30in. Design Conjecture and What If Apple Were Bolder?

[Warped9]

Lots of speculation regarding the forthcoming larger iMac due sometime later this year.

I took the liberty of working up a quick-and-dirty 3D model of what I think the bigger iMac will be like. Using the 24in. as the template I kept everything the same except stretched the display to 30 inches because I think thats what Apple is going to do. The larger display does make the chin less obtrusive as some seem to find it presently. The bezels are not actually white, but rather a very light grey.

I don't know if Apple will call it an iMac Pro, but I doubt it. I think it more likely the bigger iMac, along with the 24in., will similarly parallel the previous design's lineup and general price points.

I also speculauted in regard to colours in terms of "what if Apple had been bolder?" using more vivid hues. To that end I've approximated the existing colours (from the backside of the 24in.) and added a couple of other possibilities not yet seen. Otherwise I think Apple will simply follow the colour palette of the 24in. I also wanted to see what the new design could look like if Apple had retained their logo on the front of the machine although I suspect it will still be missing on the forthcoming iMac.

I think Space Gray (upper centre of top image) actually looks nice with the light grey bezels. Black looks…interesting, but White looks meh even though all the colours would be rather metallic looking.

Thoughts?

 

[DanTSX]

Love the bezel.....

 

[Hexley]

It is more likely that Apple will adopt a 32" 16:9 or even 34" 21:9 display.

What I'd like to have seen was a built-in charging onto the base of the iMac stand

or even a smartphone slot/stand

My desired I/O for any Mac with Apple Silicon

• 3.5mm headphone
• CompactFlash or CFexpress card slot (I use these devices)
• At least two 10Gbps USB-A/USB3 ports
• At least two 40Gbps USB-C/USB4/TB4 ports
• At least a 1Gb Ethernet port or faster
• HDMI 2.1 for Mac notebooks & Mac mini

 

[Steve121178]

I can't see them going for white bezels & keyboards for the Pro line of Macs. They'll stick to black.

 

[thingstoponder]

It is more likely that Apple will adopt a 32" 16:9 or even 34" 21:9 display.

Why? I’d say either have a near zero chance of happening. If they didn’t make the 6k XDR ultra wide I don’t see why they would for an iMac. They’re also not going to match the 32” size of the 6k display, especially with the Gurman report that they’re going to have a new affordable display. Would that also be 6k 32”? That would make no sense considering the XDR exists.

I think if the display increases it will be 28”. Right in between the 24” and 32” XDR. 29” at the most.
But there’s no guarantee it will even have a bigger screen. I think we would have heard about it by now to be honest. We heard about a 24” iMac from reliable sources for months and months, maybe even a year. We have yet to hear any information of a larger iMac screen size increase.

I know I sound like a nag but I really advise people against making random guesses and expecting anything that hasn’t been reported by either Kuo or Gurman. Until we hear any concrete news suggesting otherwise I would just expect a 27” iMac with the same design and same colors as the 24” with a new higher end Apple Silicon chip. Don’t get your hopes up for something that hasn’t even been reported, much less announced. It always ends in disappointment.

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

Bloody woeful pure and simlpe. Leave it to the Apple experts. 🐰

 

[Warped9]

I agree I don’t see the display going beyond 30 inches. 28 or 29 inches would also work. I also don’t agree with the assumption this will be a “Pro” line, something many appear to have latched onto and rationalize because of the Pro designation in the iPhone, iPad and MacBook lines.

 

[Hexley]

I know I sound like a nag but I really advise people against making random guesses and expecting anything that hasn’t been reported by either Kuo or Gurman. Until we hear any concrete news suggesting otherwise I would just expect a 27” iMac with the same design and same colors as the 24” with a new higher end Apple Silicon chip. Don’t get your hopes up for something that hasn’t even been reported, much less announced. It always ends in disappointment.

Just a reminder!

Competitors offer AIO in 32" 16:9 and 34" 21:9. So it isn't too much of a stretch for Apple to offer the same.

I also hope that the iMac larger than 27" will be using mini LEDs like the iPad Pros.

That new screen makes me wish I didn't buy that 2019 MacBook Pro 16" Core i7 and instead wait for the Apple Silicon version.

 

[Warped9]

Competitors offer AIO in 32" 16:9 and 34" 21:9. So it isn't too much of a stretch for Apple to offer the same.

True, but I often find the competition might offer something more than Apple at a given price point, but will still be lacking in something else.

Over the years all my Apple products have worked near flawlessly with only the odd minor hiccup and those quickly resolved. I consider Mac OS to be far superior to Windows. My experience with Apple products over the years has inspired confidence even if I don’t always agree with their choices.

Given Apple made the entry iMac display 24 inches without greatly increasing the physical size of the machine I don’t think they’ll keep the larger iMac at 27 inches. No, I think it far more likely they’ll follow the same path and have a larger display without being much larger than the current 27in. But, of course, it’s all conjecture as to how much larger the new display will be: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 or 34 inches. Then again I don’t think it likely they will make a 32 or 34in. iMac given they already have a large XDR display available even though it’s quite expensive.

The 24in. display is about 20 percent bigger than the previous 21.5. If we apply a similar rationale to the current 27 then the new iMac would come in around 30in—doable without greatly increasing the physical size of the machine. Bigger than 30in. is probably wishful thinking in my opinion.

It’s still going to be a consumer computer with more options for configuration to satisfy more demanding customers. But I’m not convinced it will be a specific Pro device to cater more to professionals. And that includes colour options.

 

[Hexley]

True, but I often find the competition might offer something more than Apple at a given price point, but will still be lacking in something else.

Over the years all my Apple products have worked near flawlessly with only the odd minor hiccup and those quickly resolved. I consider Mac OS to be far superior to Windows. My experience with Apple products over the years has inspired confidence even if I don’t always agree with their choices.

Given Apple made the entry iMac display 24 inches without greatly increasing the physical size of the machine I don’t think they’ll keep the larger iMac at 27 inches. No, I think it far more likely they’ll follow the same path and have a larger display without being much larger than the current 27in. But, of course, it’s all conjecture as to how much larger the new display will be: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 or 34 inches. Then again I don’t think it likely they will make a 32 or 34in. iMac given they already have a large XDR display available even though it’s quite expensive.

The 24in. display is about 20 percent bigger than the previous 21.5. If we apply a similar rationale to the current 27 then the new iMac would come in around 30in—doable without greatly increasing the physical size of the machine. Bigger than 30in. is probably wishful thinking in my opinion.

It’s still going to be a consumer computer with more options for configuration to satisfy more demanding customers. But I’m not convinced it will be a specific Pro device to cater more to professionals. And that includes colour options.

Gosh... I have to be pedantic, don't I?

What I mean Apple offering the same I was was inferring to screen size in terms of inches.

 

[Warped9]

Apple marches to its own beat. Just because the competition is doing something doesn’t mean Apple will follow suit.

Others have added touchscreens to their laptops and AIO desktops. Apple has resisted doing the same for their own reasons. The current recently upgraded MacBooks don’t have touchscreens and neither does the new 24in. iMac.

Apple has the iPad line, the most recognized tablet in the world for those who want touchscreens. Don’t see many HP, Lenovo, Asus, Toshiba, Sony and Acer tablets to compare with it. Microsoft has the Surface, but it’s shackled with Windows.

If Apple saw a profit benefit to putting touchscreens on their laptops and desktops they’d be doing it.