Skip to main content

The iMac redesign looks amazing in this designer concept

Apple’s iMac is due for a redesign, and according to industry sources we could get one next year. The specifics remain sketchy, though; leaker Sonny Dickson expects its design to be inspired by the Pro Display XDR and the iPad Pro, but we do not know much else.

So designer Daniel Bautista decided to envision how this all-new iMac might look. It comes in 24-inch and 27-inch sizes, with a new backlit keyboard and a raft of exciting features.

Much like the MacBook Pro 16, the iMac concept features a much thinner bezel than previous models. Not only have the thick black borders disappeared, but the chunky “chin” at the bottom of the device has also been eliminated, leaving almost nothing but screen on the front.

iMac redesign concept by Daniel Bautista
Daniel Bautista

The current iMac is famous for its tapered edges, but Bautista’s design dispenses with these in favor of the squared-off sides found in the current iPad Pro. This makes a lot of sense, as the iPhone 12 is widely expected to adopt this design convention, so it is not beyond the realm of possibility to expect the iMac to follow suit.

Elsewhere, the stand of the concept iMac sees a subtle change from what’s seen on the current model. Right now, the iMac’s stand starts wide and narrows as it rises. Bautista’s stand, by contrast, remains the same width along its entire height. This is very similar to the stand on Apple’s Pro Display XDR and fits in with Dickson’s prediction that the redesigned iMac would be inspired by this high-end monitor.

Facing the future

The stand hides one of the most interesting ideas in Bautista’s design: Wireless charging. This would allow you to power up any Apple device that uses wireless charging and fits on the iMac’s base, including an iPhone, AirPods, and the Magic Mouse. That last one is particularly interesting, as the current iteration of the Magic Mouse has its charging port on its underside, leading to a rather inelegant upside-down charging position. A built-in wireless charging pad would be a much more Apple-like solution.

iMac redesign concept by Daniel Bautista
Image credit: Daniel Bautista Daniel Bautista

There is also a place for Face ID in Bautista’s mockup — something we have been pining after in the iMac for a while now — as well as four Thunderbolt USB-C ports for peripherals on the back. Interestingly, the power port is also USB-C, much like the current crop of MacBooks.

As this is just a mockup, an actual iMac redesign from Apple may look quite different. But we can take encouragement from the fact that many of Bautista’s inclusions have been previously mentioned by leakers and analysts. If Apple’s redesign looks anything like this concept, there will be a lot of happy Mac fans out there.

Editors' Recommendations

Alex Blake
In ancient times, people like Alex would have been shunned for their nerdy ways and strange opinions on cheese. Today, he…
I saw the new Space Black MacBook Pro, and it’s stunning
Two MacBooks Pro renders side by side against a black backround.

It's not often that MacBook Pros get new color options. But with this most recent update to M3 chips, the MacBook Pro will add Space Black, a color that first appeared on the iPhone, to the mix. I was shown an early preview of the new color ahead of the "Scary Fast" launch event, and I have to say: I'm smitten.

This new Space Black is not true black, of course. In truth, it's a slightly darker gray than Space Gray, which it replaces. And it's a good thing this isn't true black. Because remember, this is aluminum, and Apple isn't just slapping a coating or layer of paint on here like so many laptop manufacturers do when making true black aluminum laptops. These laptops, such as most gaming laptops or even something like the Surface Laptop, tend to scratch easily and fade over time.

Read more
The M3 Max makes the MacBook Pro look like a nearly unbeatable laptop
Someone using a MacBook Pro on a table in front of a scenic background.

Apple announced an update to its MacBook Pros at today's Scary Fast event that brings the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max under the hood. That might sound like a ho-hum generational chip refresh, especially coming just 10 months after the M2 Pro/Max models came out. But trust me -- these new MacBook Pros have become an unstoppable force, especially the new full-tilt model with the M3 Max.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro (which replaces the 13-inch MacBook Pro) will now have the option for the M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max, while the 16-inch model gets the M3 Pro and an even more powerful M3 Max configuration. Across the board, these new M3 chips are built on the new 3nm technology, the same that's used in the new iPhone 15 models, only scaled up for the Mac. It's all about efficiency, with Apple claiming that the M3 chips provides the same performance at 30% less power.

Read more
Everything Apple didn’t announce at its ‘Scary Fast’ launch event
iMac Pro

There’s no doubt that Apple had plenty to unveil at its “Scary Fast” event on October 30, with new devices galore revealed over the show’s duration. For what was an unexpected show, Apple managed to pack in an awful lot.

Despite that, plenty of rumored products never made the cut. That means they could still be in the works, or perhaps were simply dropped by Apple before release. Either way, we’ve rounded up everything that was rumored for the show but never made an appearance -- read on to see what didn’t make it.
M3 MacBook Pro 13-inch

Read more