After gracing us with its jaw-dropping Mac Studio and 27-inch Studio Display on Tuesday, Apple finally discontinued the aging 27-inch iMac. The machine is no longer available to purchase through official Apple retail channels.
It’s probably not gone for good, however. Cupertino is rumored to be working on a larger iMac model that could appear alongside other new Mac models — including a new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro — later this year.
27-inch iMac is dead
You’d have to be pretty crazy to buy a Mac with an Intel chip at this point. Apple silicon has gotten so good that it now outperforms even the fastest Mac Pro configuration in both processing and graphics — and by quite a long shot.
It seems Cupertino chiefs were starting to feel a little guilty about charging customers for a 27-inch iMac that’s falling way behind the pack. So, for the time being, at least, it is no longer a part of Apple’s lineup.
The company today removed the 27-inch iMac from the Apple Store. You’ll still be able to buy one from third-party retailers while stocks last, but we wouldn’t recommend it. Mac Studio is around the same price — and a lot better.
It will likely come back
The larger iMac probably isn’t gone for good. Apple is rumored to be working on a new model with a revamped design that will be powered by its latest and most powerful M1 chipsets, likely including the incredibly new M1 Ultra.
It’s likely to look a little like the 24-inch iMac, which already uses Apple silicon, but with “Pro” color options. That means it will probably lose the bright and beautiful aluminum and instead ship in silver or space gray, like MacBook Pro.
It’s not yet clear when a larger iMac will debut, but Apple is reportedly planning a bunch of new Mac models — including big upgrades to MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini — for later this year.
