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

[UltimateSyn]

If I had to guess I would say Mac mini and 30-32" iMac with M1 Pro / Max in the spring. Then two sizes of Mac Pro in the fall? I do hope a new Thunderbolt Display accompanies one of these releases. That would be an awesome companion to my incoming MBP.

It's weird though, the larger size Mac Pro was rumored to be some Mega Powerful Last Hoorah Intel Mac. Why even do that now? It's so late into the transition now (and will be even later next year, obviously), and Intel is being kind of a ***** about the whole thing. I would've understood such a machine a few months into the transition, but a year+ in? Just sell the outgoing Intel Mac Pro for a six month overlap period with the new, smaller ASi Mac Pro and then call it a day.

 

[CWallace]

My original hope was that Apple would update the Intel Mac Pro with new Xeon CPUs and also ships a smaller Apple Silicon Mac Pro with the more powerful multi-chip modules Bloomberg rumored so that people would have maximum flexibility to buy what best works for them.

However, considering how the M1 Pro MAX can handle more video streams than a 28-core Mac Pro with the Afterburner card, it may be that there is just no use case for the Intel model once the 64 and 128 GPU core SoCs arrive.

 

[Christian Schumacher]

If Apple is not intending to offer the Pro or MAX SoC on the mini, then they may wait until the M2 model launches in 2022 (likely alongside the M2 MacBook Air) to finally put the Intel model to bed - especially if the M2 model includes a new case with additional and/or upgraded ports.

I expect that if the Mac Pro Mini doesn't sell well then the Mac Mini Pro could emerge from the ashes 3 or 4 years from now. But I'm a pessimist about the future of the Mac Mini, namely that the box will get the iMac 21 treatment, hope I'm wrong.

 

[CWallace]

I expect that if the Mac Pro Mini doesn't sell well then the Mac Mini Pro could emerge from the ashes 3 or 4 years from now. But I'm a pessimist about the future of the Mac Mini, namely that the box will get the iMac 21 treatment, hope I'm wrong.

My original thought was maybe the ASi Mac Pro was meant to replace the Intel Mini and the Intel Mac Pro, but while the form factor will likely be a fair bit smaller than the Mac Pro, it will also likely be a fair bit larger than the Mac mini and that form factor is a major selling point for the mini.

Honestly, considering the M1 Mac mini beats the Intel Mac mini in CPU and (especially) GPU performance, M2 will only embarrass the 2018 model that much more. The main critique of the M1 mini is the two TB ports compared to four on the Intel. I don't see M2 offering support for more than two TB ports, but Apple can do what they did with the 24" iMac and use an off-chip USB controller to offer two more USB-C ports along with the HDMI, RJ45 and two USB-A ports already there.

 

[Christian Schumacher]

My original thought was maybe the ASi Mac Pro was meant to replace the Intel Mini and the Intel Mac Pro, but while the form factor will likely be a fair bit smaller than the Mac Pro, it will also likely be a fair bit larger than the Mac mini and that form factor is a major selling point for the mini.

Honestly, considering the M1 Mac mini beats the Intel Mac mini in CPU and (especially) GPU performance, M2 will only embarrass the 2018 model that much more. The main critique of the M1 mini is the two TB ports compared to four on the Intel. I don't see M2 offering support for more than two TB ports, but Apple can do what they did with the 24" iMac and use an off-chip USB controller to offer two more USB-C ports along with the HDMI, RJ45 and two USB-A ports already there.

The performance is there, yes. IO though? Not yet. Like you said, rev b may fix it. The 2022 Mac Mini enhanced with more ports would be an excellent entry level proposition. Same with the iMac 24". Here's hoping for M2.

 

[Homy]

New Mini will come. There are several reports that it was delayed for "marketing reasons". Gurman said in May "Apple is preparing to release several new Mac laptops and desktops with faster processors, new designs and improved connectivity to external devices." In August he confirmed that the new Mac mini will launch "in the next several months". So perhaps it will be introduced alongside iMac 29" in spring. I would guess in March, like Mac Mini 2020 and iMac 2019. I just wonder why they didn't do it alongside the Macbook Pros before the shopping season.

Apple brings M1 Ultra to new Mac Studio

Apple has launched the Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra chip bringing up to 20-core CPU and 64-core GPU to creative pros.

www.macworld.co.uk

 

[Christian Schumacher]

New Mini will come. There are several reports that it was delayed for "marketing reasons". Gurman said in May "Apple is preparing to release several new Mac laptops and desktops with faster processors, new designs and improved connectivity to external devices." In August he confirmed that the new Mac mini will launch "in the next several months". So perhaps it will be introduced alongside iMac 29" in spring. I would guess in March, like Mac Mini 2020 and iMac 2019. I just wonder why they didn't do it alongside the Macbook Pros before the shopping season.

Apple brings M1 Ultra to new Mac Studio

Apple has launched the Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra chip bringing up to 20-core CPU and 64-core GPU to creative pros.

www.macworld.co.uk

Exactly why the Mac Mini should be getting the M2 and not M1 Pro or Max (nor M2 Pro or Max)

 

[Moonjumper]

New Mini will come. There are several reports that it was delayed for "marketing reasons". Gurman said in May "Apple is preparing to release several new Mac laptops and desktops with faster processors, new designs and improved connectivity to external devices." In August he confirmed that the new Mac mini will launch "in the next several months". So perhaps it will be introduced alongside iMac 29" in spring. I would guess in March, like Mac Mini 2020 and iMac 2019. I just wonder why they didn't do it alongside the Macbook Pros before the shopping season.

Apple brings M1 Ultra to new Mac Studio

Apple has launched the Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra chip bringing up to 20-core CPU and 64-core GPU to creative pros.

www.macworld.co.uk

I read somewhere (but cannot find it) that said the iMac 24” came out later than the other M1 Macs as it needed an additional board to support more ports than the laptops had.

If true, we might be seeing a repeat with M1 Pro and Max needing an additional board for more ports that explains the delay for the Mini and iMac redesigns that use these chips. The Intel versions of both those models have more ports than on the new MBP, so the need is certainly possible.

 

[Christian Schumacher]

M(x) MBP MBA IMAC24 MINI
M(x) Pro MBP IMAC?? MP
M(x) Max MBP IMAC?? MP

 

[EugW]

The presentation opened with an iMac G3, but no iMac was released. I didn't think it would be, but that opening scene convinced me it would. So now I am disappointed.

I'm glad I missed that, or I would have been really annoyed. (I started the video several minutes late.)

 

[CWallace]

The presentation opened with an iMac G3, but no iMac was released. I didn't think it would be, but that opening scene convinced me it would. So now I am disappointed.

The iMac G3 opened because it was the first Mac that used that F-sharp major chord (which was used for the next two decades of Macs).

 

[Lava Lamp Freak]

Apple Rumored to Launch 27-Inch Mini-LED iMac With ProMotion in Early 2022 [Updated]

Apple is planning to introduce a new 27-inch iMac in early 2022, according to Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young. This information comes...

www.macrumors.com

Considering this new information, it seems plausible that the larger iMac will retain a 27-inch display. ProMotion and mini-LED sounds awesome, though!

I wonder if the smaller XDR and new Mac mini will show up first?

 

[Serban55]

There are a number of 4K 30-inch or larger MiniLED computer monitors, but they are all $4000 or more. Apple will have their own unique panel for these iMacs so maybe they can add MiniLED without an "iMac Pro" starting price or it might be a very expensive BTO option. Regardless of the backlighting, I would expect the display to handle ProMotion at 120Hz.




Based on "why didn't Apple launch a new large iMac with M1 Pro and M1 MAX" yesterday?

Seriously, why not just show all the Macs if they are ready? Why hold back the "Mac mini Pro" (especially) and larger iMac if they use the same SoCs as the MacBook Pros? Sure, now that the events are virtual Apple can hold one very week if they want, but I mean "today we're talking Mac" would have been the logical place to hold it. The longer Apple holds these machines back, the greater the chance a larger portion of the userbase switches to other options - within Apple and without.

because they want more money and supply chain for the mini_led and the chips
cant wait for this imac

 

[Serban55]

Apple Rumored to Launch 27-Inch Mini-LED iMac With ProMotion in Early 2022 [Updated]

Apple is planning to introduce a new 27-inch iMac in early 2022, according to Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young. This information comes...

www.macrumors.com

Considering this new information, it seems plausible that the larger iMac will retain a 27-inch display. ProMotion and mini-LED sounds awesome, though!

I wonder if the smaller XDR and new Mac mini will show up first?

the new mac mini i think its for sure...

 

[CWallace]

Ming Chi Kuo back in early 2020 stated he believed Apple was preparing to source a 27" 5K MiniLED panel for what he presumed would be an updated Intel iMac Pro. Of course, Apple subsequently End-of-Lifed the iMac Pro and all the rumors about the Apple Silicon iMac presumed it would be 32" so this rumor fell by the wayside.

Once the 24" iMac M1 launched, one new rumor stated that the larger iMac would have a 28-29" display and I, at the time, joked that maybe the iMac 5K 27" would live on, just with "M1X" and MiniLED even though it seemed weird that Apple would make two screens so close in size (having not done so for a decade with the 20" and 24" aluminum models).

Now with this new rumor of a 27" MiniLED iMac (5K) and a new 27" MiniLED Apple Thunderbolt Display (5K), looks like MCK was on to something two years ago...

 

[blairh]

Staying at 27" as Ross Young has now stated is a big letdown.

I still believe this update will look nothing like the 24" update. No white bezels and pastel colors.

We also really need a cheaper XDR display.

 

[Phil77354]

Staying at 27" as Ross Young has now stated is a big letdown. . .

I feel the same way. A 27" iMac would surely be too close in size to the current 24". And a new design with slimmer bezels could fit a larger display into an iMac that would have essentially the same external dimensions as the current 27" model. This is largely what led to the speculation of a 30" model, thinking back to speculation here some months ago.

 

[EugW]

Just a reminder that the 24" is in fact 23.5". It's actually a significantly smaller screen than the 27".

That said, I find the 27" just a touch small for my preferences these days. 29" to 30" would be perfect. I suspect that would add significantly to the cost though, esp. with higher mid-end features like mini-LED.

 

[Realityck]

Just a reminder that the 24" is in fact 23.5". It's actually a significantly smaller screen than the 27".

That said, I find the 27" just a touch small for my preferences these days. 29" to 30" would be perfect. I suspect that would add significantly to the cost though, esp. with higher mid-end features like mini-LED.

You had a comparison of 21" vs 27" before so the rumor stating its going to be only 27" was doubtful at first. But then he mentioned that its mini-Led based with ProMotion. That plausible to be true, because they might try to make the larger iMac more like the new MBPs which didn't see any size increase only make it a lot more useful. BTW I had my larger iMac croak, so the 24" is quite tolerable for now as its video codec processing is way faster then intel for 8K or 4KHDR

For some the 30"-32" larger displays might be a godsend, but then how much more would that cost if Apple really wants to upgrade the display technology?

 

[xgman]

I may go the maxed out "max" pro 16" MBP until this all sorts out by Spring. The 27 imac and updated mini are the lost souls of the mac world that never ever seem to get going. They could have released all of that along side these macbook pros specs easily back in the pre-covid days of normal production and transport. So now I guess they are just going to push the new mackbook pros for a while.

 

[Realityck]

They could have released all of that along side these macbook pros specs easily back in the pre-covid days of normal production and transport. So now I guess they are just going to push the new mackbook pros for a while.

You got that right. The current shipping delays/lack of truckers is impacting wider distribution of multiple products during this winter. At least this might also be cause for more state side assy/production here in the states. Fuel costs are also elevated. So given the size of MBP boxes versus larger iMacs Boxes it will be awhile, likely next March April for larger iMacs.

 

[Christian Schumacher]

M(x) MBP MBA IMAC24 MINI
M(x) Pro MBP IMAC?? MP
M(x) Max MBP IMAC?? MP

M2(Good) MBA IMAC24 MAC MINI
M2(Better) MBP IMAC27 MAC PRO
M2(Best) MBP IMAC32 MAC PRO

 

[anthonymoody]

For some the 30"-32" larger displays might be a godsend, but then how much more would that cost if Apple really wants to upgrade the display technology?

The bummer for me is that I'd be content with a more reasonably priced 30-32" iMac with the same screen tech that's in the current 5k iMac, just with more pixels to fill the additional screen real estate.

Don't get me wrong - I love the updated display tech. But between a better 27" and an otherwise equivalent 30-32" I'd take the latter.

 

[Christian Schumacher]

M2(Good) MBA IMAC24 MAC MINI
M2(Better) MBP IMAC27 MAC PRO
M2(Best) MBP IMAC32 MAC PRO

Could this be the next M2 line up?

M2 (Good)___ MBA IMAC24 MAC MINI ASi Base Models
M2 (Better)___MBP IMAC27 MAC PRO ASi Pro Models
M2 (Best)____ MBP IMAC32 MAC PRO ASi Max Models

 

[Pro Apple Silicon]

For some the 30"-32" larger displays might be a godsend, but then how much more would that cost if Apple really wants to upgrade the display technology?

I think this is where we're at. Most would prefer it be 30-32". But the larger it is, the more expensive it is to provide XDR and mini LED. And Apple is going to want to hit a reasonable price point.

As the reports suggest, a 27" 5K display with XDR, ProMotion, and mini LED is far more likely.