Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Apple is working on bringing back either the iMac Pro or the 27-inch iMac with a new Apple Silicon chip to help it charge headlong into the modern era. We’ve been hearing variations of this rumor almost since the day the iMac Pro was discontinued in 2021.
A larger and more powerful iMac has been the primary hole in the Mac lineup, so I’m thrilled to hear that it isn’t being forgotten about. And this time, the persistence of these whispers makes me think there’s really something there — and the latest report on the subject hasn’t tempered my curiosity.
It’s still alive
Writing in his Power On newsletter over the weekend, prominent Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman says that a larger iMac is something that Apple is still “exploring,” giving hope to anyone who’s been fed up with the existing iMac and its single 24-inch display option. For many, that screen is just too small for the work they want to do, so the news that something larger is in the pipeline will be very welcome indeed.
Frustratingly, though, Gurman didn’t provide much more detail, other than to say that “it’s unclear if [the iMac] will be an M4 product or something that comes the following year or later.” The context here is that Gurman was discussing other Macs coming out in 2025, so here “the following year” equates to 2026. That could mean a long wait for anyone who wants a larger iMac right now.
There’s also a key detail that Gurman left out: Will this larger iMac simply be a consumer iMac with a scaled-up screen, or will it actually be an iMac Pro with high-level internal components and display technology? That’s an important distinction, but we’re still in the dark over that aspect. For now, we know that Apple is apparently developing a large iMac in some form, but that’s about it.
It certainly seems like Apple has been more open to expanding lineups just based on size alone, such as with the 15-inch MacBook Air. In the past, such an upgrade would also come with a performance bump.
A familiar story
Still, there’s a lot to be encouraged about here. For years, Apple fans had a choice over which size iMac they wanted, and bringing back a larger model would restore some variety to the lineup. Getting an all-in-one is also a lot simpler than buying a Mac mini or a Mac Studio and working out what display to pair it with.
And as well as that, there’s the simple fact (OK, maybe it’s just my opinion) that an all-in-one iMac is a beautiful, minimalist addition to your desk that can’t be matched by any other computer, at least aesthetically speaking. With a roomier screen, that impact is heightened even further.
Of course, a larger iMac is not the solution to everyone’s problems. It’s less flexible than buying a different Mac and pairing it with a monitor of your choice, as you have to stick with Apple’s iMac display decisions. But Apple launching a larger iMac doesn’t take away the option of getting a separate Mac and monitor, it simply adds to the choices you have.
Despite that, though, there’s still one glaring problem that I alluded to earlier: the lack of a solid release date. Gurman’s claim that the new iMac might not make an appearance until 2026 or later is concerning because it follows a pattern from the last few years that has become all too familiar.
Ever since the iMac Pro disappeared, claims have been made that its resurrection is only just around the corner. All it takes is patience, we’re told, and it’s sure to come out next year. Or maybe the year after. Or a little later. But it’s definitely coming.
Call me jaded, but hearing this so often tends to make you cautious. While I absolutely want Apple to do an about-face and bring back the sized-up iMac, I’ve given up hoping that its release date is imminent. I’m sure it’ll come out at some point, but let’s not hold our breath until we’re standing on more solid ground.
