Who else is holding out for a new 27 inch iMac?

[stocklen]

I have to say.... I honestly don't believe this is coming at ALL!!

Everyone is waiting... and waiting.... but come on... if Apple had a 27" iMac up its sleeve don't you think it would have been released by now??

I think that their strategy is very clear now.

The All-in-one solution is clearly and ONLY the 24" model. This is a very reasonably mid-size point between the old 27 and 21 inch models.

I waited a few months too as I had a 27" iMac and would never have changed to the 21" one..... but eventaully "relented" and realised almost 18 months ago that the 27 wouldn't be coming and here we are it still isn't here.
What are you all waiting for still? I bought the M1 iMac and haven't looked back - Honestly you really don't notice that loss of 3" from the screen.

Apple are catering for the home market with a very very capable all in one with M1 processor - the next iteration will surely be the iMac with M2 - I guess spring 2023 - 2 years after it was first introduced but that screen aint budging from 24".

For people who "need" 27" screens Apple have clearly given you a solution - but for you... it's going to be a world of separates from now on. You have the 27" studio display and that pairs beautifully with the Mac mini for "normal" computing requirements (lets face it 95% of all users out there). If you consider yourself in any way a "power" or "pro" user then knock yourself out and pair it with the Mac Studio...
Literally every user out there is catered for.
I just don't see the need for Apple to provide a 27" or larger iMac any more.

My only caveat to this opinion is that IF Apple ever did so.. then it would SURELY be NOT just a 27-30" iMac... but it would be an iMac Pro - a direct replacement for the long since discontinued 27" iMac Pro - with specs and a price point to match!!

What if you are waiting, and waiting, and waiting... only to eventually be given a 27" iMac Pro at a price point double that of the standard iMac with computing power that you could never hope to need. Are you really willing to Pay that price for a machine that isn't aimed towards your use case when right now you can get the studio display now?

 

[Boidem]

I'd guess that they are selling a lot of Studios right now because of the lack of more configuration options in the mini and the lack of an Apple Silicon Mac Pro and iMac Pro. The M1 and M2 base stuff are their volume markets but the stores carry the Studios as well, some even carry the Studio Ultra.

Apple's main market is just ordinary home users, most of whom aren't going to be spending several thousands of pounds on stuff like Mac Studios etc. Some iMac Pro type customers may be buying Studios. But in the general scheme of things, Apple will be selling far, far more lower end desktops such as the base iMac or MacMini. Remember; this forum is mainly populated by geeks and nerds, not the 'average' Mac user, so opinions will be somewhat skewed as to what Apple should or shouldn't do.

 

[pshufd]

Apple's main market is just ordinary home users, most of whom aren't going to be spending several thousands of pounds on stuff like Mac Studios etc. Some iMac Pro type customers may be buying Studios. But in the general scheme of things, Apple will be selling far, far more lower end desktops such as the base iMac or MacMini. Remember; this forum is mainly populated by geeks and nerds, not the 'average' Mac user, so opinions will be somewhat skewed as to what Apple should or shouldn't do.

The impact on Mac sales of the 2021 MacBook Pro was significant which indicates that there is a healthy market out there for $2,000+ Macs.

 

[Boidem]

The impact on Mac sales of the 2021 MacBook Pro was significant which indicates that there is a healthy market out there for $2,000+ Macs.

Sure. But is the market so healthy for £3,000, £4000, £5000+ Macs? Perhaps not so much. The MacBook Pro is a laptop, which are far more popular than desktops anyway these days. WFH innit? But what about the iPad range, or the MBA? My point is that the bulk of the home computer market is at the lower end; think about say BMW and cars. How many top of the range models do they sell compared to the boggo 3 series? How many 5 and 8 series BMWs do you see, compared to 1 and 3 series cars?

 

[Septercius]

I have to say.... I honestly don't believe this is coming at ALL!!

Everyone is waiting... and waiting.... but come on... if Apple had a 27" iMac up its sleeve don't you think it would have been released by now??

Err, no. Perhaps they want to differentiate it from the 24", so they're waiting for faster M2 chips to come along. Perhaps they're waiting on screens, or there are component shortages. Or perhaps the designers have been abducted by aliens.

By that logic, Apple's not going to be releasing a new Mac Pro either. After all, it's not been released yet. That means it's never coming right?

I think that their strategy is very clear now.

Unless you are Tim Cook, then that's rather a foolish thing to say. We don't have insider information. All we have is opinions (though you seem to be passing yours off as fact).

The All-in-one solution is clearly and ONLY the 24" model. This is a very reasonably mid-size point between the old 27 and 21 inch models.

Clear as mud.

It may be a "reasonable" mid-size point for you, but unless you have conducted mass hypnosis to make the rest of us think the same way as you do, then that's not necessarily the case. Speaking personally, I wouldn't want to go from a 27" to a 24" screen size. Not necessarily due to the size, but due to the lesser resolution. So I'll be sticking with my 27" iMac until it dies.

I waited a few months too as I had a 27" iMac and would never have changed to the 21" one..... but eventaully "relented" and realised almost 18 months ago that the 27 wouldn't be coming and here we are it still isn't here.
What are you all waiting for still? I bought the M1 iMac and haven't looked back - Honestly you really don't notice that loss of 3" from the screen.

Personal opinion again, therefore of little value.

Apple are catering for the home market with a very very capable all in one with M1 processor - the next iteration will surely be the iMac with M2 - I guess spring 2023 - 2 years after it was first introduced but that screen aint budging from 24".

The entire home market? Are you suggesting that everyone in that segment has exactly the same needs, and that those needs coincide exactly with yours?

"Guess" sums it up nicely. Again, I ask, are you Tim Cook?

For people who "need" 27" screens Apple have clearly given you a solution - but for you... it's going to be a world of separates from now on. You have the 27" studio display and that pairs beautifully with the Mac mini for "normal" computing requirements (lets face it 95% of all users out there). If you consider yourself in any way a "power" or "pro" user then knock yourself out and pair it with the Mac Studio...

More personal opinion, forcing your views onto others, with a hint of bullying to boot.

Literally every user out there is catered for.

Well, I'm not. I don't want separates. I had that with a succession of Mac Pros, and I much prefer my all-in-one iMac with a 27" screen.

So not "literally" and not "every" at all. Unless "every" means just you.

I just don't see the need for Apple to provide a 27" or larger iMac any more.

So no-one else should either? Can you tell me how to vote in the next UK elections as well? Saves me the trouble of thinking for myself.

My only caveat to this opinion is that IF Apple ever did so.. then it would SURELY be NOT just a 27-30" iMac... but it would be an iMac Pro - a direct replacement for the long since discontinued 27" iMac Pro - with specs and a price point to match!!

So after all that "Apple is never going to release a bigger iMac" nonsense, you think they might do? Make up your mind!

What if you are waiting, and waiting, and waiting... only to eventually be given a 27" iMac Pro at a price point double that of the standard iMac with computing power that you could never hope to need. Are you really willing to Pay that price for a machine that isn't aimed towards your use case when right now you can get the studio display now?

Yes, I am willing to pay, thank you. Is that OK, or do I need you to authorize it?

And what, pray tell, makes you think you know other people's use cases? You have no idea what other people do with their computers. Bit arrogant, no?

Sigh.

 

[pshufd]

Sure. But is the market so healthy for £3,000, £4000, £5000+ Macs? Perhaps not so much. The MacBook Pro is a laptop, which are far more popular than desktops anyway these days. WFH innit? But what about the iPad range, or the MBA? My point is that the bulk of the home computer market is at the lower end; think about say BMW and cars. How many top of the range models do they sell compared to the boggo 3 series? How many 5 and 8 series BMWs do you see, compared to 1 and 3 series cars?

I have a Studio and an M1 Pro MacBook Pro. $5,000 for computer hardware that you use to earn a living isn't a big deal. I imagine that there are a lot of other professionals that don't consider $3,000 a lot if they use it to make a living. It's not mass market but it's not high-end either. I used to use Exadata systems and those are a lot bigger and more expensive than any Macs. What I'd put into the high-end category - along with systems that can accommodate 1 TB+ of RAM.

 

[Boidem]

I have a Studio and an M1 Pro MacBook Pro. $5,000 for computer hardware that you use to earn a living isn't a big deal. I imagine that there are a lot of other professionals that don't consider $3,000 a lot if they use it to make a living.

But what is the proportion of pros to 'amateurs' in the Mac market? I suspect it's quite heavily weighted one way...

 

[pshufd]

But what is the proportion of pros to 'amateurs' in the Mac market? I suspect it's quite heavily weighted one way...

There are far more basic users. But the number of Pros isn't small.

One of my friends manages several hundred engineers for one of the big semi companies. Their typical engineer configuration is a system with 1+ TB of RAM. This is the type of platform that I had in my last job. My son's workplace gave him a 2021 MacBook Pro with 32 GB of RAM - he works in biotech doing genetic work. And there seems to be lots of people doing professional video and audio work using 2021 MacBook Pros and Mac Studios. The Studio forum is an interesting place to hang out as I'm always curious about what people do with them.

I don't recall the Mac Pro being for sale in the Apple Store so that's one that wasn't a volume seller. I don't recall the iMac Pro for sale in the stores either. But you do have the Mac Studio Max and Mac Studio Ultra for sales in the stores which imply enough volume to stock them. I think that it's rather interesting that the stores stock the Mac Studio Mac and Mac Studio Ultra but don't stock the Mac mini with 16 GB of RAM.

 

[ADGrant]

Are we? I've seen many, many iMacs and other AIOs over the years, I don't think it's that niche. I'd say iMac Pro, Studio and Mac Pro users are far more 'niche' than AIO users.

The iMac Pro was an AIO.

 

[stocklen]

Err, no. Perhaps they want to differentiate it from the 24", so they're waiting for faster M2 chips to come along. Perhaps they're waiting on screens, or there are component shortages. Or perhaps the designers have been abducted by aliens.

By that logic, Apple's not going to be releasing a new Mac Pro either. After all, it's not been released yet. That means it's never coming right?



Unless you are Tim Cook, then that's rather a foolish thing to say. We don't have insider information. All we have is opinions (though you seem to be passing yours off as fact).



Clear as mud.

It may be a "reasonable" mid-size point for you, but unless you have conducted mass hypnosis to make the rest of us think the same way as you do, then that's not necessarily the case. Speaking personally, I wouldn't want to go from a 27" to a 24" screen size. Not necessarily due to the size, but due to the lesser resolution. So I'll be sticking with my 27" iMac until it dies.



Personal opinion again, therefore of little value.



The entire home market? Are you suggesting that everyone in that segment has exactly the same needs, and that those needs coincide exactly with yours?

"Guess" sums it up nicely. Again, I ask, are you Tim Cook?



More personal opinion, forcing your views onto others, with a hint of bullying to boot.



Well, I'm not. I don't want separates. I had that with a succession of Mac Pros, and I much prefer my all-in-one iMac with a 27" screen.

So not "literally" and not "every" at all. Unless "every" means just you.



So no-one else should either? Can you tell me how to vote in the next UK elections as well? Saves me the trouble of thinking for myself.



So after all that "Apple is never going to release a bigger iMac" nonsense, you think they might do? Make up your mind!



Yes, I am willing to pay, thank you. Is that OK, or do I need you to authorize it?

And what, pray tell, makes you think you know other people's use cases? You have no idea what other people do with their computers. Bit arrogant, no?

Sigh.

good god what a weird and aggressive reply to someone stating an opinion on a discussion forum.

You do realise, of course that people can and do have different opinions to you?

Id thank you for not referring to what ive said as bullying and forcing opinions and of little value and arrogant.

There, in itself is a deeply unpleasant response. Take a look in the mirror.


You disagree and want there to be a 27" sure thats fine - good luck to you.


The only sensible part of your reply which warrants a decent conversational response which I will be kind enough to give you is that... the M2 chip? "waiting for it"?
Hate to break it to you but the M2 chip is here, and has been for a while.. and they have already replaced the originally launched M1 MacBooks with M2 versions....
So they will change the M1 24 inch iMacs to M2 ones sure - but then magically as they new have an m2 bring out your vaunted 27" iMac? Maybe Maybe not - who knows.

Respond with the same unwarranted condescending aggression and ill report the post.

 

[ADGrant]

A quick update on living with my 2020 27" model. Still loving it for the excellent performance and superb immersive viewing experience.

I love the performance of mine too but I don't love that it is an AIO. I bought it because I wanted one last Intel Desktop Mac to take me through the transition to Apple Silicon and it was the only reasonable option. The Intel Mini was and is using an old 8th gen Intel CPU and the Mac Pro was and is absurdly priced.

I would have loved an Intel equivalent to the Studio but it did not exist.

 

[Boidem]

The iMac Pro was an AIO.

Yeah but you know what I mean. Those are higher end machines aimed at different types of customers. I should have said I've seen loads of 'ordinary' iMacs; both 21.5 and27" versions, the former being far more abundant.

good god what a weird and aggressive reply to someone stating an opinion on a discussion forum.

Well, it wasn't 'aggressive' any more than your post was, really. Dunno about 'bullying', but you seem to be asserting stuff as though it were fact, and all Septercius was doing was rebutting your claims. That's called 'debating'.

There, in itself is a deeply unpleasant response. Take a look in the mirror.

It's hardly 'deeply unpleasant' unless you are incredibly sensitive, in which case making bold assertions online perhaps isn't a wise move...

Respond with the same unwarranted condescending aggression and ill report the post.

Hmm. That seems a little threatening to me, but perhaps I'm just oversensitive...

 

[pshufd]

I love the performance of mine too but I don't love that it is an AIO. I bought it because I wanted one last Intel Desktop Mac to take me through the transition to Apple Silicon and it was the only reasonable option. The Intel Mini was and is using an old 8th gen Intel CPU and the Mac Pro was and is absurdly priced.

I would have loved an Intel equivalent to the Studio but it did not exist.

A Hackintosh with a 13th gen Intel or 7xxx AMD should be able to beat the Studio in general computing tasks.

 

[AL2TEACH]

I see nothing compelling me to update the puter to the coming OS except maybe Stage Manager, the fancy Mission Control to me but I'm sure it does more. I'm not into getting the latest because it's the latest or because it's said that so and so could not be added onto an older OS because of the chip, I'm sure that's the case for some programs but not all. Anyway, to make my rambling much shorter, I see no compelling reason to update this late 2015 27' iMac. Apple has their profit margin standard and I have mine

 

[pshufd]

I see nothing compelling me to update the puter to the coming OS except maybe Stage Manager, the fancy Mission Control to me but I'm sure it does more. I'm not into getting the latest because it's the latest or because it's said that so and so could not be added onto an older OS because of the chip, I'm sure that's the case for some programs but not all. Anyway, to make my rambling much shorter, I see no compelling reason to update this late 2015 27' iMac. Apple has their profit margin standard and I have mine

There are three killer features for me in Ventura:

Virtualization
Clock
Weather

I no longer need a Windows system to run my Windows programs.

 

[AL2TEACH]

There are three killer features for me in Ventura:

Virtualization
Clock
Weather

Guess, I will have to see what those 3 do.

 

[MisterSavage]

I caved this year and got the ASD and M1 Pro Macbook. My iMac was from 2017 so I was hungry for an update.

 

[Makisupa Policeman]

I have to say.... I honestly don't believe this is coming at ALL!!

Everyone is waiting... and waiting.... but come on... if Apple had a 27" iMac up its sleeve don't you think it would have been released by now??

I think that their strategy is very clear now.

The All-in-one solution is clearly and ONLY the 24" model. This is a very reasonably mid-size point between the old 27 and 21 inch models.

I waited a few months too as I had a 27" iMac and would never have changed to the 21" one..... but eventaully "relented" and realised almost 18 months ago that the 27 wouldn't be coming and here we are it still isn't here.
What are you all waiting for still? I bought the M1 iMac and haven't looked back - Honestly you really don't notice that loss of 3" from the screen.

Apple are catering for the home market with a very very capable all in one with M1 processor - the next iteration will surely be the iMac with M2 - I guess spring 2023 - 2 years after it was first introduced but that screen aint budging from 24".

For people who "need" 27" screens Apple have clearly given you a solution - but for you... it's going to be a world of separates from now on. You have the 27" studio display and that pairs beautifully with the Mac mini for "normal" computing requirements (lets face it 95% of all users out there). If you consider yourself in any way a "power" or "pro" user then knock yourself out and pair it with the Mac Studio...
Literally every user out there is catered for.
I just don't see the need for Apple to provide a 27" or larger iMac any more.

My only caveat to this opinion is that IF Apple ever did so.. then it would SURELY be NOT just a 27-30" iMac... but it would be an iMac Pro - a direct replacement for the long since discontinued 27" iMac Pro - with specs and a price point to match!!

What if you are waiting, and waiting, and waiting... only to eventually be given a 27" iMac Pro at a price point double that of the standard iMac with computing power that you could never hope to need. Are you really willing to Pay that price for a machine that isn't aimed towards your use case when right now you can get the studio display now?

You do make some good points, and I would certainly consider the 24” in the future. I’d mostly just like it to have more RAM options, even 24gb like on the m2 MBA would be acceptable.

 

[Makisupa Policeman]

A quick update on living with my 2020 27" model. Still loving it for the excellent performance and superb immersive viewing experience.

I love mine too. I’ve got the 3.8ghz 8-core i7 and the performance is very good for the most part. Even with the base ram it’s not really taxing the memory pressure much as far as I can tell, and the Fans hardly ever kick on even doing tasks that sends my older MacBooks’ fans screaming lol.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I have money burning a hole in my pocket for a new 27" iMac. I'm calling Apple's bluff that they actually discontinued this line. I believe Apple said it was discontinued so people would buy the new Studio and their expensive 27" display....otherwise most iMac owners would just continue to wait for the new iMac.

I know so many people who love their 27" iMac and want nothing more than a new one with Apple silicon. We are all going to hold out as long as we possibly can with our current iMacs, and if Apple doesn't eventually release one we'll be forced to buy something else. But for now, even though I want something new I will continue to hold out and use my current 2019 iMac until I can't use it any longer. Apple will be missing out on my cash for as long as I can wait.

Is anyone else doing the same?

You know that if you had spec'ed out a base model 2020 iMac prior to its discontinuation with 32GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, it would cost the same as a base model Mac Studio with a base model Studio Display, right?

Apple did a pretty damn good job of keeping the Mac Studio + Studio Display pricing pretty similar to its 2020 27" predecessor. The only thing you don't have is (a) the freedom to upgrade the RAM after the fact and, by extension, (b) the ability to order it with 8GB and buy aftermarket RAM kits. And certainly, even the low-end GPU configuration of the M1 Max will blow the lid off of most 2020 iMac Radeon GPUs for pretty much anything except non-Apple Silicon native Mac gaming (and, even then, it ain't that bad).

All that to say that, if you were waiting for an Apple Silicon replacement for the 27" iMac, the M1 Max version of Mac Studio IS that Mac. And if you were waiting for an Apple Silicon replacement for the iMac Pro, the M1 Ultra version of Mac Studio IS THAT Mac. Only difference is that Apple's displays are now optional (you can buy and/or equip the 27" LG Ultrafine 5K instead, should you so choose). But, if you're using this thing professionally, that's a huge win.

 

[Jorbanead]

If Apple had a 27" iMac up its sleeve don't you think it would have been released by now??

No, one word: display

This is what I think happened, why the studio display sucks, and why I think there is still a larger iMac coming:

Earlier this year Apple intended to release an M1 Max/Ultra iMac. This iMac would come with a miniLED display with promotion. They also developed a new display to go alongside this and their Mac Studio. The new display was supposed to feature ProMotion.

However, I think Apple ran into production issues. The display wasn’t ready yet (a 5K ProMotion display with possibly miniLED and that high PPI is hard to do).

Another part of the issue is once Apple announces M2, they can’t go back and continue to announce new M1 products and chips. It would just diminish the impact of those products with M2 looming over their heads.

So rather than delay the larger iMac, which would mean announcing the iMac, studio display, and Mac studio at a later date, which then would delay the release of all M2 products…. Apple went with plan B.

Plan B was to put the older tried and true 5K 27” screen in the new studio display and announce the Mac Studio. Think about it: the internals of the studio display are so overkill for what that product is. The chip, the fan, the power supply - none of it make any sense. That is unless you put in a new 144” Hz display in it. That would require some cooling and a chip powerful enough to drive that refresh rate. That’s what it was designed for. This is just plan B.

So now, because of how the M-series chips work, they have to wait until the next available window to announce the larger iMac. Wether this is M2 Max/Ultra or M3 Max/Ultra - we don’t know, but I think it is coming.

 

[stocklen]

No, one word: display

This is what I think happened, why the studio display sucks, and why I think there is still a larger iMac coming:

Earlier this year Apple intended to release an M1 Max/Ultra iMac. This iMac would come with a miniLED display with promotion. They also developed a new display to go alongside this and their Mac Studio. The new display was supposed to feature ProMotion.

However, I think Apple ran into production issues. The display wasn’t ready yet (a 5K ProMotion display with possibly miniLED and that high PPI is hard to do).

Another part of the issue is once Apple announces M2, they can’t go back and continue to announce new M1 products and chips. It would just diminish the impact of those products with M2 looming over their heads.

So rather than delay the larger iMac, which would mean announcing the iMac, studio display, and Mac studio at a later date, which then would delay the release of all M2 products…. Apple went with plan B.

Plan B was to put the older tried and true 5K 27” screen in the new studio display and announce the Mac Studio. Think about it: the internals of the studio display are so overkill for what that product is. The chip, the fan, the power supply - none of it make any sense. That is unless you put in a new 144” Hz display in it. That would require some cooling and a chip powerful enough to drive that refresh rate. That’s what it was designed for. This is just plan B.

So now, because of how the M-series chips work, they have to wait until the next available window to announce the larger iMac. Wether this is M2 Max/Ultra or M3 Max/Ultra - we don’t know, but I think it is coming.

whereas you may, or may not be right....

theres no way that any of us could possibly know what the situation is. Your theory is all very well but is just a theory none the less.
... just the same as my theory is that we will not get one at all. Just a theory.

I still need to re-clarify I am talking about a machine aimed at the *home* market.

Of course, there will certainly not be any more M1 machines or their derivatives released. Its all about M2 now - weve yet to see M2 ultras and M2 Max... but we can be sure they are coming.
However, what machines will house Ultras and Maxs..... I would reiterate that these *arent* home machines and will always be aimed a "pros" with demanding workflows.
So, its highly possible a larger screen all-in-one iMac will eventually appear - BUT that machine will house a Max or Ultra variation of the Mn series processor...
... and BOY will it be expensive.

In UK £ terms.... the home iMac being 24" is £1,400 more or less.
A 27" (or bigger) iMac Pro with M2 Ultra would be way north of £2,500 - it's unrealistic to think such a machine would be cheaper.... and that is very much NOT in the realms of the majority of home users.

The M1 chip is frankly overpowered when it comes to EVERY home users computing requirements i.e. Web browsing, Media consumption, Emailing, and Photo storage / light editing. The iMac is a great machine, and inevitably will get the M2 chip - but pros and maxes will go into the mac studio and mac pro.

 

[Jorbanead]

whereas you may, or may not be right....

theres no way that any of us could possibly know what the situation is. Your theory is all very well but is just a theory none the less.
... just the same as my theory is that we will not get one at all. Just a theory.

Well… yes? That’s what this whole thread is about. Nobody knows what’s happening we are all just theorizing.

 

[ggx12]

I hope you are right, the studio display has got the amazing Apple finish but weirdly "boring" compared to the rest of the line-up.

 

[InVision]

You guys waiting on all new "27 iMac should get one real soon if "Murphy" has anything to do with it. I just plopped down $2500 for a mint 2020 27" Intel I9 10-core ,5K Display, 128GB memory, Radeon 5500 XT with 8GB GPU and a 2Tb SSD. 100% of the time when I purchase a new to me computer the one I was waiting on appears.

M