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New 32-inch iMac Pro - do you think it's coming or not?
- Thread starter alex4748
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If the 32-inch iMac isn’t introduced by the time the OP is really ready to pull the trigger, I would suggest picking up a Samsung ViewFinity S9 27-inch 5K HDR monitor with webcam. B&H has it on sale at $899 right now - $674.95 used. Pair this with an M4 or M4 Pro Mac Mini when they come out and you’re good.
In fact, if you really don’t ever want to pay for the Apple Studio Display, I would pick up the Samsung right now and wait for the M4 desktops. Then, you’d be permanently free of having to ditch a perfectly good monitor every time you need to upgrade your computer.
Most of us realize the 32-inch iMac will be introduced 15 minutes after we buy something else. 😂. But, as others have said, even if you wait for the big iMac… be prepared to pay for it. The Apple Studio Display will seem cheap by comparison.
In fact, if you really don’t ever want to pay for the Apple Studio Display, I would pick up the Samsung right now and wait for the M4 desktops. Then, you’d be permanently free of having to ditch a perfectly good monitor every time you need to upgrade your computer.
Most of us realize the 32-inch iMac will be introduced 15 minutes after we buy something else. 😂. But, as others have said, even if you wait for the big iMac… be prepared to pay for it. The Apple Studio Display will seem cheap by comparison.
The market has moved away from anything on the desktop in a huge way. The only all-in-one’s that there’s a large market potential for are all mobile.
My strong recommendation in response to your comment:
"I need to upgrade, but due to the cost / lifespan of these machines, I need to get it right!"
is to avoid AIO, buy a Mini or a Studio, and look to non-Apple display choices if a decently priced Apple display is unavailable in the size you want. Personally I have three Viewsonic 4K Pro displays but there are a plethora of great display choices out there, and everyone's needs vary.
My counsel is to avoid All-In-One ("AIO") computers.
• AIO forces one to replace everything if it becomes necessary to upgrade or replace the computer portion of the device.
• AIO forces one to replace everything if it becomes necessary to upgrade or replace the display portion of the device.
• AIO limits the user to the display choice(s) made available by the vendor (in this case Apple) at time of purchase. AIO excludes hundreds of other display alternatives from consideration, including Apple's standalone displays. Those hundreds of other display alternatives provide a huge range of pros/cons that may make for superior performance or value to a given individual setup than Apple's alternatives.
• AIO means one cannot change a workstation setup to something optimizing to a different display (e.g. larger) or to multiple displays.
• AIO means that when one has a dialed-in perfect workspace but wants to upgrade the computing by adding RAM or performance for whatever reasons, the computer upgrade may necessitate changing the already-dialed-in workstation to cope with whatever AIO Apple might have available at the time.
In my experience once I started using a 32" display the smaller displays no longer cut it. Ultimately I added a second 32" display and essentially retired usage of the smaller display even though it still works. Everyone varies of course (workflows and eyes/brain).
Each new tech generation does not make the last generation obsolete. It just makes it the previous generation. Any M2 Mac if built with enough RAM will last for 5-10 years.
That said, if it was me I would try to wait to see M4 Minis and Studios - - or buy an M3 Macbook Pro and use it in desktop mode if I needed a new Mac right away. That is exactly what I did when Apple was so very late releasing the M2 Studios: I bought an M2 MBP with 96 GB RAM.
Note that each step up in chip level (Base vs. Pro vs. Max) is often at least as important as M2 versus M3 or whatever, and that irrespective of chip, RAM is all-important moving forward. Lesser RAM will make any chip sub-optimize.
You should rethink this. A max MBP is the same power as a Studio with Max chip. Only the (seldom cost-effective) Studio Ultra is stronger than a top MBP. The only desktop flaw of the MBP is the ports; but the bandwidth is there so docks or dongles can reach any workflow a Studio Max can reach.
Likely more into the $7000-$8000 USD ballpark, over $10k with BTO options. Yikes.
So wish for a 32" 6k iMac? Of course!
But think it'll happen? No way. The eye-watering price tag will relegate it to an ultra-prosumer, ultra-niche market. Folks who need hardware/performance in this price class use Studios or Mac Pros and bring their own monitors.
IMO for a prosumer all-in-one, 27" is still the sweet spot.
why are people saying a 32 inch iMac will cost 6k it won't be priced that much and obviously it would only have a 4k display screen costing at least 2k
I'm not sure of the point of a 32" 4K iMac? Given they won't even do a 27" 5K iMac anymore.
And when you say "obviously" what's your evidence for that?
I agree with others on avoiding all-in-one computers. If the screen is separate, then it can still be used with something else later on, assuming Apple doesn't put in some block in newer MacOS to make old screens unsupported. I mean this is Apple we are talking about here, they could such a thing and people on forums would cheer them on for doing so.
Because Apple is all in with their Retina display. So if you take Retina pixel density and 32” size display you end up a 6K display.
When they announced the iMac M3, I recall Craig specifically mentioning how it's a great replacement for the 21.5" and 27" iMac sizes. So unfortunately, I do not see a 32" iMac or iMac Pro anytime soon. Perhaps in a couple of more years, but definitely not this year or next.
1) The rumor mill suggests there is unlikely to be a 32" iMac over the next 9 months or so. If Apple is planning one at all, it is probably second half of 2025 at the earliest
2) In the Apple Silicon era, there is no difference between a MacBook Pro and a similarly spec'd Mac mini or Mac Studio - and importantly, a MacBook Pro is more likely to be able to be given a higher spec configuration than any iMac Apple would release today. This is a key thing to understand, because it seems to be confusing a lot of people, still. You can spec a MacBook Pro that is dramatically more powerful than your current iMac today, attach a monitor to it, and it will be a powerhouse for several years. I have both an M3 iMac and an M2 MacBook Air, in 16GB. There is essentially no difference in the performance of the two devices.
I Think Apple will not make any iMac Pro due to the desire to sell Mac Studio with expensive monitors. They make more money that way. Tim’s greedy AAPL.
I get the arguments against them, but there is clearly a market for them - the 24 inch iMac being evidence for that. Some people, like me, just prefer the aesthetics of an AIO solution. My 2013 27 inch iMac has been perfect for me over the last 10 years - when you divide the cost by years of usage, it has been an absolute bargain. But sure, if you are the sort to want to upgrade different aspects regularly, it doesn't make sense. But for people like me, it does make sense!
How does using a MacBook Pro as a desktop work in practice? For example, do you have to boot the MacBook Pro and then select settings to output the display to the Studio Display? Or is it more streamlined so that you simply turn the MacBook Pro on and it automatically outputs to the Studio Display? I couldn't live with having to navigate settings on the laptop every day, just to get it to output display to the monitor...but I do like the idea of being able to take my main computer on the road.
You just turn it on and it connects with the display (connected via Thunderbolt or USB-C, depending on the display).
That's how it works with my Macbook Air M2 15" connected to either Studio display, LG Ultrafine 5K or a Dell 4K screen.
Gamers, Graphic Artists, Architects, as well as many others could appreciate a larger iMac.
Unfortunately Apple is too busy with other projects, Its actually gotten to the point where the iPhone isn't as important to them as it used to be even though 50% of its sales are derived from the iPhone.
At this point in time i'm doubtful but I still haven't given up hope
Unfortunately Apple is too busy with other projects, Its actually gotten to the point where the iPhone isn't as important to them as it used to be even though 50% of its sales are derived from the iPhone.
At this point in time i'm doubtful but I still haven't given up hope
You can have the lid closed if you want, it will wake with external keyboard presses. I actually leave it open so I can have 3 displays at my home office, my MBp m1max drives all of them just fine.
But they likely want something different in terms of monitor. Gamers, for example, might appreciate a wide screen (or multiple screens), don't need 220 PPI resolution, and want faster response. Separating monitor and computer is the way to meet diverse needs.