After the launch of its redesigned 24-inch iMac, Apple has begun production on a larger 27-inch variant, according to MacRumors. The report also says that the new iMac will feature a mini-LED display.
The report is based on new shipments from Apple suppliers. Components are being sent off to manufacturers for final assembly, which means the 27-inch iMac is likely in production and could ship in the spring of 2022.
The release pattern would follow the launch of the M1 24-inch iMac in April of 2021, which came around six months after the introduction of the M1 chip in the MacBook Air.
The design would likely follow the choices in the 24-inch iMac. However, the new 27-inch model is rumored to also have a mini-LED display and support ProMotion with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz. That’s a massive upgrade that would put the new iMac in the Pro league of personal computers.
It isn’t just the display and the design getting an overhaul either. The reliable leaker @dylandkt says the new iMac will be a Pro model.
Just as the 24-inch iMac utilizes M1, the 27-inch iMac will likely run the M1 Pro and M1 Max, the same processors found in the new MacBook Pros. Dylan also claims the iMac will have HDMI, SD Card, and USB-C ports.
Apple will definitely continue doubling down on its own silicon. As of right now, the current 27-inch iMac, iMac Pro, and Mac Pro are the only computers available from Apple with Intel processors. That will likely change with the introduction of a new 27-inch model.
Pricing is hard to guess, at this point, though. The last iMac Pro started at $4,999. If this is truly a Pro replacement with an XDR/mini-LED display, that sounds about right. However, this 27-inch iMac Pro would also be the replacement of the Intel-powered 27-inch iMac, which starts at $1,799. With the price increases that came to the MacBook Pro, though, don’t be surprised to see a starting price of over $2,000 for this iMac Pro.
All of this news is consistent with other rumors about the 27-inch iMac Pro. The M1 Pro and M1 Pro Max are powerhouse processors, and they helped make the new MacBook Pros the best ones in years. A larger iMac with those processors and a mini-LED display would continue Apple’s hot streak of revolutionizing their product lineup.