Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

A new iMac and 15-inch MacBook Air are almost ready to launch

The M1 iMac made a big splash when it launched in spring 2021, but it’s been a long two years without updates since then. There’s some good news for Apple fans, though, as a new iMac is apparently almost upon us.

That’s according to a new report from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, who claims the next iMac is undergoing production tests as we speak. This stage of development (known as engineering validation testing, or EVT) means the product is getting close to launching.

A student types at a desk on a pink Apple iMac 24-inch M1 desktop computer.
Apple

Although Gurman says the iMac probably won’t enter mass production for at least another three months, this is still the most promising iMac news we’ve heard in a long time. Considering the production schedule, Gurman believes the next iMac will start shipping in the second half of 2023 at the earliest.

Recommended Videos

So, what can we expect when the new iMac hits store shelves? Gurman’s report explains that it will be very similar to the current M1 iMac, at least on the outside. That means the same 24-inch display size and the same range of bright chassis colors, ensuring it’ll continue the design language established by the existing model.

The M3 chip is coming

A man sitting at a desk in front of an M1 iMac. Behind him is a large glass window and a set of shelves holding books, plants and ornaments.
Apple

On the inside, though, things could be very different. Not only does Gurman believe Apple is going to redesign the computer’s internals, but it will be outfitted with a more powerful Apple silicon chip to give it a noticeable performance bump.

Right now, though, we don’t know what chip that will be. The leading contenders are the M2 and the as-yet-unreleased M3, which will be the first Apple chip made with a 3-nanometer process that could bring next-generation performance and efficiency. The M3 makes the most sense due to the other products Apple has on its horizon.

In that regard, Gurman says Apple is also gearing up to release a new Mac Pro, as well as an updated 13-inch MacBook Air and a brand-new 15-inch MacBook Air. The latter two will almost certainly come with an M3 chip. That’s because the current MacBook Air is already equipped with an M2 chip and it wouldn’t make sense for Apple to split the MacBook Air lineup into two models bearing two different chips.

The Mac Pro and the two MacBook Air laptops are expected between “late spring and summer,” according to Gurman, meaning Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is a possibility. That’s before the new iMac is expected to arrive. If the MacBook Air models do indeed come with an M3 chip, that’s a strong indicator that the later iMac will also come with the M3.

No mention of the iMac Pro

Apple iMac Pro News
Apple

The report claims that aside from these new Macs, Apple is also planning a new iPad Pro with an OLED display and M3 chip in the first half of 2024, with M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pros also due in 2024. In 2025, Gurman claims Apple could launch its first MacBooks bearing OLED displays and touchscreen panels.

Noticeably absent among all the talk of a new iMac, though, was the iMac Pro. Gurman made no mention of the larger 27-inch model that has been so heavily rumored over recent months. Not every industry expert believes that a new iMac Pro is on the way — could this mean Gurman is also doubtful?

Whatever the reality, it seems like Apple has a lot planned for its Mac range. If Gurman is correct, we could see the first M3 Macs in just a couple of months, ending the long wait for a new iMac.

Alex Blake
Alex Blake has been working with Digital Trends since 2019, where he spends most of his time writing about Mac computers…
iPad is the best secondary screen I’ve used with a MacBook
You can extend your MacBook's screen by using an iPad as a secondary monitor.

I spend an unhealthy amount of time lurking in communities where people share aesthetic desktop setups. One of my friends recently set the group chat on fire with a triple monitor setup that had two vertical screens and an ultrawide curved panel at the center. An impulse swipe later, I achieved a similar makeover for my desk at home.

Here’s the problem, though. My $600 workstation overhaul did bring me visual joy, but not much utility. For reporting assignments, I spend the majority of the year away from home, working from deserted cafes or unnaturally uncomfortable bunk beds. I do miss the convenience of large secondary screens. Interestingly, that yearning is addressed by a rather unconventional device —the humble iPad. 

Read more
I love Apple’s minimalist Mac design, and the iPhone 17 Air needs to follow it
Apple Mac Studio 2025 top down view showing desktop.

It’s no secret that Apple’s products are among the best designed devices in the tech industry. Just one peek at the MacBook Pro or the iPhone 16 Pro and you know that you’re looking at quality.

There’s a reason for that, and it’s got nothing to do with blind luck. No, Apple’s design philosophy has long been to strip away the unnecessary elements of a device until you’re left with only the essential components. There should be nothing extraneous, no needless fluff. Instead, the product should be the core expression of a concept, such as a phone or a computer. That has led to some of its best designs.

Read more
The long overdue MacBook Pro design refresh might land in 2026
MacBook Pro

Apple likes to stick around with each product design refresh for at least a few generations. Take for example the M4 MacBook Pro, which is still carrying the same design language that was first introduced atop the M1 series models back in 2021.
Things could finally change next year. “In terms of major new Mac designs, I don’t expect the MacBook Pro to get an overhaul until around 2026 — when the M6 model is due to come out,” says a Bloomberg report.
Apple is currently working on refreshed MacBook Air and Pro models with M5-series processors. They might, however, stick with the same aesthetic formula as their respective M4-series counterparts. It’s not bad, but not without its flaws either.

“It’s no joke to lug around. Some will appreciate the extra screen real estate, no doubt, but there’s definitely a trade-off in mobility,” said Digital Trends’ review of the current-gen MacBook Pro.
“The one eyesore in the whole experience to me is still the notch in the display. I find it quite ugly and intrusive, and the way it cuts into the menu bar can be clumsy, especially on the 14-inch model,” the review adds.

Read more