Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing

What’s going on with the upcoming 27-inch iMac Pro?

Monica J. White
By

Rumors reveal that the new 27-inch iMac Pro is on the way, and thanks to numerous leaks, we can speculate about the upcoming Apple release.

However, there are conflicting reports that seem to change from day to day, with a fresh one out today from DigiTimes that goes against a lot of what we previously assumed. Which leads us to ask — what’s going on with the new iMac Pro?

Apple iMac Pro on a desk.
Digital Trends

As we reported yesterday, the 27-inch iMac Pro with Apple’s own M1 Max and M1 Pro chips may already be in production. If proven true, this would mean that the iMac may be hitting the shelves as early as spring 2022.

Recommended Videos

Although the rumors about the new iMac seemed to be fairly consistent across the board, the latest reports indicate that Apple may either be taking things in an unusual direction, or some of these leaks need to be taken with a grain of salt.

Related

According to a reliable leaker @dylandkt on Twitter, the new iMac Pro was supposed to come with a mini-LED screen surrounded by dark bezels. This report was seemingly confirmed yesterday by DigiTimes, only giving it more weight. However, DigiTimes released an update to their previous article today, correcting that the new iMac Pro will not have a mini-LED display after all. Instead, according to DigiTimes, Apple is going to equip it with a “traditional LCD display.”

The new report states that although the 27-inch iMac will not feature mini-LEDs, Apple still used LED chips in the display that should guarantee an up to 40% increase in screen brightness. While this sounds somewhat promising, it doesn’t counter the discrepancy in the two reports — and the fact that DigiTimes apparently changed its mind in less than 24 hours certainly raises questions.

iMac (Pro)
Promotion and Mini Led
Base model 16gb Ram 512gb Storage
M1 Pro and Max
Dark bezels
HDMI, SD Card, Usb C
Similar design to iMac 24 and Pro Display XDR
Starting price at or over 2000 dollars
Ethernet on brick standard
Face ID was tested (Not confirmed)
1H 2022

— Dylan (@dylandkt) October 30, 2021

If the new report is indeed true, it would imply that all the previous leakers were mistaken: So far, every rumor about the 27-inch iMac has pointed to a mini-LED screen. In addition to that, using an LCD panel and mini-LEDs is not mutually exclusive. According to 9to5Mac, all current Macs utilize LCD panels, even those equipped with mini-LED displays.

The confusion about the display panel is not the only conflicting report in regards to the upcoming iMac Pro. DigiTimes also indicates that the new iMac will come in multiple bright colors. Although there is no solid data to contradict this rumor, it also seems quite unlikely — for several reasons.

The main reason why Apple choosing to use bright colors for the new iMac Pro doesn’t seem plausible lies in the fact that it’s generally expected to be branded as an iMac Pro. Traditionally, any ‘Pro’ devices in Apple’s line-up — including the iMac Pro — have always used darker colors and relied on an elegant, sleek design as opposed to something colorful.

A Series of seven iMac Pros arranged in a rainbow color order.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This is further corroborated by the leak posted by Dylankt. If Apple will be using dark bezels for the iMac Pro, those colors would absolutely clash if paired with bright shades. Once again, this would be an odd design choice for Apple, considering that it always aimed for a more sophisticated look with the iMac Pro.

There is also the possibility that the rumors posted by DigiTimes are correct and we will see the 27-inch iMac in a full rainbow of colors, but in that scenario, Apple may simply drop the ‘Pro’ moniker. If the iMac is released as part of the same family as the 24-inch Mac, it wouldn’t come with the ‘Pro’ baggage, making the design choice more agreeable.

Although it definitely seems like the 27-inch iMac is right around the corner, it’s difficult to judge which reports to believe. However, a safe bet is to stick with the majority. So far, that implies a mini-LED screen and a dark design, but Apple may still throw a curveball and surprise everyone.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Monica J. White
Monica J. White
Computing Writer
Monica is a UK-based freelance writer and self-proclaimed geek. A firm believer in the "PC building is just like expensive…
How Vision Pro tech could come to the Mac
The Mac Studio and Studio Display at Apple's Peek Performance event.

You're probably familiar with the Apple Vision Pro, which uses spatial computing technology to bring content alive in the world around you. Virtual reality headsets and 3D displays exist to make games and other content feel more immersive. Apple, however, wants to be the best of the best and is looking into bringing spatial computing experiences to computer monitors, presumably to run your Mac.

A patent for "Displays with Selective Pixel Brightness tuning" was published on April 4, showing the company's interest in the technology. Much of it involves using a lenticular display and a lenticular lens film so that a viewer can see what looks like three-dimensional images without wearing a headset.

Read more
Does your Mac really need antivirus software? We asked the experts
The MacBook Air on a white table.

There’s been a long-held belief that if you own a Mac, you don’t need to use any type of antivirus software to keep your machine free of malware and other destructive code. But it turns out this may actually be more of an old wive’s tale than even the most devoted MacOS users would like to admit. Indeed, Apple has built many safeguards into its operating system, but that doesn’t always mean you’re completely safe. 

We get it: Who would want to sign up for a free or paid version of another computer-adjacent thing? That being said, it never hurts to have too much protection for your Mac. This is a complex topic though, and we asked some Apple insiders to weigh in on the discourse.
Vulnerabilities in Apple’s systems
The belief that Macs are fairly resilient to malware isn’t just idle fanboy-ism. Windows PCs make up roughly 90% of the market, making them a much more attractive target to malware makers.

Read more
I’m worried about the MacBook’s next big rival
The MacBook Air on a white table.

MacBooks have dominated the laptop landscape over the past few years.

As good as Windows laptops are, they just haven't been able to compete with MacBooks in terms of efficiency or performance-per-watt. It's what allows modern MacBooks to be thinner, quieter, and longer-lasting, without losing performance. They're so efficient that you don't even lose performance when on battery.

Read more