27" iMac is dead 😟

[CWallace]

The base model 27" iMac market is now served by the iMac (24") and the more-powerful iMac 5K BTO configs are now the realm of Mac Studio and the Studio Display.



I remain confident that we will see a 27" Apple silicon iMac, but it will be a dedicated iMac Pro model with a beastly configuration and price to match.

 

[roxics]

I never really understood the point of the 27" iMac Pro. The integrated monitor+computer just isn't my thing. For pro use I've always used two monitors and Apple never really offered a matching monitor to the one that came on the 27" iMac/Pro. At least this way you can do dual or triple displays that all match and have a decent pro machine that isn't priced like a Mac Pro.

 

[enemy14123]

Beautiful Display but only 60 hz :/

 

[dlewis23]

I never really understood the point of the 27" iMac Pro. The integrated monitor+computer just isn't my thing. For pro use I've always used two monitors and Apple never really offered a matching monitor to the one that came on the 27" iMac/Pro. At least this way you can do dual or triple displays that all match and have a decent pro machine that isn't priced like a Mac Pro.

We are not talking about the iMac Pro here. We are talking about the normal iMac that offered a great 27" display for well under $2000. It's a big loss.

 

[opeter]

Yes, now between the standard M1 Mac mini/24" iMac and the Mac Studio M1 Max (+ Studio Display) there is no other Mac positioned. But a big (price) gap.

If you're an Apple shareholder, you're probably very happy about the increase in future revenue. Very refined, you have to give them credit.

This is exactly why I am slowly saying goodbye to the platform with the bitten apple.

 

[UltimateSyn]

So it's a bit of a gap from M1 mini to M1Max Studio; there is no desktop with an M1Pro?

Presumably a Mac mini w/ M1 Pro + Studio Display would be the de-facto replacement for the old 27" iMac, but you're right that product doesn't currently exist. I'm wondering what's going to happen to the high-end Intel Mac mini that they make right now - maybe it exists as a placeholder for the M2 Pro Mac mini?

 

[acrakes]

It almost seems like they consolidated the Mac Mini, Mac Pro and 27" iMac together as the "Mac Studio." But they probably will still update the Mac Pro eventually, but is it really needed nowadays with the new Mac Studio?

I wondered that too, the Studio leapfrogged the Mac Pro in performance.. but those models are 3 years old now, I'm sure they've got higher spec in the pipeline to move them up to their highest tier..

 

[CWallace]

Presumably a Mac mini w/ M1 Pro + Studio Display would be the de-facto replacement for the old 27" iMac, but you're right that product doesn't currently exist. I'm wondering what's going to happen to the high-end Intel Mac mini that they make right now - maybe it exists as a placeholder for the M2 Pro Mac mini?

I don't think we are going to get a "Mac mini Pro" now.

I fully expect the next Mac mini announcement will be the M2 model in the new case and that's it.

 

[xgman]

I wondered that too, the Studio leapfrogged the Mac Pro in performance.. but those models are 3 years old now, I'm sure they've got higher spec in the pipeline to move them up to their highest tier..

The Max Double Ultra . ha

 

[CWallace]

It almost seems like they consolidated the Mac Mini, Mac Pro and 27" iMac together as the "Mac Studio." But they probably will still update the Mac Pro eventually, but is it really needed nowadays with the new Mac Studio?

Assuming the Apple silicon Mac Pro supports internal PCIe expandability, then yes, there is a need for it.

There will also be workloads where even 20 CPU cores, 64 GPU cores and 128GB of RAM are not enough, hence the Mac Pro's rumored 40C / 128G / 256GB+ configurations which would represent two M1 Ultra SoCs bound together using that interlink fabric layer.

 

[Jay-Jacob]

?

You don’t need a new trackpad / keyboard.
You’re right that a new Studio setup would cost more than the outgoing iMac, but then again the display doesn’t need to be discarded / recycled when the old iMac is obsolete. In the long run this is better - I know I’d really like to take the display in my 2011 27” iMac and convert it to a monitor...

I don’t really need new keyboard and trackpad but defo need new display and Mac. I wanted move on from battery keyboard and trackpad to charge by lighting cable and have Touch ID. Mine is 9 years old so no touch ID and use rechargeable batteries, clickable trackpad as well.

I know it better long run and cheaper just replace Mac when need and keep display but it just cost much more than iMac 27 inch I was hoping for and get all I wanted, Mac, display, keyboard and trackpad. I really do like idea but price put me off. Will need to think about it.

 

[theluggage]

I'm wondering what's going to happen to the high-end Intel Mac mini that they make right now - maybe it exists as a placeholder for the M2 Pro Mac mini?

Surprised it's still there - maybe it will hang around until all the current Minis are replaced by an M2 Mini.
Or maybe they need to keep one Intel machine that doesn't cost $6k on their books for the near future (e.g. developers who still need to support Intel).

 

[acrakes]

We are not talking about the iMac Pro here. We are talking about the normal iMac that offered a great 27" display for well under $2000. It's a big loss.

Maybe there are just too few of us who want a 27" iMac and intermediate specs... but the 24" starts at 1299 and goes up to $2499 if you get a 2TB SSD and 16 GB of RAM. Tops out at 16GB.

Mac Studio goes from $2k to $8k(!), $2k gets you 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD and the M1 Ultra but then the display's another $1600..

 

[canyonblue737]

Mark Gurman is tweeting right now that he still fully expects a new 27 inch iMac Pro with Apple Silicon before the end of the year, and that the phrasing was used today because the iMac Pro was previously discontinued and the iMac 27 was discontinued today so the only remaining intel Mac selling is the Mac Pro, and they had to mention that as some might think the powerful Mac Studio was the replacement for the Mac Pro, which it isn't. Bottom line is he thinks an expensive and powerful 27 inch iMac is coming later this year as a relaunch of the product, but for those of us interested in a "lower end" 27 iMac, it seems the Studio Display paired with a mac mini or Macbook Air might be the closer replacement moving forward.

 

[fathergll]

Flipside that Apple has taken away the all in one is you are now to the open market and buy a different display. $1900 for a matte Apple 27" display?....no thank you. I can now setup multiple matte monitors for a fraction of the price. 5k 27" iMac displays were nice but not perfect by any means and I never even set the resolution to 5120x2880.

 

[CWallace]

I'm with Gurman.

The iMac 24 now covers the base-model iMac 5K market while the Mac Studio and Apple Studio Display covers the BTO crowd.

I see the iMac Pro (with M1 Max and M1 Ultra as the only SoC options) with the 27" 5K ProMotion MiniLED display Young said is coming as the AIO companion to the Apple silicon Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR Mk. II (likely now at 7K with MiniLED).

 

[acrakes]

Studio Display size also suggests whatever new iMac launched would be a 27" - unless they did a 27 iMac and a 32 iMac Pro..

Mac Mini has the same spec as the 24" iMac, though.. M1, max 16GB RAM.. If they got bumped to an M1 Max or M2 that let you up the RAM to 64 GB I'd be in on that.

 

[fpenta]

Glad my 2019 iMac 27" is not losing value now.

 

[jms-uk]

I kind of see where they're going and it's not horrible.

Not horrible, just expensive.

 

[magbarn]

Of course it is dead (at least for the foreseable future).

How would you guys fit the M1 Ultra CPUs together with an screen in a "monitor case" of the depth of XDR display and enough heat dissipation? The answer is: you can't. At least not right now.

Then make one with the iMac 24’s innards which are good enough. We’re stuck with putting a Mac mini M1 with this overpriced display in order to sorta create a iMac 27

 

[DMG35]

I still see no reason to upgrade from my iMac Pro. Its still blazes at every task I throw at it.

 

[Haiku_Oezu]

I'm sad to see the 27 go as it was my personal choice, but I understand... the 27 inch iMac has always been in an awkward position.

The question is where do people who enjoyed that awkward position go?
Since Mac Studio + Studio Display is quite the expense the new combo is not really a replacement unless you are willing to bump up your expense quite significantly.
Personally I would say a M1 Mac Mini and a Studio Display is the way to go, or just forget the Studio Display and go Mac Studio + some other monitor (not ideal if you enjoy the Apple experience, using PC displays with macOS is a mixed back).

Maybe one day it will come back, but it seems like Apple made the call to simplify the product line.

 

[canyonblue737]

I'm sad to see the 27 go as it was my personal choice, but I understand... the 27 inch iMac has always been in an awkward position.

The question is where do people who enjoyed that awkward position go?
Since Mac Studio + Studio Display is quite the expense the new combo is not really a replacement unless you are willing to bump up your expense quite significantly.
Personally I would say a M1 Mac Mini and a Studio Display is the way to go, or just forget the Studio Display and go Mac Studio + some other monitor (not ideal if you enjoy the Apple experience, using PC displays with macOS is a mixed back).

Maybe one day it will come back, but it seems like Apple made the call to simplify the product line.

Gurman continues to say it is coming back later this year (even after this announcement) but as a very high end computer with mini-led screen (like the Macbook Pros) and only in Pro/Max/Ultra? configurations so it will be very expensive. It seems those of us who bought "regular" retina 27 inch iMacs are stuck with either the 24 inch iMac or an Apple Studio Display paired with a mac mini or macbook air on the lower end to get the big screen.

 

[BacioiuC]

I still see no reason to upgrade from my iMac Pro. Its still blazes at every task I throw at it.

Likewise! I've been expecting a new iMac Pro launch just to have something to look forward to in a few years ! Current iMac Pro is still the damn best machine I ever used and I've used plenty.

 

[Jay-Jacob]

I'm sad to see the 27 go as it was my personal choice, but I understand... the 27 inch iMac has always been in an awkward position.

The question is where do people who enjoyed that awkward position go?
Since Mac Studio + Studio Display is quite the expense the new combo is not really a replacement unless you are willing to bump up your expense quite significantly.
Personally I would say a M1 Mac Mini and a Studio Display is the way to go, or just forget the Studio Display and go Mac Studio + some other monitor (not ideal if you enjoy the Apple experience, using PC displays with macOS is a mixed back).

Maybe one day it will come back, but it seems like Apple made the call to simplify the product line.

Yeah for people like me wanted 27 inch have to think and consider what do next. For me I have to decide iMac 24 inch or Mac mini with Mac studio display, or Mac studio with Mac studio display. Defo be apple display with mac for sure but which. I won’t be rush ordering. I wait see reviews about Mac studio before I decide which one go for. Cheapest will be iMac 24 inch cos all in one and get new keyboard and trackpad since my current one doesn’t have Touch ID and trackpad still clickable one, and rechargeable batteries too.