No 2018 iMac?!

[Cuperchino]

Isn't there an elephant in the room? A tiny one?
Why would Apple update the ever so popular iMac, when it needs
the (rest of the MacBook) attention on the risen-from-the-grave MacMini?
I would bet some money, that most waiting for an iMac update, have for the first time REALLY considered switching to a new MacMini when they heard 6core/TB3/better/greyer.
Even if the Mini seems somehow targeted at a pro crowd (developers, hide-a-box special purposes aso) they will want those sales from consumers hooking up the Mini to a cheap 32" or their HDTV and enjoy MacOS.
At the same time this is a nudge for professionals to reconsider the iMacPro. Updated chips in the iMac
would have been enough for many video/photo/audio/web pros to not think about the iMacPro anymore
But if the iMac is a business investment, going now for a 2017 model with ageing internals becomes much less attractive with 2019 approaching - especially for freelancers.
Some state Apple is probably waiting for new GPUs or screens, while this is true it isn't like us waiting for a iMac refresh:
They KNOW when they will get the tech and develop and plan accordingly.
Good thing is: IMHO really only the highest-end power-users need the percentage increasement the latest Macs offer. People with iMacs simply aren't in that crowd...

 

[krazzix]

My prediction (and hope):

32" iMac, smallers bezels as they are doing with all products. SSD-only. Hopefully with Face-ID, although that would require a much better T-chip.

Launched somewhere halfway 2019 when AMD has Navi GPU. I don't think there will be a newer CPU from intel by then.

27" vs 32":

 

[Glmnet1]

My prediction (and hope):

32" iMac, smallers bezels as they are doing with all products. SSD-only. Hopefully with Face-ID, although that would require a much better T-chip.

Launched somewhere halfway 2019 when AMD has Navi GPU. I don't think there will be a newer CPU from intel by then.

Interesting prediction and I like the look of it but it has a few flaws:
- Price: A 27" i5 16GB RAM 512GB SSD is currently priced at $2799. There is not way Apple would bring all those upgrades and lower the price by $200. If a 2019 iMac is anything like your prediction it will be priced at least $500 above a similarly priced 2017 iMac.
- Resolution/Screen size: Apple loves their Retina screens. With all the marketing around it, they can't suddenly lower pixel density by increasing the screen size and not increasing the resolution. 5k is already quite high, expensive and demanding on the GPU so going to ~6k would be very surprising and impressive. It would also probably bring the price to new levels!
- GPU: Vega 64 has 8GB video memory. Why would you expect a Radeon Pro 680 to have 16GB??
- CPU: Those frequencies do not correspond to the only 9th gen i5 currently released. It could be those of a 9600 non k though. There's also no quad-core i5 in the 8th and 9th generation of Intel CPUs.

 

[krazzix]

Interesting prediction and I like the look of it but it has a few flaws:
- Price: A 27" i5 16GB RAM 512GB SSD is currently priced at $2799. There is not way Apple would bring all those upgrades and lower the price by $200. If a 2019 iMac is anything like your prediction it will be priced at least $500 above a similarly priced 2017 iMac.
- Resolution/Screen size: Apple loves their Retina screens. With all the marketing around it, they can't suddenly lower pixel density by increasing the screen size and not increasing the resolution. 5k is already quite high, expensive and demanding on the GPU so going to ~6k would be very surprising and impressive. It would also probably bring the price to new levels!
- GPU: Vega 64 has 8GB video memory. Why would you expect a Radeon Pro 680 to have 16GB??
- CPU: Those frequencies do not correspond to the only 9th gen i5 currently released. It could be those of a 9600 non k though. There's also no quad-core i5 in the 8th and 9th generation of Intel CPUs.

- Price: I just added $200 on top of the highest current default. As SSD will be default, the price changes won't be increased the same amount as configuring it today. And with RAM, I just hope 16GB will be the new default for all new iMacs by then, not dramatically increasing the price.
- Resolution: I based it on this: https://www.designcompaniesranked.com/resources/is-this-retina/ 32" 5K is still retina at 48cm distance. Right now I'm sitting at a distance of over 70cm, which is close enough I think.
- GPU & CPU: True, fixed it

 

[xgman]

I don't see any way they go above 27. They may do a 27 with thin bezels and tout how much smaller the package is.

 

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

My prediction (and hope):

32" iMac, smallers bezels as they are doing with all products. SSD-only. Hopefully with Face-ID, although that would require a much better T-chip.

Launched somewhere halfway 2019 when AMD has Navi GPU. I don't think there will be a newer CPU from intel by then.

27" vs 32":

LOL, you might get some of those things, but no way on all of them. (Including price as a thing)

 

[Jorbanead]

My prediction (and hope):

32" iMac, smallers bezels as they are doing with all products. SSD-only. Hopefully with Face-ID, although that would require a much better T-chip.

Launched somewhere halfway 2019 when AMD has Navi GPU. I don't think there will be a newer CPU from intel by then.

27" vs 32":

I think your new design is what the Pro Display will look like. For the iMac, I think they will still have a small chin at the bottom, if only to distinguish it from the Pro Display and still retain the classic iMac “look”.

I do think they will use 2666Mhz ram though like they use in the Mac mini and iMac Pro.

Here's what I think It'll look like. Proportions are not exact -

I do think there is a benefit (for Apple) to use a 32" screen. The form factor is wider, which will allow them to retain the slim edges while still leaving room for the internals. Here's an example of how the 32" design allows for smaller bezels but plenty of space for internals. HDD has been removed in favor of two fans and SSD.

 

[Icaras]

My prediction (and hope):

32" iMac, smallers bezels as they are doing with all products. SSD-only. Hopefully with Face-ID, although that would require a much better T-chip.

Launched somewhere halfway 2019 when AMD has Navi GPU. I don't think there will be a newer CPU from intel by then.

27" vs 32":

No loving for a smaller size iMac? Like perhaps a 24”?
[doublepost=1541094400][/doublepost]

I think your new design is what the Pro Display will look like. For the iMac, I think they will still have a small chin at the bottom, if only to distinguish it from the Pro Display and still retain the classic iMac “look”.

I do think they will use 2666Mhz ram though like they use in the Mac mini and iMac Pro.

Here's what I think It'll look like. Proportions are not exact -

That design looks frikkin’ beautiful. If Apple does something similar to this, just shut up and take my money!

 

[Kevbasscat]

I just purchased a 2017, 27" 5k iMac from the refurb store. I’ll sell it, "IF" the new 2019 27" iMac is actually worth buying and paying for it.
I waited long enough. I’m 64 years old, lol I don’t have forever to wait on some refresh. I’ll live life today, ya'll can keep talking about it till the cows come home, that’s not really "living." Lol, I’m upgrading my ole’ 9,1 iMac today (right now) with a 3.06 GHz c2d CPU and an ssd/spinner 2.5 Tb fusion, and putting Mohave on it. That will max it out.

 

[Glmnet1]

I’m not sure why everyone is saying your price is low. Other than the 16gb of ram, that’s exactly how much the current top-end model costs when you add the SSD option. And if you consider that SSD prices have gone down since early 2017, I don’t think it’s far off.

They are a little bit lower than in 2017 but nothing to warrant a free upgrade to SSD from Apple.

Also, the future iMac discussed here has a 31" 5k display and a new design, both things Apple could use to increase the price. Just look at Retina displays and Touch Bar and the price tags that came with them.

 

[Jorbanead]

They are a little bit lower than in 2017 but nothing to warrant a free upgrade to SSD from Apple.

Also, the future iMac discussed here has a 31" 5k display and a new design, both things Apple could use to increase the price. Just look at Retina displays and Touch Bar and the price tags that came with them.

You could be totally right, but they have lowered the base-model price for products in the past. If you look at the 15" MBP price history, in 2008 they cost $1,999 and the next year they lowered it to $1,699 for the 15". They didn't surpass the $1,999 price until 2013 (5 years later). Of course there are other examples of them raising the base price (like the new mini). I guess it depends on how much the new display costs Apple. Apple could compromise on the baseline and go with SATA SSD's. So if you compare the 2tb HDD which is roughly $50 to a 500GB SATA SSD which is roughly $80, the $2,499 now seems much more reasonable.

I made a rough list of similar parts on PC Part Picker, and the total came to around $1,667. This includes a 32" monitor (its not a 5K but also Apple definitely gets a massive discount on displays from LG). Assuming that Apple gets discounts on bulk stock, we can assume they will at most be paying $1,300 for a similar spec machine. Of course there is R&D costs involved, and new manufacturing processes that need to be made, but that still leaves a $1,200 margin, if not more than that depending on the discounts Apple can get.

 

[Lammers]

You could be totally right, but they have lowered the base-model price for products in the past. If you look at the 15" MBP price history, in 2008 they cost $1,999 and the next year they lowered it to $1,699 for the 15". They didn't surpass the $1,999 price until 2013 (5 years later). Of course there are other examples of them raising the base price (like the new mini). I guess it depends on how much the new display costs Apple. Apple could compromise on the baseline and go with SATA SSD's. So if you compare the 2tb HDD which is roughly $50 to a 500GB SATA SSD which is roughly $80, the $2,499 now seems much more reasonable.

I made a rough list of similar parts on PC Part Picker, and the total came to around $1,667. This includes a 32" monitor (its not a 5K but also Apple definitely gets a massive discount on displays from LG). Assuming that Apple gets discounts on bulk stock, we can assume they will at most be paying $1,300 for a similar spec machine. Of course there is R&D costs involved, and new manufacturing processes that need to be made, but that still leaves a $1,200 margin, if not more than that depending on the discounts Apple can get.

It’s a very tough sell to say that because Apple reduced a base model price ten years ago that they will do that again now, when all the more recent evidence is of the exact opposite of that. All of Apple’s products are creeping up in price, and that happened to both the Mac mini and the MacBook Air this week. I think you can be pretty sure that if/when Apple announces a redesigned iMac, it will cost more than the current models. And the cost of the components has little to do with that.
[doublepost=1541110181][/doublepost]

My prediction (and hope):

32" iMac, smallers bezels as they are doing with all products. SSD-only. Hopefully with Face-ID, although that would require a much better T-chip.

Launched somewhere halfway 2019 when AMD has Navi GPU. I don't think there will be a newer CPU from intel by then.

27" vs 32":

Almost never does someone’s “hope” on this forum make for a good “prediction”, sadly. The “hope” typically includes all manner of wonderful things, but Apple’s actual delivery is typically rather more mundane.

I think your design is fantastic, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up that we’ll see that in 2019. And I don’t think we’ll see 32” at 5K - if Apple goes to 32” then it needs to increase the resolution and that presents other challenges.

 

[nikospanda]

Just bought an iMac Pro. Tired of waiting. YOLO!

Me too! Just place my order the next day of the event..!

 

[Glmnet1]

Me too! Just place my order the next day of the event..!

Apple is probably the only company to see sales go up on products because they did not refresh it when expected I'm sure they sold a ton of iMac/iMac Pro this week to those who were waiting for a 2018 iMac.

 

[TomOSeven]

I think your new design is what the Pro Display will look like. For the iMac, I think they will still have a small chin at the bottom, if only to distinguish it from the Pro Display and still retain the classic iMac “look”.

I do think they will use 2666Mhz ram though like they use in the Mac mini and iMac Pro.

Here's what I think It'll look like. Proportions are not exact -

I do think there is a benefit (for Apple) to use a 32" screen. The form factor is wider, which will allow them to retain the slim edges while still leaving room for the internals. Here's an example of how the 32" design allows for smaller bezels but plenty of space for internals. HDD has been removed in favor of two fans and SSD.

**** dude, you're really good at this.

 

[Grohowiak]

I just purchased a 2017, 27" 5k iMac from the refurb store. I’ll sell it, "IF" the new 2019 27" iMac is actually worth buying and paying for it.
I waited long enough. I’m 64 years old, lol I don’t have forever to wait on some refresh. I’ll live life today, ya'll can keep talking about it till the cows come home, that’s not really "living." Lol, I’m upgrading my ole’ 9,1 iMac today (right now) with a 3.06 GHz c2d CPU and an ssd/spinner 2.5 Tb fusion, and putting Mohave on it. That will max it out.

It will blow your mind.
I did similar thing but since I rarely work with Video nor play games on a mac I went with the 3.4 with SSD and updated RAM myself.

 

[mreg376]

I just purchased a 2017, 27" 5k iMac from the refurb store. I’ll sell it, "IF" the new 2019 27" iMac is actually worth buying and paying for it.
I waited long enough. I’m 64 years old, lol I don’t have forever to wait on some refresh. I’ll live life today, ya'll can keep talking about it till the cows come home, that’s not really "living."

Good for you! I did the same, this past May, and have been enjoying the machine every day. Whatever you buy will be a year old in a year, with something newer and better right around the corner. Buy one when you need one, or Apple is deciding for you.

 

[krazzix]

Almost never does someone’s “hope” on this forum make for a good “prediction”, sadly. The “hope” typically includes all manner of wonderful things, but Apple’s actual delivery is typically rather more mundane.

I think your design is fantastic, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up that we’ll see that in 2019. And I don’t think we’ll see 32” at 5K - if Apple goes to 32” then it needs to increase the resolution and that presents other challenges.

True, my hopes for new Macs have been squandered many times but on the other hand, seeing that bezels are becoming smaller on all devices, and the current design is then 7 years old, a redesign is very likely. Maybe not 32”, but I expect some increase in screen size.

Ditching the Fusion-drive should also be expected by now if the are redesigning, and making it slimmer.

AMD should have a Navi GPU ready somewhere in 2019, which should provide a big boost in GPU performance.

I don't know about the CPU, Intel isn't making much progress right now, but I don't think Apple has any other choice at the moment.

Also, the future iMac discussed here has a 31" 5k display and a new design, both things Apple could use to increase the price. Just look at Retina displays and Touch Bar and the price tags that came with them.

Yeah they probably will increase the price. But even if it's $3,000 for the high end, I'm still getting it. Still way better than $5,000

 

[BigBoy2018]

I just purchased a 2017, 27" 5k iMac from the refurb store. I’ll sell it, "IF" the new 2019 27" iMac is actually worth buying and paying for it.
I waited long enough. I’m 64 years old, lol I don’t have forever to wait on some refresh. I’ll live life today, ya'll can keep talking about it till the cows come home, that’s not really "living." Lol, I’m upgrading my ole’ 9,1 iMac today (right now) with a 3.06 GHz c2d CPU and an ssd/spinner 2.5 Tb fusion, and putting Mohave on it. That will max it out.

I think you made an excellent choice. Agreed that we could always wait for something better, since that something 'better' is always around the corner, but then why not wait ... forever!
The only thing I would consider if I were you, is put a 1tb or 2tb ssd in there (if you're willing). The iFixit guide and tools make it pretty easy. I put a 2tb crucial SSD in my 2017 iMac and it makes a HUGE difference. The fusion drive just doesn't cut it anymore imo, especially if you, like me, plan to keep the machine for quite some time.

 

[fokmik]

I think your new design is what the Pro Display will look like. For the iMac, I think they will still have a small chin at the bottom, if only to distinguish it from the Pro Display and still retain the classic iMac “look”.

I do think they will use 2666Mhz ram though like they use in the Mac mini and iMac Pro.

Here's what I think It'll look like. Proportions are not exact -

I do think there is a benefit (for Apple) to use a 32" screen. The form factor is wider, which will allow them to retain the slim edges while still leaving room for the internals. Here's an example of how the 32" design allows for smaller bezels but plenty of space for internals. HDD has been removed in favor of two fans and SSD.

Yes, i think this will be much closer to reality, they still need the chin for vent and speakers, and also, they need the dual fans inside for the 6C and probably 8C, either if they go with 8th gen or 9th gen, the current inside needs 2 vents

 

[sublunar]

I wonder if the little announcement during the Brooklyn event about Divinity: Original Sin 2 being the first game to support HDR is a clue about the next iMac/iMac Pro and the release date(s)?
https://twitter.com/larianstudios/status/1057294492867444736

Others may know more about the technical side of this, but apparently Apple's Metal team is working on the port (which is due in Q1).

I'm also assuming that the iMac Pro receives any update that the regular iMac line gets, so that it does not pale in comparison (Bloomberg claimed the iMac Pro will get an update: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ll-two-devices-out-from-under-iphone-s-shadow).

Isn't that an eGPU box they are highlighting next to it though? Therefore anyone with an eGPU and suitable GPU and monitor could benefit immediately.

 

[Kevbasscat]

I think you made an excellent choice. Agreed that we could always wait for something better, since that something 'better' is always around the corner, but then why not wait ... forever!
The only thing I would consider if I were you, is put a 1tb or 2tb ssd in there (if you're willing). The iFixit guide and tools make it pretty easy. I put a 2tb crucial SSD in my 2017 iMac and it makes a HUGE difference. The fusion drive just doesn't cut it anymore imo, especially if you, like me, plan to keep the machine for quite some time.

Thanks, I’m a tech, and while it may be intimidating for most to even disassemble and reassemble, it’s not really that difficult, just a lot of detail. Try working on a professional video camera, or television camera, I am planning on putting a 2Tb ssd in after I upgrade the DDR4 to 64Gb. Everyday I wait, the price drops, (yes I can "live" without it for a bit) so as long as the fusion performs decently. Remember, I’m on a 2Tb Spinner right now on El Cap. I’ll still think the machine is still very quick. It will give me time to look at options such as RAID, or M2.

That being said…I REALLY needed an updated iMac, and just wasn’t willing to wait any longer.

 

[danwells]

The next "standard" screen size up the line from 27" (or 28" - there are some 28" monitors with the same standard resolutions as 27") is 31.5" (sometimes sold as 32" - I don't know if it's the same size as a 32" TV, or a little smaller). The only "in between" sizes I've ever heard of are 30" (relatively common before 4K, the resolution was a taller version of the 27" standard - 27" non 4K is 2560x1440, while 30" was 2560x1600) and a couple of odd sizes wider than 16x9 with disappointingly low resolutions.

Apple would probably call that size 31.5", and it would make an intriguing iMac (paired with a 24"?). Dell has an 8K panel in that size, but it's frighteningly expensive ($3699 today, Dell prices vary all over the place). With Apple's volume, they might get it in range for the iMac Pro (the 27" iMac 5K was about the same price as Dell's 27" 5K monitor that preceded it), but it's still far too much for a standard iMac. I couldn't find a 6K monitor on the market, and I'm not sure how much cheaper a custom panel would be than the Dell 8K.

 

[sublunar]

Isn't there an elephant in the room? A tiny one?
Why would Apple update the ever so popular iMac, when it needs
the (rest of the MacBook) attention on the risen-from-the-grave MacMini?
I would bet some money, that most waiting for an iMac update, have for the first time REALLY considered switching to a new MacMini when they heard 6core/TB3/better/greyer.
Even if the Mini seems somehow targeted at a pro crowd (developers, hide-a-box special purposes aso) they will want those sales from consumers hooking up the Mini to a cheap 32" or their HDTV and enjoy MacOS.
At the same time this is a nudge for professionals to reconsider the iMacPro. Updated chips in the iMac
would have been enough for many video/photo/audio/web pros to not think about the iMacPro anymore
But if the iMac is a business investment, going now for a 2017 model with ageing internals becomes much less attractive with 2019 approaching - especially for freelancers.
Some state Apple is probably waiting for new GPUs or screens, while this is true it isn't like us waiting for a iMac refresh:
They KNOW when they will get the tech and develop and plan accordingly.
Good thing is: IMHO really only the highest-end power-users need the percentage increasement the latest Macs offer. People with iMacs simply aren't in that crowd...

I wouldn't have thought that Apple wouldn't have been aiming at giving the Mac Mini some extra exclusivity time without a Coffee Lake iMac on the scene.

Right now, you can buy a mid-SKU 21.5" Kaby Lake 2017 iMac with 256Gb SSD (roughly matching the upper SKU Mini) for $1299 - $200 more than the off the shelf Mini at $1099. The differences are as follows:

$200 more gets you a 4k screen on the mini alongside a keyboard and mouse
The iMac has 2 cores less than the Mini so overall slower but probably competitive on single core tasks.
You can't upgrade the RAM on the iMac after purchase.
The Mini is only in space grey, the iMac is the usual silver.

I wouldn't have said that the 2018 iMac is waiting on a suitable AMD GPU unless the AMD 570X, 575X and 580X series is running late (mobile SKUs 555X and 560X have turned up in July's Macbook Pro 15").

Given the balkanised state of Mac Laptops I wouldn't put it past Apple now to make their 2018 iMac lineup really messy by keeping some of the 2017 models around or introducing a HDD powered tier using i3 Coffee Lake CPUs which won't overheat and come with 4 cores that don't turbo (as used in the Mac Mini):

For example:
a. Keep certain 2017 models around because they offer HDD variants and 4 cores. Or use the old cooling design with the i3 Coffee Lake CPU only.

b. The 2018 27" models are actually iMac Pros in disguise - lose the RAM trapdoor, gain 6 core CPUs, T2 processor, SSD only and gain a VEGA option. Average selling price goes up - unit sales may drop. This fills the $3-4k game between 2017 iMacs and iMac Pro.

c. 21.5" 2018 models look likely to be powered by the same CPUs announced in the 2018 Mac Mini. Again, they would go all SSD, T2 processor, and maybe even get that VEGA option too. However, given the already high price to be extracted for a 21.5" model, I'd like to see Apple release a 24" 'Pro' 2018 model to compete against folks who would just buy a 24" 4k Dell because they find the 21.5" too small and the 27" too expensive.

To be fair, the i3 could be used as a budget option with the old 2017 cooling system retained on 21.5" models to allow the use of HDD or Fusion Drives in base models.

 

[NetCatman]

I just made up my other mind. It hit me that I don't need to use just ONE computer. I'm sure that there is a way to control TWO computers with one keyboard, one mouse, and one monitor. And would you believe that KVM switches are a thing?

Just completed my order of a Mac Mini i7, 32 GB, 1 TB. Also the monitor and KVM switch from Amazon.

Now to prepare and place my order for my (W**d**s) computer. (Shh!)