27” IMac owners looking to upgrade: What will you do now that the 27” didn’t get an upgrade?

[jonblatho]

Let us see how much crossover there is in 2022 when the options are:

1. a 13.3" MacBook with 2 USB4 ports and the M1 SoC available in multiple colors;
2. a 14" MacBook Pro with 3 USB ports, MagSafe, HDMI and SD Card and a MiniLED display with the M2 SoC and available in Silver or Space Grey.

The claim I was addressing was that there is substantial differentiation between consumer and “pro” Macs in Apple’s existing Apple silicon-based Macs. I cited the two existing M1 Mac notebooks that are essentially the same product in modestly different designs. The only differences between them are that one has a fan and Touch Bar (the latter of which is allegedly going away soon), and the MacBook Air may optionally lack an eighth GPU core.

Okay, fine, I get it. A fan is extremely pro.

 

[Phil77354]

. . . I am extremely curious to see what the higher-end iMac looks like. Is there a 27" iMac which is just a more powerful variant of the 24"? Do they do a 30" to 32" "Pro" model with mini-LED? . . .

Me too, at least I think so . . .

. . The 24" iMac replaces the 21" and 27" iMacs, for the consumer space. What's left is for Apple to release a Pro machine. .

Well darn, in that case I might as well order one of the new 24" iMacs and not wait any longer . . .

. . . I am starting to think that Apple will replace the 27" model with a 32" one. If this is the case, then the new iMac would be too big for me, so I am thinking of buying the 24" iMac. . .

That's what I had been thinking too! It wouldn't be too big for me . . .

Completely disagree. 24” is a concession for people wanting a larger iMac. They will release a proper larger model that isn’t Pro in price.

Yes, I think so too, now we're back to where I was in the beginning . . .

They will not. And that could not be more clear at this point. . . The larger model will not simply be larger. It will be a Pro model in every way, sporting higher performance, higher resolution, and much higher starting price.

Darn it, now I'm confused again . . .

I completely disagree. And you cannot say with any certainty that will happen. . .

Me too (I think)! . . .

We can only speculate about what will happen . . . I guess time will tell. . .

Of course! (except all this speculation is driving me crazy!)

The only thing we can reasonably know for sure is that there is a bigger more powerful iMac coming. . . It’s certainly possible the larger iMac will be a “Pro”, but it’s not likely in my opinion for the reasons stated. In any case, it’s clearly far from clear.

Whew! I rest my case!

 

[subjonas]

One of the best things you can do on this site is simply ignore people who speak in absolutes as though they are the one true knower of what Apple will do, outside the few areas where Apple has indicated its plans (like autonomous vehicles and mixed reality) or lack thereof (like putting touchscreens in Macs).

This person also purports to know for sure that the larger iMac will have a 6K panel. They don’t know that; they have as much of an idea about Apple’s plans for the larger iMac as you or I do. They are blustering and thrive solely on the attention, and you can type until your fingers fall off and their mind won’t be changed.

Haha yeah these things are usually fruitless, but I try not to count anyone completely out regardless of their attitude or how they come off. So sometimes I’ll engage a little just to see what happens. Every so often, they or I or someone else will unexpectedly gain knowledge or perspective.

 

[subjonas]

This is not a good way to judge or predict anything. Things change, and not necessarily the way you want. We 'always had' an affordable Mac Pro that started at $2500...until the day it started at $5000 instead.

This is true in a math probability scenario like a coin flip. It doesn’t matter if a coin flipped tails 100 times in a row, the next flip is still 50/50. But when it comes to behaviors which actually do follow patterns, past history is a very good way to predict probability of future behavior. A person who is observed coming home every day at 6pm for 10 years is likely to do the same tomorrow, unless a new catalyst is introduced. Of course, future predictions can never be certain.

An iMac that gets the same system as the upcoming MacBook Pro will be an iMac Pro. This isn't complicated.

Yet this hasn’t been the case. 27” iMac has been more powerful than the Macbook Pros for many years despite not being “pro”. Why would it change now? There needs to be an external reason. Also “pro” needs to be defined here.

No, it doesn't. There are no rules to determine that. The old iMac Pro was a stop gap performance wise ahead of the Mac Pro and was $4000+. The next iMac Pro will be much cheaper.

If we agree that the new larger iMac will likely be closer in price and performance to the previous 27” iMac (relative to the 21” iMac, now the 24” iMac) than to the previous iMac Pro, then I think we may just be debating whether it uses the “Pro” name. I have less of a strong opinion about that.

Because they can? Because consumers overwhelmingly buy the cheaper 21" model and now get a much better 24" model to replace it? Because Apple isn't going to make an entire product to fill a tiny niche which is consumers that want bigger and better (but not that good)?

Apple can do a lot of things, but they need a reason. Those could possibly be reasons but from my anecdotal experience, I’ve seen a lot more 27” iMacs than 21” in the wild, so I‘d need to see some convincing numbers to believe your theory.

You have not made any "likely" statements here.

"I want" is not an argument that makes it more likely.

We‘ll just disagree on what is likely.

Are you referring to me or someone else? I’ve never been in the market for an iMac and don’t plan on ever getting one, so I don’t want anything. Just a bystander giving their opinion.

Here are the arguments that matter that dictate what is coming:

1. The reliable leakers state that the bigger iMac is very big, indicating much bigger than 27". In all likelihood, this means 32". 32" 6K display = more money = no longer in the realm of the old 27" iMac.

Possible.

2. All of Apple's Apple Silicon releases point toward a very strict return to consumer and pro differentiation with less cross over than before. The consumer machines have all been released, with the M1. The next products on the horizon are all Pro machines. If a consumer iMac with a screen larger than 24" that sports an M1 existed, it would be for sale right now.

Again possible, but not obvious. Although there is a Pro MBP now with an M1. Also, I don’t think anyone thinks there was ever going to be a larger iMac with an M1, since the 27” iMac has always had a more powerful processor than the 21”. Again, if we’re just talking about the Pro name, I’m pretty 50/50 on that.

3. The move to 24" for the consumer iMac, like it or not, is a dead giveaway. You don't get to ignore this important fact because it doesn't agree with your preference.

In my previous reply, I gave a possible explanation for the move to 24” and why I think the move doesn’t likely indicate a combining of the sizes.
Again I have no preference. Just going off what I observe.

 

[subjonas]

Let us see how much crossover there is in 2022 when the options are:

1. a 13.3" MacBook with 2 USB4 ports and the M1 SoC available in multiple colors;
2. a 14" MacBook Pro with 3 USB ports, MagSafe, HDMI and SD Card and a MiniLED display with the M2 SoC and available in Silver or Space Grey.

It’s possible, but for now I don’t think you can use a future hypothetical as a rebuttal lol.

 

[theluggage]

Yet this hasn’t been the case. 27” iMac has been more powerful than the Macbook Pros for many years despite not being “pro”. Why would it change now? There needs to be an external reason. Also “pro” needs to be defined here.

Definitions of "Pro":
On a product label:
"Widget Pro" = "Marketing term meaning `a bit better than the regular Widget and more expensive`. After the original Widget gets upgraded to `Widget XL`, it's anybody's guess... "

Possibly after WWDC 2021: "Available in Space Grey".

About a person:
"X Professional" = "Gets paid for doing X and can therefore claim the extra cost of a Widget Pro as a business expense". For a given value of X may imply the possession of certain qualifications or membership of a certain body... but "has persuaded more than one person to pay them" is a pretty good qualification.

All this sound and fury about a term that Apple have never applied consistently in the past...

The claim I was addressing was that there is substantial differentiation between consumer and “pro” Macs in Apple’s existing Apple silicon-based Macs. I cited the two existing M1 Mac notebooks that are essentially the same product in modestly different designs.

Even before M1, the 13" Mac Book Pro "entry-level/non-touchbar/escape/2-port" was misnamed. Not because it doesn't meet any particular definition of "pro", but simply based on the fact that I have to describe the machine as at least one of "entry-level/non-touchbar/escape/2-port" to distinguish it from the higher-end 13" MBP, - plus, I have to get on to page 3 of the product description to find out why it is better than the Air.

(OTOH, it's been that way for years, so I guess the problem isone of pedantry and is not something Apple are seeing in their sales figures.)

Reality is that whereas the Intel Air, 2-port MBP and 4-port MPB, iMac & Mini used different classes of Intel CPU and GPU (although slow release cycles meant they ended up on different Intel generations), the current M1 Air, MBP, Mini and iMac absolutely are the exact same system-on-a-chip (which is now 90% of the guts of the computer) with minor speed differences down to the cooling system, and differences in displays (obviously), speakers and microphones - along with some things (the 7-core GPU, the missing ports on the base iMac) that look suspiciously like "artificial scarcity" on Apple's part, introduced deliberately to generate extra profit from upselling.

What it looks like is that last year's M1 Air/MBP/Mini were designed to introduce the M1 as a drop-in replacement for already familiar and successful products - it would be sensible to minimise the risk of the big debut of Apple Silicon getting derailed by another Butterfly Keyboard or "Flexgate" debacle, arguments over ports or even (oh, the humanity!) white bezels. Also, I guess the big laptop re-vamps are waiting the wide availability of mini-LED displays. I very much doubt that those first 3 designs will be for the ages, and it's no real surprise that the rumours of a radically new MacBook (Air?) design are already leaking. If the re-design means that they've improved the cooling/speakers/microphone on the "Air" (whatever it gets called) then it also seems plausible that the M1 MBP will also be going away...

Getting back to the original thread topic:

What we're really waiting for now is for the other shoe to drop and for - heck, it's just a label so let's call it "Apple Silicon Pro" rather than speculate over what M1X or M2 might actually mean - to appear. Labels aside, that means, ideally, a chipset that will thrash an i9 and a half-decent discrete GPU by the same sort of margin that the M1 can thrash an ultra-mobile Intel chip with integrated graphics. It also means a chip that can support more than 16GB of RAM (not so people have to learn how to close a tab in Chrome, but for those applications that actually need that much data in RAM) and a GPU that can drive more than two displays. The M1 is a great chip, which exceeds expectations for an ultra-mobile chip with iGPU and it is incredible how it can give higher-end iMacs and MBPs a run for their money - but it isn't a credible upgrade for the high-end machines.

In a sense, "Apple Silicon Pro" is a bigger challenge than the M1: it's been obvious for a couple of years (to everybody but Intel fanboys) that the ARM chips in high-end phones/tablets generally (especially the A-series chips in the iPad Pros ) were the basis for great processors for MacBook Air-class machines. Desktop workstations and high-end laptops are new territory for ASi/ARM (well, at least since the early 1990s) - even the server chips from Amazon et. al. are addressing a different problem. It will be very interesting to see how Apple scales things like the tightly integrated GPU, SSD controller and unified/on-package RAM (two different issues, NB) to more powerful systems. Much more significant than bezel colour.

...and when it is out, "Apple Silicon Pro" (remember, just my label for something significantly better than an overclocked M1) could provide an obvious basis for the real pro/non-pro branding distinction. Maybe. The "replacement" for the 5k iMac might very well be called the "iMac Pro" especially if it isn't 5k any more...

All we really know is that so far Apple have been sticking to the same price points and the only real "downgrades" have been in external display support and ports (which are probably not a deal-breaker for entry-level machines). So, best guess is that they'll come out with something in the same price range as the 5k (which was quite a wide range... so they've got scope to skip the entry-level and let the 24" fill in that gap).

So buying an M1 Mac now may (just) out-perform a 3/4-year-old 5k iMac - the risk is that, maybe in a few months, there will be a "true" 5k iMac replacement with more CPU and GPU cores that thrashes the M1 and doesn't force you to compromise so much on RAM, ports and display support.

As for display size - putting a 6k 32" XDR screen in an iMac sounds like a courageous decision and would probably come with a courageous $5000+ price tag. Not impossible - but I don't see lots of new, cheap 6k screens flooding the market so there's no pressure on Apple to cut the price of the XDR (and since when did Apple ever cut the price of a display?) or undercut it with an XDR iMac that cost the same or less than the display... Plus, 32" is getting a bit big for an all-in-one. My guess would be 29.7" @ 5.5k (OK, call it 30"). Why?

• Keeps the same pixel density/font size etc. as 27" @ 5k. (Personally, I think 5k at 28/29 inch would be fine - but Apple do like to keep their pixel density constant).
• With thinner bezels it would be, what 0.5" - 1" wider than the 5k? So, as with the 16" MBP and the 24" iMac, slightly bigger but not in-yer-face bigger.
• At 30" and 5.5k it's an upgrade for the iMac, but the Pro XDR still rules the roost at 32" and the magic 6k. If the rumours about Apple releasing a new standalone display pan out, then 30" & 5.5k would make a sensible "pro XDR junior" spec.

Just a guess. Personally, I don't like the idea of having such a large, high-end display permanently fused to the computer (especially with no target display mode) and it was only through gritted teeth that I bought a 5k iMac (right now it would be so useful to be able to get a M1 Mini as a "transitional" system and plug it into that nice 5k display...) so I'm hoping that there will be an "ASi Pro" Mini or that the rumoured half-size Mac Pro is also half-price (flap, oink).

 

[Lemon Olive]

Which leaker are you referring to?

I'm not disregarding any info mate. You are literally on an Apple forum making declarations about things you have absolutely no certainty about but instead act as if you do. Maybe take a moment to realize how absurd that truly is instead of proclaiming nonsense to us all about how a 24" iMac is sufficient for consumers wanting a larger iMac and how you know with complete certainty that the larger iMac will be an expensive pro model. You don't know jack mate. So stop acting like you have any deeper insight more than the rest of us.

It is simple. Judging based on available information vs. judging based on what you want to happen. My opinion has no bearing on it, unlike yours. You're not even aware of most of the information, yet pretend like your opinion of what you want to happen is somehow an argument.

If you want to talk about what you want to happen, go for it. It isn't based on anything in reality. The reality-based prediction is already provided for you.

 

[blairh]

It is simple. Judging based on available information vs. judging based on what you want to happen. My opinion has no bearing on it, unlike yours. You're not even aware of most of the information, yet pretend like your opinion of what you want to happen is somehow an argument.

If you want to talk about what you want to happen, go for it. It isn't based on anything in reality. The reality-based prediction is already provided for you.

My opinions on what will happen has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with what I wish would happen. You continue to spew absolute nonsense towards me.

Your definition of 'reality-based prediction' is also quite hilarious. Basically that means what you think will happen. You claim 'reality' is a world where the larger iMac will only be an expensive Pro machine and anyone saying otherwise is not living in 'reality'. You claim the 27" iMac is a 'niche' device yet it has remained in the Apple lineup for 12 consecutive years now and clearly is not niche. You claim that the 24" iMac is intended for anyone who wants an iMac of any size. Allow me to retort that your 'reality based predictions' are completely ridiculous in both proclamations and tone. And as if that weren't enough, then you have the audacity to claim that others disagree with you because they are projecting their own desires, which again is complete nonsense. It's a really lazy way of dismissing the opinions of others who don't agree with you.

Not only do you write such words on this forum, but you do so in a manner with such deep contempt combined with immediately dismissing anyone who does not agree with you, and insulting them in the process.

Your claims about what will happen and the role of current products in the lineup are ridiculous and you have absolutely no regard for the opinions of others.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

And I thought for sure Apple was going to go 'big' and release a 32" iMac, or even BIGGER!

Yeah, I'm glad I'm not being forced into an 'upgrade' to a smaller machine. But it's the cost of being 'bleeding edge'.

Maybe next update, they will release a 32" bright yellow iMac... They are going to have to go big to keep people I think. Don't hate me, but the new iMacs look even more like toys, and with them going smaller, hmm... Sure you can hook whatever size second screen you want to them, but going larger means you have curbs to avoid to get back to the internal screen, and that might not sound so bad, but wait until you have a massive size difference and hit the curbs ALL DAY...

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Reading a couple of the posts here, I really wonder what Apple was thinking when they birthed this thing.

Were they thinking that people will seriously buy this thing, and hook larger screens to it, and use it almost like a Mac Mini that just happens to have a small screen attached to it? Did they plan to release a larger one at the same time, and it got held up for some reason? Was there some fire sale on 24" panels they just bought millions of, and they wanted to double their investment?

Going back, releasing the 24" screen was kinda jarring... *WHAT*? *SMALLER*? *WHY*? It hurts the brand. It confuses the market. Are they going to release a 19" iMac next? Ominously, are they trying to make the iMac a literal iPad with a stand? Will they keep getting smaller over time now? Should we all be buying the Mini and 32" screens? Apple seems to have made a loud comment on the future of the iMac: 'Smaller' Otherwise, why only release a smaller screen size.

Ideally, I'd have liked to see them do a 24", and a 27" (or 32") at that event. 'You have larger, and BIG!. Pick your future.' Instead we got 'The future is smaller.'

And I'm just referring to the ONLY iMac they released was SMALLER. No hint of a bigger one coming (not surprising, but smaller? Really? Why? Odd messaging...) The design of it is fresh, but it's confusing...

 

[blairh]

Reading a couple of the posts here, I really wonder what Apple was thinking when they birthed this thing.

Were they thinking that people will seriously buy this thing, and hook larger screens to it, and use it almost like a Mac Mini that just happens to have a small screen attached to it? Did they plan to release a larger one at the same time, and it got held up for some reason? Was there some fire sale on 24" panels they just bought millions of, and they wanted to double their investment?

Going back, releasing the 24" screen was kinda jarring... *WHAT*? *SMALLER*? *WHY*? It hurts the brand. It confuses the market. Are they going to release a 19" iMac next? Ominously, are they trying to make the iMac a literal iPad with a stand? Will they keep getting smaller over time now? Should we all be buying the Mini and 32" screens? Apple seems to have made a loud comment on the future of the iMac: 'Smaller' Otherwise, why only release a smaller screen size.

Ideally, I'd have liked to see them do a 24", and a 27" (or 32") at that event. 'You have larger, and BIG!. Pick your future.' Instead we got 'The future is smaller.'

And I'm just referring to the ONLY iMac they released was SMALLER. No hint of a bigger one coming (not surprising, but smaller? Really? Why? Odd messaging...) The design of it is fresh, but it's confusing...

Not confusing at all. It’s the successor to the 21” iMac. The successor to the 27” iMac will come later this year.

 

[CWallace]

Also I feel they could make a huge commitment to a 30" 5.5K panel for both the new iMac and also their rumored monitor. Keep in mind this 27" iMac panel update will probably be around for 10 years in their lineup.

Which in my mind favors the current 32" 6K panel since Apple is already using it in the Pro Display XDR.

We also have the new Apple Thunderbolt Display waiting in the wings. While I believe that will use the 24" 4.5K panel, it could use the 32" 6K panel or Apple could even use both and release two models!

The claim I was addressing was that there is substantial differentiation between consumer and “pro” Macs in Apple’s existing Apple silicon-based Macs.

Fair enough. The first wave were effectively the Intel models with M1s swapped in so you are correct that there was not much differentiation.

I will say that I believe that Apple is looking to have that "substantial differentiation" in the future and the 24" iMac is the first sign of this and the "more colors" MacBook (Air) Prosser leaked being another. We also now know the 14" and 16" MacBook Pros will have additional ports that the MacBook (Air) does not and we are all expecting a new iMac Pro with a larger display, more ports and a more powerful M-series SoC - but likely offered only in Space Grey and Silver.

 

[CWallace]

Reading a couple of the posts here, I really wonder what Apple was thinking when they birthed this thing.

The simple answer is their marketing said it would sell and sell well.

Were they thinking that people will seriously buy this thing, and hook larger screens to it, and use it almost like a Mac Mini that just happens to have a small screen attached to it?

Based on their marketing, no. This is meant to be a standalone desktop used with a wireless keyboard and mouse/trackpad in commercial applications (where things like printers are centralized and networked) and maybe physically connected to one or two devices (like a printer) in residential applications.

Did they plan to release a larger one at the same time, and it got held up for some reason?

The general consensus is now that there will be a larger and more powerful model, marketed as the new iMac Pro.

Was there some fire sale on 24" panels they just bought millions of, and they wanted to double their investment?

The 24" iMac uses a new and custom panel that currently is unique to the model. We will probably also see it in the new Apple Thunderbolt Display said to be coming this year.

Going back, releasing the 24" screen was kinda jarring... *WHAT*? *SMALLER*? *WHY*? It hurts the brand. It confuses the market.

It's larger than the 21.5" model is directly replaces so I guess that also hurts the brand and confuses the market - *WHAT*? *LARGER*? *WHY*?

 

[Lemon Olive]

My opinions on what will happen has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with what I wish would happen. You continue to spew absolute nonsense towards me.

Your definition of 'reality-based prediction' is also quite hilarious. Basically that means what you think will happen. You claim 'reality' is a world where the larger iMac will only be an expensive Pro machine and anyone saying otherwise is not living in 'reality'. You claim the 27" iMac is a 'niche' device yet it has remained in the Apple lineup for 12 consecutive years now and clearly is not niche. You claim that the 24" iMac is intended for anyone who wants an iMac of any size. Allow me to retort that your 'reality based predictions' are completely ridiculous in both proclamations and tone. And as if that weren't enough, then you have the audacity to claim that others disagree with you because they are projecting their own desires, which again is complete nonsense. It's a really lazy way of dismissing the opinions of others who don't agree with you.

Not only do you write such words on this forum, but you do so in a manner with such deep contempt combined with immediately dismissing anyone who does not agree with you, and insulting them in the process.

Your claims about what will happen and the role of current products in the lineup are ridiculous and you have absolutely no regard for the opinions of others. There is no reason to continue engaging with you.

In other words, since I won't agree with you, you feel the need to lash out. Calm down.

I'm sorry if you want Apple to release a 30" iMac with an M1 processor at $1799. Some people want Apple to do that. In fact I would even agree with you that a 30" iMac with a 5.5K display and an M1 processor at $1799 would be an entirely reasonable entry in the lineup....if it existed. If it existed, we would have seen it already, as by all accounts the M1 products are done. When it did not launch last month, it proved to most people that it doesn't exist, and Apple has other plans.

You are right that Apple has kept this SKU around for a long time. Apple has a tendency to do that when it's possible for them to do. They also keep the iPod Touch around too. Economies of scale help products like that exist for the few that buy them, because the higher end machines subsidize their existence. Right up until the point where they no longer do. So while I acknowledge your "Apple has done for a long time so they must continue to" viewpoint, reality is much more nuanced than that, and Apple frequently puts an end to things they've done for a decade when a major shift/change is occurring. And I'll kindly mention again how the Mac Pro was $2500 until the day it was $5000, and how many people said "it has been what it has been so it must remain as it has been" which has no bearing on what Apple chooses do during major redesigns.

The main issue with your theory is that there is currently no one in the industry that thinks this is going to happen. The going consensus is that Apple is preparing a 30" or larger iMac (most likely the same 32" 6K panel) with next generation Apple Silicon. Whether that is one of the M1 variants that were reported on a year ago (M1X) or a derivative of the new M2 architecture, remains to be seen. But it is not rumored or expected to be an M1.

Other factors include the upcoming MacBooks Pro. They are the next product expected to be updated to Apple Silicon, and the first to using something higher performance than the M1. The M1 products are done, what remains to be released are higher performance and higher priced machines.

Heck even the lack of a darker color option on the 24" iMac is an obvious indicator of what's to come.

 

[blairh]

In other words, since I won't agree with you, you feel the need to lash out. Calm down.

I'm sorry if you want Apple to release a 30" iMac with an M1 processor at $1799. Some people want Apple to do that. In fact I would even agree with you that a 30" iMac with a 5.5K display and an M1 processor at $1799 would be an entirely reasonable entry in the lineup....if it existed. If it existed, we would have seen it already, as by all accounts the M1 products are done. When it did not launch last month, it proved to most people that it doesn't exist, and Apple has other plans.

You are right that Apple has kept this SKU around for a long time. Apple has a tendency to do that when it's possible for them to do. They also keep the iPod Touch around too. Economies of scale help products like that exist for the few that buy them, because the higher end machines subsidize their existence. Right up until the point where they no longer do. So while I acknowledge your "Apple has done for a long time so they must continue to" viewpoint, reality is much more nuanced than that, and Apple frequently puts an end to things they've done for a decade when a major shift/change is occurring. And I'll kindly mention again how the Mac Pro was $2500 until the day it was $5000, and how many people said "it has been what it has been so it must remain as it has been" which has no bearing on what Apple chooses do during major redesigns.

The main issue with your theory is that there is currently no one in the industry that thinks this is going to happen. The going consensus is that Apple is preparing a 30" or larger iMac (most likely the same 32" 6K panel) with next generation Apple Silicon. Whether that is one of the M1 variants that were reported on a year ago (M1X) or a derivative of the new M2 architecture, remains to be seen. But it is not rumored or expected to be an M1.

Other factors include the upcoming MacBooks Pro. They are the next product expected to be updated to Apple Silicon, and the first to using something higher performance than the M1. The M1 products are done, what remains to be released are higher performance and higher priced machines.

Heck even the lack of a darker color option on the 24" iMac is an obvious indicator of what's to come.

Nope, that has nothing to do with it. You continue to misconstrue what I'm saying. You state an opinion and then simply tell others they are dead wrong in disagreeing with you. It's incredible.

Again, this has nothing to do with what I want. I am telling you what I believe will happen. And I state why I believe something will happen with reasons. Not because I want to see something happen for my own benefit. Get that in your head mate.

So this 30" 5.5K iMac is not happening because Apple did not release it last month? This is exactly what I'm talking about. You proclaim things you know nothing of with absolute certainty. This is why it's impossible to have a back and forth with you. Did you ever stop to think that the 27" iMac was just updated in August of 2020? And that it makes no sense whatsoever to release its successor 9 months later? No, you didn't. Instead you decided that because we didn't see it last month Apple is now going to make the larger iMac an expensive Pro machine and the big brother iMac is dead forever.

You are also glossing over the fact that there remains a strong market for a larger iMac that isn't professional in both performance and price. Consumers are not going to revert to a smaller screen (24") and be happy with such a choice, despite your suggestion. There just about always has been a two-size option iMac with similar specs and that is not going to end anytime soon.

You have no idea if the next larger iMac will be 32" 6K panel. None. But man do you love to keep implying based on nothing that this is most likely happening. And why? Because you proclaim the larger iMac will only be a professional machine, so of course this is happening. It fits perfectly in line with your proclamation. Sounds like something you personally want to see happen. The very thing you claim others do on this forum.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Not confusing at all. It’s the successor to the 21” iMac. The successor to the 27” iMac will come later this year.

They actually said that?

 

[Lemon Olive]

So this 30" 5.5K iMac is not happening because Apple did not release it last month? This is exactly what I'm talking about. You proclaim things you know nothing of with absolute certainty. This is why it's impossible to have a back and forth with you. Did you ever stop to think that the 27" iMac was just updated in August of 2020? And that it makes no sense whatsoever to release its successor 9 months later? No, you didn't. Instead you decided that because we didn't see it last month Apple is now going to make the larger iMac an expensive Pro machine and the big brother iMac is dead forever.

You're right, I've not considered that because it is utterly ridiculous. This is not a normal product lifecycle, it is a transition. The MacBook Air was also updated 8 months before being entirely replaced with the M1 models. So, you're wrong. Let's see if you acknowledge this point in your next post. I'm guessing you won't.

You are also glossing over the fact that there remains a strong market for a larger iMac that isn't professional in both performance and price.

Well you have zero evidence to support that claim. I assume you think there is still a strong market for the iPod Touch too just because it still exists. We don't know the exact numbers, only annecdotal evidence to support a claim one way or the other. Apple's release of a 24" iMac tells me what they know to be most important to consumers. Why do you think Apple went for 24" and a brand new 4.5K panel when they could have easily kept the 21.5" panel for their new consumer iMac? Clearly 21.5" was good enough for many, many years. A safe and logical bet is that they felt 24" and 4.5K resolution would be good enough for the majority of their consumer iMac customers, appeasing the entire 21" crowd and drawing in some from 27" crowd.

Consumers are not going to revert to a smaller screen (24") and be happy with such a choice, despite your suggestion. There just about always has been a two-size option iMac with similar specs and that is not going to end anytime soon.

Except it did. It ended last month. Apple introduced 1 new iMac with a brand new design and Apple Silicon. They did not introduce 2.

You have no idea if the next larger iMac will be 32" 6K panel. None. But man do you love to keep implying based on nothing that this is most likely happening. And why? Because you proclaim the larger iMac will only be a professional machine, so of course this is happening. It fits perfectly in line with your proclamation. Sounds like something you personally want to see happen. The very thing you claim others do on this forum.

Except here is where we begin to differ, because this is NOT my proclamation. This is what all of the rumors and leaks support. Not just the display size, but that the larger iMac is expected to share processor with next gen MacBook Pros. That does not support your ideas.

It is obvious that having the only reliable information that currently exists be at odds with your "opinion" of what's going to happen irritates you to no end. If tomorrow there surfaces a rumor of a larger multi colored iMac with an M1 processor, I will be very happy for you. Unfortunately no such rumors have existed at any point in the past (despite us first hearing about the 24" iMac a year ago), and the only rumors that exist currently are for a professional iMac.

 

[Lemon Olive]

They actually said that?

Nope, that's simply what he wants to see happen. There are zero rumors or leaks to corroborate it, and only rumors and leaks that refute it. Some position to take.

 

[CWallace]

...the 27" iMac was just updated in August of 2020...(so) it makes no sense whatsoever to release its successor 9 months later

Apple is transitioning away from Intel as fast as they can so that they recently released an updated Intel iMac 5K should have no impact on when they release an M-series iMac 5K.

We even have direct evidence to support this when the MacBook Air was updated in March 2020 with Intel Ice Lake CPUs. It was then updated again with M1 in November 2020: 8 months later.

 

[Lemon Olive]

Well darn, in that case I might as well order one of the new 24" iMacs and not wait any longer . . .

If you're looking for a consumer product, that is exactly what Apple expects you to do.

 

[blairh]

You're right, I've not considered that because it is utterly ridiculous. This is not a normal product lifecycle, it is a transition. The MacBook Air was also updated 8 months before being entirely replaced with the M1 models. So, you're wrong. Let's see if you acknowledge this point in your next post. I'm guessing you won't.


Well you have zero evidence to support that claim. I assume you think there is still a strong market for the iPod Touch too just because it still exists. We don't know the exact numbers, only annecdotal evidence to support a claim one way or the other. Apple's release of a 24" iMac tells me what they know to be most important to consumers. Why do you think Apple went for 24" and a brand new 4.5K panel when they could have easily kept the 21.5" panel for their new consumer iMac? Clearly 21.5" was good enough for many, many years. A safe and logical bet is that they felt 24" and 4.5K resolution would be good enough for the majority of their consumer iMac customers, appeasing the entire 21" crowd and drawing in some from 27" crowd.



Except it did. It ended last month. Apple introduced 1 new iMac with a brand new design and Apple Silicon. They did not introduce 2.



Except here is where we begin to differ, because this is NOT my proclamation. This is what all of the rumors and leaks support. Not just the display size, but that the larger iMac is expected to share processor with next gen MacBook Pros. That does not support your ideas.

It is obvious that having the only reliable information that currently exists be at odds with your "opinion" of what's going to happen irritates you to no end. If tomorrow there surfaces a rumor of a larger multi colored iMac with an M1 processor, I will be very happy for you. Unfortunately no such rumors have existed at any point in the past (despite us first hearing about the 24" iMac a year ago), and the only rumors that exist currently are for a professional iMac.

The updated the MBA at that time because the previous keyboard was a disaster. We all know that.

Mate you think I need to support the claim that there is a strong market for a non-professional larger iMac? You are ridiculous. Use common sense.

They made the 24" iMac because it's an upgrade from 21". I have to point out the obvious? Machines get larger screens and smaller bezels/footprints all the time. That's the entire point of computers evolving. And that somehow is proof to you that we are not getting a 27" non-Pro iMac? LMAO.

Mate, they introduced a new iMac, and kept the 27" iMac. STILL. TWO. SIZES. That's the entire point.

There are zero reports of a 32" 6K iMac from any reputable source. ZERO.

 

[blairh]

Apple is transitioning away from Intel as fast as they can so that they recently released an updated Intel iMac 5K should have no impact on when they release an M-series iMac 5K.

We even have direct evidence to support this:

• The MacBook Air was updated in March 2020 with Intel Ice Lake CPUs. It was then updated again with M1 in November 2020: 8 months later.
• The 2-port 13" MacBook Pro was updated in May 2020 with Intel Ice Lake CPUs. It was then updated again with M1 in November 2020: 6 months later.

The keyboards fueled those updates.

 

[blairh]

Nope, that's simply what he wants to see happen. There are zero rumors or leaks to corroborate it, and only rumors and leaks that refute it. Some position to take.

Your hypocrisy knows no bounds.

 

[blairh]

They actually said that?

Apple doesn’t tell us what they are going to do before they do it with the exception of a few products. An update to the 27” iMac is extremely likely to come in 2021.

 

[CWallace]

They actually said that?

As noted, Apple has said nothing about any iMacs other than that the Intel models will be replaced with M-series SoCs.

But there has been plenty of ancillary data released from multiple sources, some with very high "hit rates" on their claims, that the M-series iMacs would be larger than their Intel predecessors. We have had rumors of a 23-24" M1 iMac since early 2020 and rumors that there would be an iMac larger than 27" started gaining traction in January 2021 with l0vetodream and Bloomberg (though I now believe the J456 and J457 model numbers Bloomberg referenced are for the 2-port and 4-port 24" iMac).

The only claim I can recall about there being a direct 27" replacement for the mid-2020 iMac 5K was Ming Chi Kuo, who in March 2020 said Apple was working on a new iMac Pro that would have a 27" miniLED display that he said would launch in late 2020 alongside a 24" M1 iMac and a miniLED 12.9" iPad Pro. (Assumption at the time was the iMac Pro would be an Intel-powered model using the new W-Series Xeons Intel had released.)