Will there ever be a new large iMac (Pro)?

[Icaras]

I am extremely confident a new 23" iMac is coming and will be launched at WWDC. What I am less confident about is whether it will look like the existing iMac (just with a different screen size) or if it will be a new design (and if a new design, will it be more than just slightly thinner bezels?). The 16" MacBook Pro will also get a CPU upgrade to 10th generation Comet Lake.

I am also extremely confident that the 27" will see a spec bump at the BTO level with 10th generation Comet Lake-S CPUs and AMD RDNA 1.0 GPUs. It will also have a new TB3 controller (Titan Ridge) and WiFi 6 and probably Bluetooth 5.0. And I am tentatively hopeful it will have a 1080p webcam. What I am not confident on is whether or not it will look like the current model or it will have a new design/thinner bezels.

Frankly, I don't think bezel size on a desktop display matters all that much to Apple and probably not much to Apple users outside of this forum. And even for those who feel "the bezels are too damn wide", if the 2020 iMac was just the 2019 iMac with thinner bezels but the same CPUs and GPUs, if you had a 2017 (and especially a 2019), I doubt you'd rush out and buy one just for the aesthetics. It would be the new internals that were the driver to upgrade - improved aesthetics would just be a bonus.

October will be when the new iMac Pro is launched along with new RDNA 2.0 cards for the Mac Pro. And if we're lucky, Intel might have their 10th generation "B-Core" out and Apple could also update the Mini while we're at it.

But it does matter, otherwise, why whip up a stunningly sexy looking Pro XDR display with those razor bezels at all? That is super Pro and super expensive, and at a $5000 price tag for pro users only, that is an even tinier fraction of Apple users that would care about that, but Apple still went gung-ho with it.

But anyway, I'm with you on the 23" iMac at WWDC, and at the very least, I expect thinner bezels on it. Not so sure of a full on redesign either, but I'm still hoping for it.

 

[krell100]

Two weeks today and we'll all know what Apple is doing with the iMac.

1 - Nothing
2 - Minor spec bump
3 - Major spec bump with possible screen/cooling changes
4 - Complete redesign of iMac

My vote is 1 or 2 with 3 or 4 in 2021.

 

[CWallace]

But it does matter, otherwise, why whip up a stunningly sexy looking Pro XDR display with those razor bezels at all? That is super Pro and super expensive, and at a $5000 price tag for pro users only, that is an even tinier fraction of Apple users that would care about that, but Apple still went gung-ho with it.

Fair point on the XDR, but it is also a $5000 display so maybe they felt obligated to make the bezels as thin as possible to match the competition (at and above that price range). It also kind of strikes me as the spiritual successor to the old Cinema HD displays which had thinnish bezels.

So perhaps I should have said "AIO desktop display" because the iMac (as well as their contemporary Cinema and Thunderbolt displays) has (have) pretty much always had a thick bezel. Maybe it's just required to mount that much glass on such a thin-edged aluminum display and have longevity. And yes, I understand the Dell Optiplex InfinityEdge AIOs have minuscule bezels, but the cases are thicker, as well as being plastic, so how will it be holding up a decade on of daily use? We known an iMac display and case will be fine that long.

(I noticed the XPS AIO offers a thicker bezel [while still thinner than an iMac] which might be because it's chassis is also Al and not very thick.)

 

[Moonjumper]

Fair point on the XDR, but it is also a $5000 display so maybe they felt obligated to make the bezels as thin as possible to match the competition (at and above that price range). It also kind of strikes me as the spiritual successor to the old Cinema HD displays which had thinnish bezels.

So perhaps I should have said "AIO desktop display" because the iMac (as well as their contemporary Cinema and Thunderbolt displays) has (have) pretty much always had a thick bezel. Maybe it's just required to mount that much glass on such a thin-edged aluminum display and have longevity. And yes, I understand the Dell Optiplex InfinityEdge AIOs have minuscule bezels, but the cases are thicker, as well as being plastic, so how will it be holding up a decade on of daily use? We known an iMac display and case will be fine that long.

(I noticed the XPS AIO offers a thicker bezel [while still thinner than an iMac] which might be because it's chassis is also Al and not very thick.)

Many new monitors have thinner bezels than the XDR at all price ranges. It is the trend across TVs, monitors, tablets, and phones. The iMac has bezels far bigger than anything else Apple currently sells. If there is any external redesign of the iMac, there will be smaller bezels. I welcome that for aesthetics and practicality.

 

[krell100]

The 2012 iMac design (really an extension of the 2009 design) has been a long lasting and well liked piece of kit but in 2020 it really is starting to look dated and old fashioned. Part of this is the bezels but also the chin and the stand.

 

[iPadified]

I thought I was vain regarding things design...apparently not.

 

[applemanit]

The hype is high. I really hope to see a new redesigned iMac on WWDC 22 June. Last time I bought an iMac was 2008 and I really want to buy this great machine again. According to Jon Prosser there is still an iMac ready to ship. Maybe we could already order it in July? What do you think?

 

[iPadified]

The hype is high. I really hope to see a new redesigned iMac on WWDC 22 June. Last time I bought an iMac was 2008 and I really want to buy this great machine again. According to Jon Prosser there is still an iMac ready to ship. Maybe we could already order it in July? What do you think?

Some other rumour suggested delivery in July. Fingers crossed.

 

[DrRadon]

The 2012 iMac design (really an extension of the 2009 design) has been a long lasting and well liked piece of kit but in 2020 it really is starting to look dated and old fashioned. Part of this is the bezels but also the chin and the stand.

It's not that iMac had not been around in the same form factor but white before that. It's probably going to stay a computer in a aluminum screen with a slim form factor. If something changes most will probably end up being internal.

 

[krell100]

In terms of the industrial design I'd like to see the following:

-A case/design that allows ideal cooling of components (Perhaps borrow from XDR monitor design/iMP)
-New height as well as tilt adjustable stand (ergonomic improvement)
-Smaller bezel and chin elements
-Colour choices (Silver, white, space grey, rose gold)

K

 

[gusping]

Twitter update from a random person... The infamous wink. Could mean anything.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1269886355083067397

 

[iDan75]

Ooh this would do me ?

https://www.idropnews.com/news/the-2020-imac-is-coming-heres-everything-we-know-and-want/136855/amp/

Obviously made up, but a nice nod back to the only basic iMac incarnation I haven’t owned.

 

[VJNeumann]

Shameless plug but I did this a while ago. Basically took XDR dimensions and tweaked it a bit with an iMac bulge plus added perforations for cooling. Seems to be a divisive idea but I kinda dig it.
It's thicker than you might think, but because it's 32 inches it just looks thin.

 

[krell100]

Liking that direction, the perforations for cooling are a good idea.
[automerge]1591613068[/automerge]
Maybe they'll use the XDR monitor vents design?

 

[gusping]

Shameless plug but I did this a while ago. Basically took XDR dimensions and tweaked it a bit with an iMac bulge plus added perforations for cooling. Seems to be a divisive idea but I kinda dig it.
It's thicker than you might think, but because it's 32 inches it just looks thin.

View attachment 922484

Great work. I would buy this design in a heartbeat. Out of curiosity, which programs did you use for this?

I say double the thickness and stick a full fat Big Navi GPU in there

 

[VJNeumann]

Great work. I would buy this design in a heartbeat. Out of curiosity, which programs did you use for this?

I say double the thickness and stick a full fat Big Navi GPU in there

Thanks, I used Arnold and Cinema4D.

And I hear you on the GPU. That bulge is probably deep enough to fit one, although it depends on the thickness of the screen and the fact that it might melt its way through even if it physically fits. I'd love to see an iMac that handles a full desktop GPU though, but it doesn't seem like the kind of thing Apple would prioritize...
[automerge]1591613805[/automerge]

Liking that direction, the perforations for cooling are a good idea.
[automerge]1591613068[/automerge]
Maybe they'll use the XDR monitor vents design?
View attachment 922497

I thought about it, but it is quite aggressive. And then I saw this elegant Samsung TV and stole that instead:

 

[krell100]

One thing that confuses me with Apples design "language" is the use of space grey on the iMac Pro and then silver on the Mac Pro, just seems weird that they didn't settle on a "Pro" colour and stick with it. But then Apple have a confusing product line these days so yeah...

 

[iPadified]

One thing that confuses me with Apples design "language" is the use of space grey on the iMac Pro and then silver on the Mac Pro, just seems weird that they didn't settle on a "Pro" colour and stick with it. But then Apple have a confusing product line these days so yeah...

They probably did not want to upset the cheese grater fanatics. I think they did anyway with the price tag. Color choice is good. I want white other space grey or silver. Would be nice with some colors again on the iMac. The iPod nano colors looked good.

 

[DrRadon]

You won't get the super high priced MacPro/XDR design on a iMac that costs as less than a monitor without a stand. That design is reserved for uber expensive price tiers.

 

[krell100]

Like iMac Pro?

 

[DrRadon]

Low cost "Pro" like MBP and iMP don't seem to be high ticked enough for cheese grading as you can see in the entire product line.

iMac Pro starts at 5500€.
MacPro starts at 7500€ without a Monitor, XDR starts at 5500€ without a stand (1100€).
You are looking at a minimum of 14100€ if you want a cheesgrader Apple setup. Total different ballpark.

 

[pldelisle]

This tweet seems to suggest RDNA and Comet Lake-S chips

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1264243697543114752

Wow I missed a few pages during the weekend, but this is pretty insane. Would take it anytime.

 

[Azrael9]

Many new monitors have thinner bezels than the XDR at all price ranges. It is the trend across TVs, monitors, tablets, and phones. The iMac has bezels far bigger than anything else Apple currently sells. If there is any external redesign of the iMac, there will be smaller bezels. I welcome that for aesthetics and practicality.

Sound post. With sound reasoning.

Everybody else on the planet is moving to thin bezels and even former 'also rans' of clunky design such as Dell are showing Apple what 'infinity' means. Even my Panasonic TV has smaller bezels than the iMac.

That wouldn't have happened under Steve Jobs.

Azrael.
[automerge]1591621349[/automerge]

Shameless plug but I did this a while ago. Basically took XDR dimensions and tweaked it a bit with an iMac bulge plus added perforations for cooling. Seems to be a divisive idea but I kinda dig it.
It's thicker than you might think, but because it's 32 inches it just looks thin.

View attachment 922484

Beautiful design. I'd 'hit' that.

Azrael.

 

[pldelisle]

Shameless plug but I did this a while ago. Basically took XDR dimensions and tweaked it a bit with an iMac bulge plus added perforations for cooling. Seems to be a divisive idea but I kinda dig it.
It's thicker than you might think, but because it's 32 inches it just looks thin.

View attachment 922484

Really nice. I'd buy it any time.

 

[Azrael9]

You won't get the super high priced MacPro/XDR design on a iMac that costs as less than a monitor without a stand. That design is reserved for uber expensive price tiers.

I think the technology in it, perhaps.

But most all Apple's designs are democratised for the masses. I'll give them that. (Even if the spec value isn't...)

I don't see any reason why the chassis (a lump of aluminium) can't be the same 'lump of aluminium' (and the 27 inch iMac DOES use a lot of aluminium. It's stand is not that far away from the XDR's fancy pivot and swivel.)

Other than 'marketing' I don't see why not.

Selling 1 million iMacs that look like the XDR would be better than selling a handful of XDRs?

Azrael.
[automerge]1591621695[/automerge]

Liking that direction, the perforations for cooling are a good idea.
[automerge]1591613068[/automerge]
Maybe they'll use the XDR monitor vents design?
View attachment 922497

I think that's one of the big reasons to adopt the XDR design. They really learned alot about keeping the AiO form cooler with the vents on that.

Dramatic. Arresting. Sexy. Progressive.

I'd be all for the XDR design.

Azrael.
[automerge]1591621927[/automerge]

One thing that confuses me with Apples design "language" is the use of space grey on the iMac Pro and then silver on the Mac Pro, just seems weird that they didn't settle on a "Pro" colour and stick with it. But then Apple have a confusing product line these days so yeah...

The iMac is the only Mac that is silver now? In as much as, only the Macbook Air is silver but it has Space Grey and another colour option.

At least a Space Grey option.

Azrael.
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Ooh this would do me ?

https://www.idropnews.com/news/the-2020-imac-is-coming-heres-everything-we-know-and-want/136855/amp/
View attachment 922483

Obviously made up, but a nice nod back to the only basic iMac incarnation I haven’t owned.

I wouldn't say no. Very attractive and has a lot of 'spirit.' Defiantly so.

I think the iMac's biggest failure was not pursuing and following up this design.

Azrael.
[automerge]1591622281[/automerge]

In terms of the industrial design I'd like to see the following:

-A case/design that allows ideal cooling of components (Perhaps borrow from XDR monitor design/iMP)
-New height as well as tilt adjustable stand (ergonomic improvement)
-Smaller bezel and chin elements
-Colour choices (Silver, white, space grey, rose gold)

K

That could borrow from the iLamp's adjustability. It's boldness. The strikingness of the XDR.

And some colour.

That would borrow and fuse together some of the fine legacy design and move forward with the new design language.

All your bullet points sound reasonable to me.

Azrael.