Rumors reveal that the new 27-inch iMac Pro is on the way, and thanks to numerous leaks, we can speculate about the upcoming Apple release.
However, there are conflicting reports that seem to change from day to day, with a fresh one out today from DigiTimes that goes against a lot of what we previously assumed. Which leads us to ask — what’s going on with the new iMac Pro?
As we reported yesterday, the 27-inch iMac Pro with Apple’s own M1 Max and M1 Pro chips may already be in production. If proven true, this would mean that the iMac may be hitting the shelves as early as spring 2022.
Although the rumors about the new iMac seemed to be fairly consistent across the board, the latest reports indicate that Apple may either be taking things in an unusual direction, or some of these leaks need to be taken with a grain of salt.
According to a reliable leaker @dylandkt on Twitter, the new iMac Pro was supposed to come with a mini-LED screen surrounded by dark bezels. This report was seemingly confirmed yesterday by DigiTimes, only giving it more weight. However, DigiTimes released an update to their previous article today, correcting that the new iMac Pro will not have a mini-LED display after all. Instead, according to DigiTimes, Apple is going to equip it with a “traditional LCD display.”
The new report states that although the 27-inch iMac will not feature mini-LEDs, Apple still used LED chips in the display that should guarantee an up to 40% increase in screen brightness. While this sounds somewhat promising, it doesn’t counter the discrepancy in the two reports — and the fact that DigiTimes apparently changed its mind in less than 24 hours certainly raises questions.
If the new report is indeed true, it would imply that all the previous leakers were mistaken: So far, every rumor about the 27-inch iMac has pointed to a mini-LED screen. In addition to that, using an LCD panel and mini-LEDs is not mutually exclusive. According to 9to5Mac, all current Macs utilize LCD panels, even those equipped with mini-LED displays.
The confusion about the display panel is not the only conflicting report in regards to the upcoming iMac Pro. DigiTimes also indicates that the new iMac will come in multiple bright colors. Although there is no solid data to contradict this rumor, it also seems quite unlikely — for several reasons.
The main reason why Apple choosing to use bright colors for the new iMac Pro doesn’t seem plausible lies in the fact that it’s generally expected to be branded as an iMac Pro. Traditionally, any ‘Pro’ devices in Apple’s line-up — including the iMac Pro — have always used darker colors and relied on an elegant, sleek design as opposed to something colorful.
This is further corroborated by the leak posted by Dylankt. If Apple will be using dark bezels for the iMac Pro, those colors would absolutely clash if paired with bright shades. Once again, this would be an odd design choice for Apple, considering that it always aimed for a more sophisticated look with the iMac Pro.
There is also the possibility that the rumors posted by DigiTimes are correct and we will see the 27-inch iMac in a full rainbow of colors, but in that scenario, Apple may simply drop the ‘Pro’ moniker. If the iMac is released as part of the same family as the 24-inch Mac, it wouldn’t come with the ‘Pro’ baggage, making the design choice more agreeable.
Although it definitely seems like the 27-inch iMac is right around the corner, it’s difficult to judge which reports to believe. However, a safe bet is to stick with the majority. So far, that implies a mini-LED screen and a dark design, but Apple may still throw a curveball and surprise everyone.