If you’ve been holding your breath waiting for a new 27-inch iMac, it’s time to inhale: Apple reportedly has no plans to produce such a computer.
The news, which doubtless will disappoint fans of all-in-one Apple computers hoping for a bigger screen, comes straight from Apple itself.
Apple has no plans to update 27-inch iMac
“Apple PR representative Starlayne Meza confirmed the company’s plans” to focus on the 24-inch iMac, The Verge wrote Monday. “The company encourages those who have been holding out hope for a larger iMac to consider the Studio Display and Mac Studio or Mac Mini, which pair a 27-inch 5K screen with a separate computer, compared to the all-in-one design of the iMac.”
Perhaps it’s not surprising. Starting with the original iMac’s release in 1998, Apple positioned the computer as a fun, stylish and totally approachable machine for the masses. (2017’s iMac Pro, with its powerful internals and gorgeous 27-inch Retina 5K screen, stood out as a performance-oriented beast.)
The iMac’s 2021 redesign, which brought slimmer bezels, Apple’s M1 chip and a welcome blast of color, moved the all-in-one away from the austere aluminum look of the Jony Ive era and back toward the computer’s whimsical roots. Apple unveiled the latest 24-inch iMac — powered by the company’s new M3 chip, but otherwise unchanged — during last Monday’s “Scary Fast” event.
“Apple’s newest iMac looks exactly like the 2021 model,” Cult of Mac wrote last week. “And that’s not a bad thing, as the all-in-one received a substantial design revamp back then. This time, the company has only focused on upgrading the iMac’s internals with a faster chip and offering better wireless connectivity. While this might seem minor, it will help the iMac stay relevant in the PC market.”
The speedy new processor provides quite a performance boost, according to the first M3 iMac reviews. But Apple apparently sees no urgent need to crank out an Apple silicon-powered iMac with a larger screen. (The company discontinued the 27-inch iMac, which ran on an Intel processor, in 2022.)
Yes, but could there be a 32-inch iMac in the pipeline?
However, today’s “no 27-inch iMac incoming” news doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility of an Apple all-in-one with an even larger screen. The company’s denial might be intended to stop potential customers from holding out for the larger-screen iMac they’ve been craving.
“The company’s message today is specifically concerning a 27-inch iMac, which does leave the door open for an even bigger iMac to come in the future, as has been rumored on and off for some time,” wrote The Verge’s Dan Seifert. “I personally would not hold out much hope for that, however.”
TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted last month that we could see a “higher-end 32-inch mini LED display iMac in 2025.”
Apple certainly doesn’t want potential buyers to put off an upgrade until then. With Mac sales struggling in recent quarters, Cupertino wants to move as many computers as possible ASAP.
