Apple Says There Won't Be a 27-Inch iMac With Apple Silicon

[Student of Life]

If you buy the base mac studio and get the studio display on sale it’s about 3299 which is roughly what my last intel imac cost me. and AS blows away that intel crap now. So it’s not a bad compromise. Any large imac at this point is gonna be exorbitantly expensive… ya can easily make the current 24” imac extremely expensive with add ons. Having a studio or Mac mini at least ya can tuck it away under your desk with a mount and put external SSDs with it

How did you spend 3299 on an intel iMac? Was it the ssd? No way you paid the ram since that’s user upgradable. Was it an IMac Pro?

Right now if I wanted too they are selling the 2020 27 iMac for under 1500 brand new, that’s an actual computer with keyboard and mouse, 5k display etc for less than the price of the studio display which only adds 100 nits of brightness.

For the price the studio display is trash, if it had actual features worthy of its price tags one could make an argument for it, but just 100 nits brighter so its a poor excuse for its price tag.

 

[spcopsmac21]

Is Apple telling us to spend much, much more money on their non-integrated options a surprise? 😅 Mac Mini plus non-Apple monitor makes sense for a lot of people, but you lack the show off factor... You can't underestimate how many sales Apple got because their customers want to show off. Offices, schools, studios etc all bought Apple for the prestige. The new iMac isn't as cool as it was, and the smaller screen is also less impressive. But will they pay that much extra for a Studio plus Mini?

Auburn university is

Thanks for popping by this Apple-specific website to let us all know!

Now, if you'll excuse me I'm off to the Nissan forums to tell people how much I love my Honda and will NOT be switching.

well I still have an iPhone dad. Sorry if mom’s been distant lately. I do enjoy my iPhone.

 

[spcopsmac21]

Does the Mac Mini outsell the iMac?

Yes

 

[Bobby Smallwood]

The fact that Apple has to release a statement on this proves that there is actually demand for a 'pro' level iMac - so why is Apple ignoring a significant portion of their user base who want an all in one Pro level computer?!

I don't think pros want an all in one, I think the target market for a 27" pro iMac would be people with more money than brains. They are the same people that buy their kids a $5000 MBP to play Roblox and surf the web. These are the same people that would buy a second iMac to be used in Target display mode in order to have matched dual displays.

Maybe Apple is ignoring these people because they are bad for the environment, if you WANT a nice all in one, get a mini with a vesa mount and connect it to a killer display or 2, that what I did with my dual dell 34" monitors. When I upgraded from the Mini I kept my monitors and gifted the mini to my daughter who is using it with a pair of 15 year old dell 2408's.

 

[Student of Life]

Yes

Well yeah the Mac mini is less than half the price of an iMac. You can buy two base Mac mini and still have around 100 dollar to spare vs buying the base 24 iMac. If you get the mini on sale (499) you come out with 300 dollars to spare. One could buy 3 Mac mini for the price 24 iMac with upgrades.

Is the Mac mini outselling the iMac in a ratio more that 2:1?

 

[LiamCoburn]

The 27 inch studio display is just... ****.

 

[splitpea]

The iMac used to at least have options that were more powerful than the mini. But at this point, why would anyone buy an iMac instead of a Mini and a third-party external monitor?

 

[JippaLippa]

At least that was a final answer.
As sad as it'll be for some people, they can at least choose how to proceed, going forward.

 

[ignatius345]

Samsung G95SC - OLED 5k monitor at 240hz with HDR and VRR and height adjustable stand at $1,435 on Amazon now and was $1,300 last week.

Neat, but not comparable to a display with a normal shape.

 

[hans1972]

What is the issue here? I honestly don't understand. It is not as if the Mac mini or Mac Studio has an enormous footprint. If the Mac Pro were the only option, I get it. That thing is huge. But I'm trying to think of anyone who:
1. Needs more power than M3...AND...
2. Needs more screen real estate than the 24 inch...BUT...
3. Doesn't have the room for the Mac Studio...AND
4. Won't need to upgrade the processor/RAM/SSD before the monitor...AND...
5. Won't have the desire for the versatility and mobility of a MacBook Pro (even as a second screen).

It seems like a really small segment.

You're forgetting about WAF = Wife Acceptance Factor when you want the iMac in a living room, kitchen or open area where normal humans roam.

Also an iMac only requires one cable.

 

[fathergll]

Neat, but not comparable to a display with a normal shape.

As an owner of two 49" Ultra wides stacked on top of each other I agree. I'll never go back to a single 27" display(I also have a 5k iMac for reference)

 

[hans1972]

I really don’t get all this love towards all in ones. I actually despise them greatly. Having your monitor and computer paired is horrible. I like having my choice of both computer and what monitor and multiple monitors I want. And especially I need all my monitors to match.

Just one cable and they look nice.

Both very important when you want to use them in living rooms, kitchens and other areas where wives and girlfriends roam.

 

[deconstruct60]

I have a friend who is still sitting on his 2024 27” iMac dying for an upgrade. I honestly don’t get it and never have.

My advice to him is the same as Apple’s: get a Mac Mini. (The guy actually owns an LG 5K Ultrafine as it is.) I actually wish they’d drop the internal power supply on the Mac Mini and let it power up over USB-C. Do that and for those who are psychologically minimalist, they could mount the thing the thing to the rear of a monitor.

While there are substantially more 3rd party USB-C monitors that delivery power , it is still pretty far from being the norm. There is also a rather substantial population of folks who mount these on racks in data centers. There is no monitor they are being hooked to. Combined those two sets of users are pretty big inertia to keep things the way they are. ( default mode for Apple's monitors isn't for this either. ) .

I never understood iMacs for power users. I upgrade my laptop every 2-4 years. I upgrade my monitor like every 6-8. That lines up really poorly with an iMac.

Apple herded mid-higher end desktop users into the iMac because the Mini was mainly regulated to 'mobile' class CPUs and no dGPU at all. If folks wanted a desktop i7 like performance and a non-iGPU performance they were 'pushed' into buying the iMac because there really wasn't another option in the sub $3K price range.

Now that there is a decent GPU in the Mini-Studio and the CPU performance is more than good , the need to herd people isn't as high.

At one point Apple needed the volume to force the 5K panel into economies of scale. At this point though, the mainstream display market may latch onto and keep the 5K going by themselves. Apple doesn't need to coerce the scale. ( and there are other options for users if they don't).

 

[coolfactor]

A large-screen all-in-one for professionals has never been a good match. Not sure why any professional would opt for an iMac when the Mac mini and Studio offer greater flexibility and longevity.

 

[Bobby Smallwood]

You're forgetting about WAF = Wife Acceptance Factor when you want the iMac in a living room, kitchen or open area where normal humans roam.

Also an iMac only requires one cable.

And if that the use case, the 24" is a better option for the wife. I think this is the reason why Apple would not waste time with anything bigger than 24"

 

[ProfessionalFan]

Samsung G95SC - OLED 5k monitor at 240hz with HDR and VRR and height adjustable stand at $1,435 on Amazon now and was $1,300 last week.

That's a 1440p monitor. It isn't the same as a 5k monitor, you know that right?

 

[bsbeamer]

Too bad the 2019 Intel 27" could not be booted into a Target Display OS to work with AS Studio. Likely would have made the transition already if it could function as a monitor. Cannot justify tossing this perfectly fine 5K display just to change to an AS machine at this time.

 

[TechAndOSWorld]

I don't see people who'd normally buy a 27" iMac opting for a Studio Display. back in the day, some people used to buy top trim 27" iMacs, because there was nothing better for their workload. but now, even the M1 mini is still good enough. I now see the iMac as a hassle-free all-in-one for people who just want a computer, and don't want to mess with it much (like my mom). those people now can't get a larger screen even if they want to. they'll buy a Mac mini and a generic monitor at most imo.

 

[anakin44011]

I diagree; I have a single 4k 27" at home and I feel like it's too big...too tall, anyway. I don't like the screen to be much higher than eye level.

At work, I have dual 24" monitors and like it much better.

Which begs the question - why doesn't Apple offer a "brainless" 24" iMac-sized monitor to match their existing iMac for those who want two monitors? Probably not in all colors, but it would make an attractive set-up.

Too bad the 2019 Intel 27" could not be booted into a Target Display OS to work with AS Studio. Likely would have made the transition already if it could function as a monitor. Cannot justify tossing this perfectly fine 5K display just to change to an AS machine at this time.

Agreed. I thought by now someone would figure out how to buy those used on eBay and put them in a nice enclosure to resell.

 

[fathergll]

That's a 1440p monitor. It isn't the same as a 5k monitor, you know that right?

1440 is the vertical resolution.
5K resolution refers to display formats with a horizontal resolution of around 5,000 pixels.
5120 × 1440 = 5K

 

[ProfessionalFan]

1440 is the vertical resolution.
5K resolution refers to display formats with a horizontal resolution of around 5,000 pixels.
5120 × 1440 = 5K

The display you linked to is not a 5k monitor. It is a 1440p monitor.

The same way the Alienware OLED AW3423DWF monitor is not a 4k monitor though I guess you'd call it one or a 3.5 monitor or something. It is also a 1440p monitor though.

If you think the display you linked to is on par with sharpness compared to the Studio Display (an actual 5k monitor), it is a waste of time even discussing this with you.

FYI 5K is a display resolution measuring 5120 x 2880 pixels. That's what the Studio Display is. That is not what your linked display is.

Making something bold does not make it accurate. But I guess I can do it for you.

5K resolution is a display resolution measuring 5120 x 2880 pixels.

 

[Souponastick270]

makes sense, current design does not allow any other chip except base M*, and why would anyone buy a 27 iMac to use base M*

so until pro and max are fanless, i don't see any other iMac happening

But the M1 iMacs have fans already, why would they need to be fanless before getting higher end chips ?

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

A disgrace. Tim must resign.

 

[acrakes]

When you look at what Apple has been doing lately, it's aggressive segmentation everywhere. You can say a Studio Display and Mac Studio is more expensive, and Apple is fine with that, because they know consumers who care about that level of performance will buy it anyway.

In other words, get over it.

I would've bought a 27+" iMac by now. Mac Mini and a 5k display

Yeah the system they have now is better imo (studio display plus a desktop). It's a lot less wasteful, and I can tell you that collectors don't really like/care for iMacs outside of the color plastic gumdrops and the iMac G4. Everything after that just becomes uncollectible e-waste.

surprising, though, because the AIO is part of the brand aesthetic. Simple, elegant, minimalist, whatever. A separate box for the computer means more cables to run and manage, larger footprint. It’s regressive.

but how many of us grumbling 27 iMac users are out there?

 

[Originalblez]

I guess a studio display and mini pro will have to do then…for peeps who need more power and screen.

I’ve enjoyed a MBP M1 Pro and a Studio Display. I dock most of the time but can grab the laptop when I need to use it away from my desk.

The only thing that might make me reconsider would be a newer thunderbolt connection with promotion and mini led.