What will the forthcoming 27in. iMac replacement be like?

[Warped9]

warped wrote:
"This is the message that comes accross loud and clear: no one who is serious about their computer could possibly accept white bezels."

So... you're saying that all those who WILL buy the new iMacs (and there will be MANY of them) can never be or become "serious" computer users...?

I was commenting on those people claiming the iMac’s new design and colours make it look like a toy and cannot stop harping on about the lack of Space Gray and black bezels.

I, too, am waiting to see what the forthcoming bigger iMac will be like in terms of specs: will they offer 32GB (or more) RAM and whether it will have the M2 processor. Otherwise I would be perfectly fine with a Silver or Green 24in. iMac with 16 RAM and 512 or 1TB SSD. If the big iMac looks like the 24in. I’ll be okay with that.

 

[Lioness~]

I am sure I will be satisfied with the bigger iMac's, otherwise I will be 🤬
Apple wouldn't release something similar to the smaller iMac's. It will show clear difference is specs and most likely in colors too.
But I could do with a colored iMac in the 24' ways. Care mostly about the size and specs - 28-32' and more variations and ability to chose the other specs accordingly to our needs.

 

[lowkey]

I think that the consumer line of Apples offerings will be colourful and ‘fun’. The iPad Air, iPhone 12, 24” iMac M1 and if rumours are true, upcoming M1 MacBooks in a range of colours.

The pro range will be more refined and ‘serious’. The iPad Pro, iPhone 12 Pro, upcoming rumoured 14”&16” MacBook Pros and I would most likely say the iMac Pro.

the iMac Pro and MacBook Pros will have the M2 and be in a limited range of colours. Probably silver, space grey and perhaps the Pacific Blue. The bezel and chin question might be solved by having an all glass screen like the XDR.

I don’t see the larger iMac having an M1 chip and looking like the 24” model. Surely if that was going to happen it could have happened already?

the only reason the 27” models (30” perhaps?) weren’t released is because the M2 chips don’t exist. And I think the M2 chip is going to be significantly faster than the M1 and therefore not in a consumer grade computer. At least until the M3 chip comes to the pro range.

 

[Warped9]

The forthcoming big iMac, along with the redesigned MacBook Pro, will most likely have the M2 chip, which zi believe has already begun being manufactured. In form the bigger iMac will most likely mimic the 24in. Colour wise it’s an open question.

I also expect to see the big iMac introduced in the latter half of this year, maybe somewhere around September/October. I would be surprised to see it sooner like in July, but surprises do happen.

 

[Yebubbleman]

There was a lot of speculation leading up to the reveal of the new 24in. iMac, and apparently a great deal of certainty as to what form it would take. Now there is a fair amount of disappointment the new design did not meet speculation and expectations.

There also seems to be a belief the still forthcoming larger iMac redesign will be distinctly different than the 24in. because it was not introduced at the same time. Many seem to believe the larger iMac could well be called the iMac Pro as a (relatively) less costly replacement for the previous discontinued iMac Pro and to distinguish it from the 24in.

A spec’d out 27in. iMac made the old Pro largely redundant and it was less ridiculously priced. I think this is the direction Apple will go with the new big iMac.

I also don’t think it will be radically different in form and function from the 24in., much to the disappointment of some. I also doubt it will be called Pro.


I could be completely wrong, but that is what I strongly suspect.

Anyone else’s thoughts?

I'm expecting a similar design with fewer colors (Space Gray, Silver, Gold), more ports, more RAM, more processor and graphics cores, a bigger screen, a 10Gigabit Ethernet option (Gigabit Ethernet standard on all models), at least 3 Thunderbolt ports, and at least two non-Thunderbolt USB-C ports standard. Nano-texture glass option, XDR, 1080p or 4K FaceTime camera, studio mics. Up to 8TB of storage; up to 64GB of RAM (it'll go back up to 128GB at the first spec bump update). 30" 5.5K display. At least, that's my prediction (but it's probably mostly wrong).

 

[coso]

A beefed up M1 iMac is already costly, it's scary to think how much these "pro" machines will cost.

 

[Fishrrman]

lowkey wrote in #103 above:
"the only reason the 27” models (30” perhaps?) weren’t released is because the M2 chips don’t exist."

That's the reason.
Seems I read right here on macrumors that the "next generation" m-series Mac CPU chips won't start shipping until July. So... once the CPUs start shipping, the finished Macs won't come until later (perhaps August or September).

That doesn't mean that the design work on them was done "in parallel" with the design for the m1 iMacs. My guess is that it was, and that they will be "more similar than they are different" ...

As for the product designation "iMac Pro" vs. "iMac" -- that remains to be seen.

 

[Warped9]

I really don’t think they will call it iMac Pro, unless they want to really distinguish between two lines of iMac.

 

[coso]

I don't see why the M2 should be for the 27"/32" only. There are plenty of people who may want a beefed up 24" so I don't give this theory much credit.

 

[Warped9]

I don't see why the M2 should be for the 27"/32" only. There are plenty of people who may want a beefed up 24" so I don't give this theory much credit.

The way Apple upgrades their devices it would not surprise me to see the M2 incorporated into the 24in., first as an upper tier model then later filtering down to the lower tiers.

I’m glad I’m not desperate for a new computer so I can afford to wait to see what happens in the months to a year to come. A 24in. iMac with an upgraded M chip and 32GB RAM would suit me fine