The much-anticipated 32-inch iMac is a couple of years way, according to an industry analyst who’s a reliable source of Apple predictions.
And a refresh to the current 24-inch version won’t be out before the end of 2023, according to the same analyst.
No new iMac models in 2023
The iMac is Apple’s desktop PC with a built-in screen. This long-running product line was significantly revamped in 2021 with a slim design and M1 processor. Currently, the only version has a 24-inch screen, but there have been numerous calls for a larger variant.
It’s not going to happen soon, according to Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with TF International Securities. He took to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday to predict: “Higher-end 32-inch mini LED display iMac in 2025.”
And Kuo also threw cold water on those hoping Apple will introduce an M3-power update for the current model in Q4 2023. “24-inch iMac refresh in 2024,” was his prediction.
New iMac prediction update:
1. 24-inch iMac refresh in 2024.
2. Higher-end 32-inch mini LED display iMac in 2025. https://t.co/l7jzEecwZi— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) October 17, 2023
The analyst didn’t get more specific about the smaller model. He wasn’t able to say whether it’s be out in early 2024, the middle of the year or later.
Kuo has sources in Apple’s supply chain that enable him to make generally reliable predictions about the company’s future actions. He was talking about the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus months before Apple announced it, for example.
Timing has not changed
It’s been nearly 2.5 years since the 24-inch iMac hit store shelves, and it still runs the M1 processor, a chip that Apple replaced in other Macs in 2022.
And mid-fall is a traditional time to introduce new Macs. There’s been some optimism that a refreshed iMac would be out this month. This would be among the first running the upcoming Apple M3 processor.
Kou says it’s not going to happen. And he’s not the first. Over the summer, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also said the 24-inch version wouldn’t make it in 2023 and the 32-inch iMac would be out before late 2024 at the earliest.
