Apple Not Planning to Launch Larger-Screened iMac

[tobybrut]

Huh? In the last decade, I have purchased two imac 27's. At msrp, combined they were still cheaper than a single studio combo. A nice side effect of that was I got a significant monitor upgrade each time (2013 qhd > 2017 5k/brighter).

If I buy a studio combo now, then upgrade just the mac in the future, I will have paid more than 3 imacs with no upgrade to the display.

The 27" iMac that's comparable to the $2000 Mac Studio was the $2800 iMac, not the $1800 iMac. The Mac Studio at a minimum costs more than the $1800 iMac, so they're not even in the same ballpark. If Apple had included an M1 27" iMac, that would have been comparable, since that's essentially a 24" M1 iMac with a 3" bigger screen. An M1 Pro would have been comparable to the $2400 iMac while the M1 Max is basically the $2800 iMac. Put in the M1 Ultra, that is basically the discontinued iMac Pro at $4999, which funny enough is the cost of the upgraded M1 Ultra with 64 GPU cores (the non-binned version). Because they're in the ballpark, that's how you know the M1 Ultra is really Apple's replacement for the old iMac Pro, not the $2800 iMac.

My calcuations are based on the $2800 27" iMac, which would have been the base M1 Max. It's comparable to paying $2000 for the Mac itself and another $800 for the monitor (we got a bargain with the AIO on monitor costs, but on the flip side we get rid of it when we upgrade). Upgrade the iMac 27" once and you'd pay $5600 for both systems, but you'd have two monitors, one of which you'd sell, trade-in to Apple, or just junk it. Upgrading a Mac Studio in a couple years time would be paying $4000+1600 = $5600 total for old and new ($2000 for each Mac Studio and $1600 for the 27" Studio Display), compared to the $5600 for the two iMacs. Hey, exactly the same price. Now upgrade a second time, say four years down the line, and you'd pay about $7600 combined for the three systems (3 Mac Studios and 1 monitor). If you had bought three 27" iMacs, that would have been $8,200, a savings of $600. So yeah, in the long run, you save a bit of money, though you'd have to upgrade twice to do that.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Seeing the same exact screen and a better camera costing more than a 27 iMac is one of those “I don’t know if I should laugh or cry movements”

I'm mostly in the "cry" category..

 

[aajeevlin]

I find it hard to believe that Apple’s end goal for the iMac product line is just one single product. A 27 inch iMac powered by an M1 Max would sell.

I agreed, I think given the 2k/4k resolution what everyone is looking for, a 27inch would play nicely. I'm in the market for a new monitor for work, and I think I'll going be going for 4k and at least 27inhc+ this time.

 

[Tagbert]

Shop for 27” monitors or even bigger from all of the other monitor makers? Apple isn’t the only game in town. Not all of them demand or can get comparable margins.

Then in 3 years when it’s upgrade time again, keep using those monitors, upgrade the minis and save a relative fortune.

Then in 3 more years, keep using the same monitors, upgrade the minis, and save a fortune again.

Or relatively overspend for these Apple monitors this cycle, them recoup the overage by using them through the next 2+ computer upgrade cycles. People around here are still using the last round of Apple monitors discontinued 10+ years ago.

We seem to be in a mental state of seeing this purchase just like an iMac purchase and worried about the greater expense. However on down the road at upgrade time, we don’t have to replace the monitor too. That’s the benefit here: buy once, use for maybe 10+ years.

The problem is that all of those other monitors top out at 4K resolution. It’s not terrible at smaller screen sizes but the larger you go the worse it gets. But at least they are cheap, right?

 

[Jimmdean]

No offense to Apple, but the Mac Studio and Studio Displays aren't going to put butts in the seats - too niche, too expensive. You can be one or the other but not both.

 

[Tagbert]

Kuo needs to go

In general, he has been one of the more reliable rumor sources, but this year, things are in such flux that none of the rumors are really reliable.

 

[KnighsTalker]

iMac is Steve Jobs's baby. His legacy will live on forever through an iMac. For now, Apple wants people to focus on purchasing the Mac Studio. It also comes down to how good Mac Studio will do. Sales wise!

Next year it will be a different story. Apple will release a new lineup of an iMac. Preferably 30" iMac. 🖥

View attachment 1971923

iMac is a direct descendent of the original Macintosh that Steve Jobs envisioned and pioneered in 1984. There will be a large 30" plus iMac that will probably be announced this summer. It will more than likely will not be a iMac Pro but it won't be chopped liver either. I'm thinking it'll have a M1 Max or M2 and it'll be a awesome consumer grade all in one. I will hold out for this and I'm sure others will also to replace our 27" Intel iMacs.

 

[turbineseaplane]

iMac is a direct descendent of the original Macintosh that Steve Jobs envisioned and pioneered in 1984. There will be a large 30" plus iMac that will probably be announced this summer. It will more than likely will not be a iMac Pro but it won't be chopped liver either. I'm thinking it'll have a M1 Max or M2 and it'll be a awesome consumer grade all in one. I will hold out for this and I'm sure others will also to replace our 27" Intel iMacs.

I find myself nostalgic for those days

It all seemed more exciting and revolutionary

It's probably some rose colored glasses -- but I still miss it

 

[Abazigal]

In general, he has been one of the more reliable rumor sources, but this year, things are in such flux that none of the rumors are really reliable.

I think it just shows the inaccuracy of trying to infer Apple’s product roadmap from their supply chain. You may know what Apple is buying, but not necessarily what Apple intends to do with them.

 

[Tagbert]

Well, if I wish to replace my failing 27" iMac, I need to start with a $1600 screen, another three hundred for a keyboard and mouse, and then buy a computer. The Mac mini cannot be configured with my necessary RAM and storage, so it's gotta be the Studio. I was ready to spend $2700 or so for a new iMac... Now, I'm easily $1500 over budget, and for no reason whatsoever. I have owned 17 Macs in my life, worked for the company, and retired early on that success. But I really need to think seriously about rewarding Apple for trying to force me to spend 50% more to get the machine I expected...foolishly expected, I guess. That is quite an ask.

If you were not forced to upgrade now by a failing machine, you might want to wait for a few months to see what happens to the Mac Mini. It’s not unreasonable to think that the next version will be able to support more than 16GB.

 

[killjoys]

I think what needs to be understood is the 27” iMac fit a very nice sweet spot for a lot of people. Even the base 27” was seen as an incredible value for the screen alone - even though the internals were seen as low end, the computer was able to handle a modest amount of professional work.

It certainly has some intrinsic value over the 24” for people who needed/wanted that screen real estate. People would definitely be willing to pay for a same spec 27” M1 over the 24” in the same way people buy the base 16” Pro over the same spec 14”, that screen size can and does mean a lot to certain people.

There’s definitely value in having a separate screen that can be used across many Macs for now and in the future - something the retina iMac’s haven’t been able to do. But for it’s price point it’s not able to hit that same sweet spot for a lot of people.

As for why Apple may have done this? Perhaps they wanted to complete their transition in their initial 2 year timeframe and couldn’t get a 27” successor ready in time? I have hopes still that something is in the pipeline to fill in that $1000 gap, maybe with M2.
If I were to think a bit more cynically, maybe Apple saw the 27’s price point as too good a value (even on intel) and potentially cannabalising to it’s Mac Studio + other Mac line ups and would rather nix the 27” altogether to avoid that happening. I mean a lot of consumers don’t understand intel vs M1 and just want a single AIO Mac - the 2020 27” def would still be enticing to a lot of those customers who don’t understand why they would want to buy a single Monitor for basically the same price.

 

[Tagbert]

What about people who just want an all-in-one with a large screen?

Plus, the 27-inch iMac sold for $1,799. Now, if you want a screen larger than the 24-inch iMac, and stay within the Apple ecosystem, you will have to pay a minimum of $2,496.

Yes, but that $1799 iMac was some weak sauce. You needed to upgrade the RAM and storage at least and then the price started to go up quickly. the Studio starts at 32GB/512GB. I understand that this is overall more expensive but the gap is not as large as it seems if the systems are spec’s similarly.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I mean a lot of consumers don’t understand intel vs M1 and just want a single AIO Mac

This is absolutely the case.
It's a factoid that is probably hard to understand for many around this forum though.

 

[wilberforce]

The studio display plus keyboard and mouse costs just the same as a 27" iMac. So what's the problem??

Oh wait... I need a computer, too.

 

[darktux]

As the store still states “24” iMac” I think they are going to introduce a bigger size of the regular iMac. At least I hope so. I would require one with at least an M1 Pro, 32 GB RAM and more Thunderbolt 4 ports.

 

[yoak]

I’ve said this elsewhere as well, but here it goes. I think for a lot of Mac users already on M1 laptops, with the new screen they could suddenly have an 27 “imac” at home, and not having to deal with keeping 2 computers in sync. Obviously not as sleek looking as a AIO, but you get 2 screens if you need, or just run clamshell mode

 

[Wanted797]

A friend of mine actually made me understand that removing the iMac actually makes a lot of sense. The 24” is perfect for the home user.

The 27” monitor is perfect for putting on every desk in the office as a hot desk - almost all businesses are buying laptops for their staff now, so a single cable to charge/display/connect peripherals.

Apple can now sell businesses and schools the MacBook and a display to go with it.

 

[Realityck]

iMac is a direct descendent of the original Macintosh that Steve Jobs envisioned and pioneered in 1984. There will be a large 30" plus iMac that will probably be announced this summer. It will more than likely will not be a iMac Pro but it won't be chopped liver either. I'm thinking it'll have a M1 Max or M2 and it'll be a awesome consumer grade all in one. I will hold out for this and I'm sure others will also to replace our 27" Intel iMacs.

I wouldn’t claim that. The Mac 128k, like it’s predecessor the Lisa, all are derived from the Xerox Star which is where most of the Mac GUI is derived from, including the mouse. While Mac 128k -> 512k ->plus-SE, Apple then went to computer/displays for years until 1998 iMac G3. That’s a lot years without a desktop all in one.

 

[Realityck]

A friend of mine actually made me understand that removing the iMac actually makes a lot of sense. The 24” is perfect for the home user.

The 27” monitor is perfect for putting on every desk in the office as a hot desk - almost all businesses are buying laptops for their staff now, so a single cable to charge/display/connect peripherals.

Apple can now sell businesses and schools the MacBook and a display to go with it.

Thats very true they can do that. That studio display is perfect for a MBP closed.

 

[KnighsTalker]

I just can't convince myself that Tim Cook would do away with Steve Jobs pride and joy. Either this is how the world wide chip shortage has manifested itself at Apple or they want to get a leg up to promote the Mac Studio to those on the fence between an AIO Mac and a modular Mac. I truly believe Apple will pull a 30" plus AIO out of their hat in the very near future with an iconic "One more thing..." announcement. It might be a bit early but also keep in mind that we are rapidly approaching the 40th anniversary of the announcement of the original Macintosh. How could Apple not roll a special large screen AIO just for that occasion?

 

[Nicole1980]

I can believe that maybe its not possible for them to fit in a cooling solution that's satisfactory in a thin iMac enclosure for the M1 Max or M1 Ultra. Especially as these chips will only get more and more powerful as the years go by.

That being said, they NEED to have an M1 Pro desktop solution. Whether that be in the Mac mini or 24" iMac. Because right now you have "consumer" devices and industry-grade "pro" devices with a $1000+ price gap. You could just say "get the Mac Studio" but there's a lot of industries where that power is probably overkill and its hard to justify paying extra for power you wont use. M1 Pro is definitely the sweet spot.

Seriously?!?! Why are there so many 'up' votes on this!?!? As has been mentioned already ... The 27 inch iMac is MUCH LARGER INTERNALLY THAN A 14 INCH MACBOOK PRO! IT'S EVEN BIGGER THAN THE MAC STUDIO!!!!
And yet, that 14-inch mbp can handle the M1 Max just fine.

SMH.

On top of that, they could make the 17 inch WHATEVER THICKNESS THEY NEEDED even if they DID need more space. It's not like there's a law that dictates what exactly the 27 inch case needs to look like.

SMH x 2

 

[nastysailboat]

Guess apple thinks Studio covers all those bases.

I agree with them.

I agree too I’m kinda surprised people are confused the iMac Pro isn’t coming back. When Apple released it I was under the impression it was like a “hey the Mac Pro is gonna be late so to help you out until then. Here’s this” I believe they even said something along those lines. Kinda surprised they’re not doing a bigger iMac with the colors. I think there’s non pro users out there that want bigger screens but maybe I’m wrong.

 

[nastysailboat]

I just can't convince myself that Tim Cook would do away with Steve Jobs pride and joy. Either this is how the world wide chip shortage has manifested itself at Apple or they want to get a leg up to promote the Mac Studio to those on the fence between an AIO Mac and a modular Mac. I truly believe Apple will pull a 30" plus AIO out of their hat in the very near future with an iconic "One more thing..." announcement. It might be a bit early but also keep in mind that we are rapidly approaching the 40th anniversary of the announcement of the original Macintosh. How could Apple not roll a special large screen AIO just for that occasion?

I’d don’t think the iMac is Steve’s pride and joy. And I think he’d be happy with the way cook was running apple.

 

[Isengardtom]

And offering M1/M2 Pro and 32GB RAM options into the 24" iMac would likely address a fair bit of complaints about it.

I think this is what they’ll do

When M2 comes out they’ll add an M2 pro version to both the mini and the iMac 24” so you end up with
- MacBook Air M2
- MacBook M2/M2 pro (replacing the 13” MBP)
- MacBook Pro 14’/16” M2 pro and Max

- Mac mini M2/M2 pro
- iMac 24” M2/M2 pro
- Mac Studio M2 Max and Ultra
- Mac Pro M2 Enterprise (quad M2 Max)

 

[Abazigal]

I just can't convince myself that Tim Cook would do away with Steve Jobs pride and joy. Either this is how the world wide chip shortage has manifested itself at Apple or they want to get a leg up to promote the Mac Studio to those on the fence between an AIO Mac and a modular Mac. I truly believe Apple will pull a 30" plus AIO out of their hat in the very near future with an iconic "One more thing..." announcement. It might be a bit early but also keep in mind that we are rapidly approaching the 40th anniversary of the announcement of the original Macintosh. How could Apple not roll a special large screen AIO just for that occasion?

I don’t think that sentiment and nostalgia has any place in running a business. Keep the iMac around for as long as it meets a specific need, and replace it with something better when (Apple thinks that) it doesn’t.