Why wasn't the larger screen iMac introduced alongside the new 24"?

[docprego]

This recent article: Bloomberg: Apple paused development of larger Apple Silicon iMac to focus on 24-inch model

Wasn't the 21.5 simply as smaller version of the 27" in the prior generation? If that's the case I am struggling to understand why development of the new larger screen iMac which should be the same machine simply scaled up had to be halted.

Does this mean we may not see a larger screen iMac in the colors and design the newly released 24' iMac sports?

 

[imdog]

The iMac Pro was a far less popular computer than the 27" iMac, so I think what they're trying to do is develop a happy medium in that 24" that most users will buy. A demographic that includes many people coming from 21.5 and the 27. While pushing users who require more screen real estate & computing power into buying the more "pro" level iMac in the 30/32". So I think they're sort of replacing the 21.5 & 27 with the 24, and will end up with a much larger number of people buying the 30/32" iMac than bought the Intel iMac Pros. Now they will have all those people who previously used 21.5" iMacs buying the 24", while a substantial chunk who used the regular 27" iMac will feel the need to get the higher end pro machine.

 

[docprego]

The iMac Pro was a far less popular computer than the 27" iMac, so I think what they're trying to do is develop a happy medium in that 24" that most users will buy. A demographic that includes many people coming from 21.5 and the 27. While pushing users who require more screen real estate & computing power into buying the more "pro" level iMac in the 30/32". So I think they're sort of replacing the 21.5 & 27 with the 24, and will end up with a much larger number of people buying the 30/32" iMac than bought the Intel iMac Pros. Now they will have all those people who previously used 21.5" iMacs buying the 24", while a substantial chunk who used the regular 27" iMac will feel the need to get the higher end pro machine.

The issue I see here is that the 27" iMac typically brought a modest price increase over the 21.5" iMac. If getting a larger screen iMac requires someone to move to a pro machine, that modest price increase will be no more.

 

[Maconplasma]

The issue I see here is that the 27" iMac typically brought a modest price increase over the 21.5" iMac. If getting a larger screen iMac requires someone to move to a pro machine, that modest price increase will be no more.

It's pretty obvious Apple is moving on to separating the Pro from the consumer line and I agree with that they are doing. The last few years the lines have been blurred between the pro and consumer line making it very difficult for customers to decide. The new 24" most likely will be the only consumer model. If we do see a larger screened iMac it will be a pro model.

 

[docprego]

If this is the case and they relegate the larger screen to a pro model, I wonder if the price will come in similar to the now defunct iMac Pro?

Effectively this would be the end of the large screen iMac for the general consumer.

 

[glenthompson]

The M1 chip was available now. The larger iMac will likely use a different M chip that may not be ready for mass production. People going for the larger iMac will likely want more than 16gb of RAM.

 

[Maconplasma]

If this is the case and they relegate the larger screen to a pro model, I wonder if the price will come in similar to the now defunct iMac Pro?

Effectively this would be the end of the large screen iMac for the general consumer.

The fact that they increased the 21.5" to a 24" is effectively a large screen for the general consumer. Try to step out of the tech forum world and look at this from the standpoint of the average consumer (who represents the majority of Apple's customer base) who buys an AIO. To many a 24" screen is a very good size for a family computer. People who want very large screens are power users who do professional editing in video and photos or for the gamer who wants this immersive experience. These people are not the majority.

 

[docprego]

The fact that they increased the 21.5" to a 24" is effectively a large screen for the general consumer. Try to step out of the tech forum world and look at this from the standpoint of the average consumer (who represents the majority of Apple's customer base) who buys an AIO. To many a 24" screen is a very good size for a family computer. People who want very large screens are power users who do professional editing in video and photos or for the gamer who wants this immersive experience. These people are not the majority.

Understood. However there have been 2 sizes available to the general consumer for a long time, if they didn't sell well it wouldn't have stayed around that long. All of the average consumers that enjoyed that 27" screen for all those years are now forced to downsize. That's less than ideal.

 

[Warped9]

I think perhaps some are reading too much into this just as they cemented their expectations for the 24in. iMac and were disappointed because it wasn’t what they expected. They are using this to rationalize their notions the forthcoming big iMac will be some kind of Pro device very different from the 24in. iMac.

 

[rambo47]

This is standard procedure for Apple lately. They release a basic unit as a trial balloon and see how it goes. Next steps will be larger models, new chips, more options. Apple wants to see both how the new models are received and if any real world problems crop up. Buying first generation Apple products is not for sissies. The M1 Mac Mini uncovered some issues and now the M1 24" iMac will test Apple's fixes in a different form factor.

 

[iDave]

This recent article: Bloomberg: Apple paused development of larger Apple Silicon iMac to focus on 24-inch model

Wasn't the 21.5 simply as smaller version of the 27" in the prior generation? If that's the case I am struggling to understand why development of the new larger screen iMac which should be the same machine simply scaled up had to be halted.

Does this mean we may not see a larger screen iMac in the colors and design the newly released 24' iMac sports?

The chips weren't ready, IMO. Apple will want, and customers will expect, slightly faster guts in the larger iMac as has always been the case. The new chip will probably be called M1x or similar, as many have guessed.

 

[Warped9]

Candidly, while I’m waiting to see the big iMac, I can afford to wait for the 24in. to get the next generation M upgrades because I think the 24 is a perfect size for me. Basically, even with the M1’s current performance, I want 32GB RAM.

 

[fontman]

The iMac Pro was a far less popular computer than the 27" iMac, so I think what they're trying to do is develop a happy medium in that 24" that most users will buy. A demographic that includes many people coming from 21.5 and the 27. While pushing users who require more screen real estate & computing power into buying the more "pro" level iMac in the 30/32". So I think they're sort of replacing the 21.5 & 27 with the 24, and will end up with a much larger number of people buying the 30/32" iMac than bought the Intel iMac Pros. Now they will have all those people who previously used 21.5" iMacs buying the 24", while a substantial chunk who used the regular 27" iMac will feel the need to get the higher end pro machine.

For somebody who didn't see the value in the pro 27 it was actually huge mistake because down they have this tower with an expensive display and then an expensive iMac. The screen of the state outweighs the need for a processor speed . Most people that are general computer users that use it for work and other things would like to have something they can use rely on and performs well with a decent size screen so they can have more than one thing up in enough port so they don't have to dangle a bunch of junk and third-party products off the end of it. I think Apple made a huge mistake here if they want pro products and make a tower in the high end display.

 

[docprego]

Candidly, while I’m waiting to see the big iMac, I can afford to wait for the 24in. to get the next generation M upgrades because I think the 24 is a perfect size for me. Basically, even with the M1’s current performance, I want 32GB RAM.

And this is the issue for me. The 24" iMac is not my ideal size. I've run dual monitors for years. There is simply no good match for this new iMac to use as a second display. Sure you could approximate it from a resolution standpoint, but in terms of deisgn there is absolutely nothing to pair it with. Consequently I would love to see a 30" model or even larger with same design as the new 24" model.

A pro model at twice the price or even more is just not in the cards, I don't need a pro machine.

 

[Warped9]

A pro model at twice the price or even more is just not in the cards, I don't need a pro machine.

Yeah, if the 30in. (or whatever) gives me what I’m looking for without an outrageous price then I could go for it. Otherwise I will wait for the upgrades incorporated into the 24.

I suspect in form the big iMac will look very similar to the 24 only bigger. And I’m okay with that given I like the new design. I’d be okay with Silver or even Space Gray if thats all thats offered, but I’m hoping I could still get that cool Green now available on the 24.

 

[JouniS]

The fact that they increased the 21.5" to a 24" is effectively a large screen for the general consumer. Try to step out of the tech forum world and look at this from the standpoint of the average consumer (who represents the majority of Apple's customer base) who buys an AIO. To many a 24" screen is a very good size for a family computer. People who want very large screens are power users who do professional editing in video and photos or for the gamer who wants this immersive experience. These people are not the majority.

I don't understand this reasoning. 24" was a good display size 5 years ago. Today it's a bit small for a consumer display, because the market is full of cheap but still good enough 27" displays. "Large" sizes start from 32" 16:9 and 34" 21:9, which are also quite popular among those working from home.

Monitors of almost any size are affordable today. Large monitors are no longer only for professionals and power users. Consumers also buy them if they fit in the budget and the physical space. Some use the monitors as secondary TVs, some want a bigger display because they have poor eyesight, and some just buy them because why not. Professional / gamer / power user displays tend to emphasize resolution, refresh rate, and/or color gamut instead of size.

 

[Hexley]

Probably supply chain limitation. It's a good call for Apple to prioritize SKUs that sell more to make more money faster.

 

[Warped9]

Man, how times have changed. Eons ago a 24in. television was a good sized screen. Then for years 27 was the standard and 32 was livin’ large. Then came the LCD, Plasma and LED flatscreens where for awhile 40-42 was the average. Now anything less than a 50-55 is considered small. 😆 Of course, ever improving picture in hand with ever falling prices played a huge part in this transition.

I thought my 17in. eMac was a good step up from my G3. And I thought I had arrived with my 21.5 iMac. Now it’s considered small and so many people want at least a 27.

 

[killramos]

Chip shortage? Probably couldn’t sell many more M1‘s if they tried?

 

[CWallace]

If this is the case and they relegate the larger screen to a pro model, I wonder if the price will come in similar to the now defunct iMac Pro?

I do not expect this new "iMac Pro" to start at $4999, though if you choose 64GB of RAM and 8TB of SSD you will likely be deep into four figures.

I'm hoping they can bring it in for around $1999-2499 to start with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD and using the same 10 CPU / 16 GPU M-series SoC the next MacBook Pro is said to have.

 

[blairh]

The issue I see here is that the 27" iMac typically brought a modest price increase over the 21.5" iMac. If getting a larger screen iMac requires someone to move to a pro machine, that modest price increase will be no more.

I really would not fret. People are proclaiming that the larger iMac will transition to become both a Pro and expensive machine. I don't believe that will happen. I expect to see a natural successor to the 27" model. Most likely at 30". Starting at $2000. If Apple also wants to create a new iMac Pro with an exclusive color and more powerful specs, so be it. But I don't believe the consumer entry-level larger iMac is dead. Your answer will most likely come this fall as the Bloomberg report stated that the iMac team was focusing on the 24" for recent release and now they can focus on a larger iMac for a late 2021 debut.

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

Maybe they did it to get tongues wagging, start debate and loads of free publicity and it sure has worked by rasmping the nay sayers to a frenzy! For mine WWDC next month will see an announcement.

 

[svish]

Hoping Apple will release the 27" replacement with slightly bigger screen and that there will not be a larger price gap between the 24" and the replacement 27"(than the price gap between the older 21.5" and 27"). I have a 27" iMac. Don't want to go smaller and at the same time don't want to pay much more than the current price for the bigger iMac. It think we can expect a price hike from the current $1799 for entry model and hope it does not start above $1999 for the same. Don't want to pay "Pro" prices for a bigger screen. It would be good if it also came in colors similar to the 24" iMac.

 

[zhenya]

Apple is clearly signaling, with the Macs that currently receive the M1, that they are not yet fully ready for professional use. That’s not to say that some people will have no problem with the current offerings for their workflow, but they are not yet there to replace the 16” MBP or the 27” iMac for their heaviest users. My work machine is a 27” iMac with 64GB RAM. If Apple had offered a new M1 iMac at 30“ or whatnot but limited to 16GB of RAM, they would have really turned of people like myself. If they’d offered an M1 with 64GB of RAM, heavier users might have bit, but found that their software tools were not yet 100% there on the new platform.

Apple‘s strategy is pretty clear here. The M1 is fine for casual/consumer use, and the availability of these devices will push all software to adapt, but they are giving developers time to make the transition before offering a complete line of M1 Macs.

 

[petvas]

Apple is clearly signaling, with the Macs that currently receive the M1, that they are not yet fully ready for professional use. That’s not to say that some people will have no problem with the current offerings for their workflow, but they are not yet there to replace the 16” MBP or the 27” iMac for their heaviest users. My work machine is a 27” iMac with 64GB RAM. If Apple had offered a new M1 iMac at 30“ or whatnot but limited to 16GB of RAM, they would have really turned of people like myself. If they’d offered an M1 with 64GB of RAM, heavier users might have bit, but found that their software tools were not yet 100% there on the new platform.

Apple‘s strategy is pretty clear here. The M1 is fine for casual/consumer use, and the availability of these devices will push all software to adapt, but they are giving developers time to make the transition before offering a complete line of M1 Macs.

Do you really need all this RAM? My iMac has 48GB of RAM and has zero swap file in use but it's still slower than my 13" M1 MBP. At least for the tasks I need it for. I mainly use productivity software for work, along with Citrix Receiver and Remote Desktop. I have about 20 apps running all the time and my M1 MBP uses 5GB of swap compared to 0 of my iMac and is still faster. That is why I decided to get the new iMac. I don't really need more than what it has to offer.
As far as the question why Apple didn't update the 27" model too, I think that the answer is pretty obvious (speculating): There will not be another iMac. The only iMac will be the 24" model and the bigger one will be probably renamed to iMac Pro, start at 5000$ and be targeted to people that really need the extra power. It will also be at least 30". Of course, that is just a speculation. We will all see soon.