When Apple launched the 24-inch iMac in spring 2021, it was the biggest update to the company’s all-in-one in years. And although we absolutely loved it, there was one piece missing from the puzzle: A larger replacement for the current 27-inch iMac. Now, an industry analyst has doubled down on a launch date for the mysterious product — and it looks like this “iMac Pro” resurrection is just around the corner.
Display analyst Ross Young, who is thought to have reliable sources in the display supply chain, has elaborated what he expects from Apple in 2022 in a new blog post. The wide-ranging post covers a number of topics, but Young specifically expects Apple will launch an iMac Pro “in the spring” of 2022. According to leak tracking website AppleTrack, Young has a 100% record from nine leaks so far, so his words carry some weight. And with Apple holding many events in March in recent years, that could be a good time to expect the device.
Young shares a few specific details of the upcoming desktop computer, too. He believes it will come in a 27-inch screen size and will feature a panel with a 120Hz variable refresh rate — in other words, Apple’s ProMotion tech that adjusts the screen’s refresh rate depending on what task you are performing. ProMotion has so far debuted in the iPhone and iPad ranges and the latest MacBook Pro, which would make the iMac Pro (or whatever name Apple opts for) only the second Mac to bear such technology.
It is notable that Young bets on a 27-inch display. Early expectations had been on Apple bringing a 30-inch or 32-inch panel to the larger iMac, essentially following the same game plan as the 24-inch iMac where the display bezels on the 21.5-inch iMac were thinned right down, allowing space for a larger screen.
However, that started to be questioned when Young himself tweeted in October 2021 that the larger iMac would stick with its 27-inch screen size, something he has now reasserted in his blog post. Well-regarded Twitter leaker Dylandkt then followed that up, saying they also expected the iMac Pro to come in a 27-inch form.
OK, tweeted too early. The 27" MiniLED screen is going in an iMac in Q1'22, not an external monitor. May see a monitor later. Still 24Hz – 120Hz variable refresh…Sorry for the confusion!
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) October 20, 2021
Young’s blog post offers up further details on when Apple might transition its products — potentially including the iMac Pro — to OLED panels and move away from the mini-LED screen that is expected in the 27-inch iMac. According to Young, the prices for Apple’s mini-LED panels are higher than similar OLED screens, and the decision on whether the company will switch to OLED depends on how fast those prices fall.
As well as that, Young touched on a few other topics. He expects the upcoming Apple mixed reality headset to be expensive, for example, because “volume estimates look low for next year.” As for a foldable Apple device, an OLED iPad, and an OLED MacBook? Don’t expect them until 2023 at the earliest, Young recommends, but 2024 is a more likely date.
