiscence within the M2 Extremely Mac Studio and Mac Professional.
27-inch iMac Professional: Storage
Dylan’s October 2021 tweet additionally instructed that there shall be 512GB storage as commonplace with the brand new iMac (Professional).
That might be an enchancment on the 256GB provided by the entry-level 27in iMac previous to it being retired. However it might comply with the sample of the 16-inch MacBook Professional, which has 512GB and 1TB choices for the usual machines (and 8TB as a build-to-order choice).
27-inch iMac Professional: Ports and enlargement
The 24-inch iMac comes with two USB 3 ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a headphone jack. After Apple launched the MacBook Professional with HDMI and an SDXC card slot, rumors suggested the iMac would comply with go well with. The skinny enclosure could possibly be a difficulty, however Apple solved that problem on the 24-inch mannequin by placing the headphone jack on the facet. Apple may place the SD slot equally to keep away from making the iMac thicker.
For all however the entry-level 24-inch iMac, Apple positioned the ethernet port within the energy adapter brick. The identical energy adapter is probably going for use for the bigger iMac as nicely.
The ethernet-equipped energy adapter will in all probability be commonplace with the bigger iMac Professional.
Apple
27-inch iMac Professional: Different options
The 24-inch iMac has an improved FaceTime digital camera that makes use of the M1’s ISP to offer higher picture high quality. That very same FaceTime digital camera implementation is predicted for the bigger iMac Professional as nicely.
We’d prefer to see the digital camera additionally help Face ID. True Depth references had been noticed in macOS Massive Sur indicating that this was one thing Apple had checked out. Nonetheless, no Mac has but arrived with help for Face ID. If it doesn’t have Face ID, the brand new iMac may have Contact ID constructed into the keyboard, that being provided with the 24-inch iMac and the Contact ID keyboards. Learn: When will Face ID come to Mac?
27-inch iMac Professional: Worth
As for the value, it’s going to possible fall in step with the pricing of the 27-inch iMac, which began at $1,799 since Apple stored comparable pricing to the 21.5-inch iMac when it launched the 24-inch mannequin. It’s additionally doable that the value shall be a bit increased, maybe beginning at over $2,000, which might be extra in step with Apple’s worth enhance for the higher-end MacBook Professional.
The next worth is probably going exterior the U.S. the place Apple has been growing costs in step with the alternate charges.
