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iMac redesign? [Merged]

SashaDanielle

SashaDanielle

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 13, 2019
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I’m thinking of buying a new iMac next month. My business has been doing well, and Apple has leasing and financing options for business owners that I’m thinking about taking advantage of. I’m wondering, though, what the likelihood of a redesign is.

My business is book editing. A heavy edit can be more resource heavy than most people realize, but my needs are nevertheless certainly met by the current iMac, so I’m not really worried about future proofing or any of that. I would just hate to invest a bunch of coin into an expensive machine and then find out Apple will be getting rid of the bezels or something next month.

Any thoughts on when the iMac is getting redesigned? It’s seems due, no?
 
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SashaDanielle said:
Any thoughts on when the iMac is getting redesigned?
Click to expand...
No one here knows for sure, and if there was a forum member that knew, I doubt they would tell.

As for rumors, there hasn't really been any redesign rumors that I remember.

A basic rule of thumb is, if you need a new iMac, then get a new iMac.
If you can wait, then wait.

SashaDanielle said:
It’s seems due, no?
Click to expand...

If going by past redesigns, then the iMac is really overdue for a redesign by a few years.

This is just speculation on my part, and I have little proof to this, but I think the iMac Pro, at least when it comes to much of the internal design, was suppose to be the iMac redesign. Maybe not the Xeon processors, but the thermal displacement design, something that was lacking in the existing iMac, and still lacking.

With the failure of the 2013 Mac Pro and issues with the 2016 MBP, there was a "Pro" backlash against Apple, and in response, Apple announced with the iMac Pro and what ended up being the 2019 Mac Pro.

It was very uncharacteristic of Apple to pre-announce releases.


People often speculate on the next iMac Pro release, and I have a feeling that the iMac Pro was an one-time release. I think that the next iMac will inherit much of the iMac Pro design, and Apple will discontinue the iMac Pro.

But, when will this be? I have no idea, but considering that the 2019 iMac is relatively new, I think that it might be October 2020-spring 2021 when the next iMac will be released.

This is just a guess on my part.
 
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vertical smile said:
No one here knows for sure, and if there was a forum member that knew, I doubt they would tell.

As for rumors, there hasn't really been any redesign rumors that I remember.

A basic rule of thumb is, if you need a new iMac, then get a new iMac.
If you can wait, then wait.



If going by past redesigns, then the iMac is really overdue for a redesign by a few years.

This is just speculation on my part, and I have little proof to this, but I think the iMac Pro, at least when it comes to much of the internal design, was suppose to be the iMac redesign. Maybe not the Xeon processors, but the thermal displacement design, something that was lacking in the existing iMac, and still lacking.

With the failure of the 2013 Mac Pro and issues with the 2016 MBP, there was a "Pro" backlash against Apple, and in response, Apple announced with the iMac Pro and what ended up being the 2019 Mac Pro.

It was very uncharacteristic of Apple to pre-announce releases.


People often speculate on the next iMac Pro release, and I have a feeling that the iMac Pro was an one-time release. I think that the next iMac will inherit much of the iMac Pro design, and Apple will discontinue the iMac Pro.

But, when will this be? I have no idea, but considering that the 2019 iMac is relatively new, I think that it might be October 2020-spring 2021 when the next iMac will be released.

This is just a guess on my part.
Click to expand...

That's a very good theory. It's certainly possible that the iMac Pro design was slated to be the new iMac until it became evident that Pro customers had to be immediately mollified. If so, it's very possible that the iMac and iMac Pro are consolidated into a single device at some point. However, that ideally would happen if and when Apple makes mainstream and affordable displays available.
 
casperes1996 said:
I'm thinking we'll only get a spec bump this year actually. But I would expect a redesign with Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 4, USB 4 in 2020 or maybe 2021
Click to expand...

Yes, the spec bump we got 5 months ago.

A redesign for the next generation seems likely, but I agree that it won't happen until next year at the earliest.
 
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The iMac redesign is due, but that isn't happening until at least 2020 or 2021. iMacs have been on a two year upgrade cycle since 2015 and we just got a spec bump in March. The iMac, iMac Pro, and Mac Pro all have the potential to eat into each other's sales so Apple has to make sure these aren't released within the same timeframes. If Apple continues the iMac Pro, my guess is that will be released in 2020 and a regular iMac after that in 2021.

If you need an iMac, now is the time to buy it.
 
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CE3 said:
Yes, the spec bump we got 5 months ago.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be surprised with yet another spec bump this year actually. Last one didn't really touch GPU, AMD is getting ready with a broader Navi rollout and Intel 10th gen is almost ready, so there is hardware potential.
 
SOS. (Same Old…Story)

Apple hasn't deigned to update the iMac design for seven years, and that's being generous. The "Al screen" form factor dates back to 2007.

So, while it may not being going out on a limb to say that there will be a major redesign at some point, it's hard to say when. And, Apple's desktop engineers may be tired out after ignoring the Mac Pro for so long, and then engaging in a fire drill to design the 2019 Pro, which essentially brings back the Cheese Grater model for current times. Changing the color of the mini, and putting new internals into the same case probably added to the back-breaking workload. (Only partly sarcastic here)

In the interim, and more immediate term, Apple could produce another spec bump, but to what? Intel doesn't have anything suitable new to offer, and their roadmap doesn't point to anything until 2020, at least.

The 2019 iMacs cover both Intel's 8th and 9th Gen processors, and the base- and mid- models with the 8xxx processors are the six-core iMacs that many were expecting Apple to release, last year. Those who need more GPU power can opt for the Vega, or eGPU, so Apple believes it has you covered in that area.

Even if Intel were to spring a surprise and come up with something new right now, Apple hasn't exactly been riding the leading edge in adopting the latest and greatest for its desktops, so that still points to 2020.

There will always be something newer and better (well, maybe not these days) to come along. If you want or need to update, now, then now is the time. The 2019s are still fine machines, proven quantities (hello, T2!), and I've got one on the way myself.
 
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You can save some money buying a refurb. Got $500 off the 8-core i9, Vega 48, 1TB by buying directly from Apple’s refurb site, and paired it with an eGPU and a 2TB NVMe SSD over USB C.

Sadly, this was before the Apple Card arrived - could’ve saved another 3% ($100ish).
 
Posts like the OP's appear about once-a-month here at macrumors.

Always, the same mime:
When will the iMac be redesigned?

And... it doesn't happen.

Really... how much "more" is there to "re-design"?
The stand?
The back?
How can one re-design a display panel?
Make it "thinner"?
Why?
 
Fishrrman said:
Really... how much "more" is there to "re-design"?
The stand?
The back?
How can one re-design a display panel?
Make it "thinner"?
Why?
Click to expand...

I don't know... minor things like a new, bigger monitor, T2 for security and encoding, and other boring things. But you are right, after the C64 nothing happened in IT, why change? And why ask things about iMac in an iMac related forum? No one knows.
 
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Square re-design for better cooling and upgradability of the RAM and SSD

XDR Design (again for quieter, better cooling), make the entire thing a quiet heat sink with two, low power fans

Display improvements

Improved number of Thunderbolt 3 ports
 
At work, we bought a Mac Mini just three months before Apple finally, after years of waiting, updated them last. We had to. We could maybe squeak out another month or two, but at that time, it was the same story it had always been – the Mac Mini refresh was coming "soon." I've found that, for business, it's different. You purchase things when you need them (or, in our case, when you can get the money) regardless of if or when something new will come out. And in the OP's case, they seem worried about cosmetic changes mostly. Cosmetic changes won't earn you any more money. Buy the iMac if you need it now.
 
Fishrrman said:
Posts like the OP's appear about once-a-month here at macrumors.

Always, the same mime:
When will the iMac be redesigned?

And... it doesn't happen.

Really... how much "more" is there to "re-design"?
The stand?
The back?
How can one re-design a display panel?
Make it "thinner"?
Why?
Click to expand...
Yep. It's the same old story.
nihil0 said:
Wait until October and you will see ;)
Click to expand...
Nothing
CE3 said:
Yes, the spec bump we got 5 months ago.
Click to expand...
Yep, that. Also that July 5 price drop on BTO options for the Mini and iMac Pro gives us a clue.
tobefirst said:
it was the same story it had always been – the Mac Mini refresh was coming "soon."
Click to expand...
Oh come on, the 2018 Mini was a complete surprise except to the wishful thinkers around here. The prevailing rumors were that the Mini was dead, dead, dead. And when it was announced, no one expected that it would be the entry version of the iMac Pro and new Mac Pro — and that's exactly what it is.

But to your point, Apple plays close to the vest. We never know—unless it's the next iPhone, of course.

To the OP, if not in a hurry, might as well wait till October. If there will be any real changes, they will be announced in September along with the new iPhones, iOS 13 and Mac OS 10.15 Catalina.

Incremental bumps happen when they happen.

If you want to save some money, there are a 17 iMac Pro and 85 iMac models in the Refurb Store right now.
https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac
 
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mikehalloran said:
Oh come on, the 2018 Mini was a complete surprise except to the wishful thinkers around here. The prevailing rumors were that the Mini was dead, dead, dead. And when it was announced, no one expected that it would be the entry version of the iMac Pro and new Mac Pro — and that's exactly what it is.
Click to expand...
The vendor we buy our Macs from tried to dissuade us from purchasing the Mac Mini in late June, saying they were rumored for the fall (which, that time, turned out to be right). He even said he would take our money then (before the end of our fiscal year) and then purchase the new mini when it came out. We couldn’t wait for a Mac Mini we knew would come out, let alone one that that maaaaay be updated, like you said one everyone else had left for dead.
 
I’m betting the redesign comes next year. I’m holding out for it personally.
 
Well.. I don’t expect any iMac update this year. Maybe at 2020 WWDC if 10nm Intel chips arrive until then. Those double core count cpus in the current iMac make me jealous over my 2017 imac but simply i won’t update until Navi and 10nm Intel chips come together. A redesign will be appreciated but that Tim Crook simply dodges design affiliated expenses. We see this now in whole range of Apple products. Even iPhone..
 
Decided to buy iMac 27". However looking it at multiple forums and sites, pretty clear that current iMac design is dated and need an upgrade with less bezels, better SSD upgrades, 6k or 8k display etc.

Not that the current model and design is bad, but one would prefer to have the latest model when spending $$$$.

Rumours has it that an upgrade is long overdue and should be out soon.

Any thoughts or insights please?
 
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Something newer, faster, better will always be around the corner. If you want an iMac now get one now. Don’t let fear and regret guide your decision making.
 
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I recently replaced my 2014 5K with a 2019. It's a very solid, stable machine, even if the 2019 is only an incremental upgrade. As Chabig notes, something newer and better will always be on the horizon. If you need the iMac, it's still a very sound choice.
 
So we think Apple will change the iMac without first changing the iMac Pro? That could kill most of the lower models of iMac Pro. A 2019 iMac with the i9 8-core CPU already steps on the entry level iMac Pro for thousands less.

I will be surprised to see a new iMac design until we first see an iMac Pro redesign.
 
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