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.
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.
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
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
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.
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