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Here we go again. Right when I am about to purchase a MacBook Pro another rumor for a larger iMac emerges. I guess I can wait just a little longer haha
 
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My old 2011 27" iMac w/ 2GB Graphics has always been the new Mac I enjoyed the most, the PowerBook G4 Ultimate will always have a special place in my heart though since that was my first brand new top dog purchase and it was a gorgeous beast. I'm looking forward to having an iMac again, 24" just wasn't enticing enough for me.
 


Apple is experimenting with larger iMacs, including a model with around a 32-inch display, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said these iMacs are still in early development, so he does not expect them to launch until late 2024 or at some point in 2025 at the earliest.

iMac-Pro-2022-27-and-24-iMac.jpg

Gurman previously said Apple was developing a larger iMac with over a 30-inch display, and he has now specified that the display will be around the same 32-inch size as Apple's high-end Pro Display XDR monitor. Released in December 2019, the Pro Display XDR has 6K resolution for Retina-quality content and starts at $4,999.

Apple discontinued the Intel-based 27-inch iMac and iMac Pro over the past few years, and has yet to launch a larger-screen iMac with an Apple silicon chip as a replacement. Instead, Apple offers the 27-inch Studio Display, which can be connected to the Mac Studio or another Mac with Apple silicon, but this is not an all-in-one solution like the iMac.

For now, the 24-inch iMac is the only all-in-one computer sold by Apple. The current model with the M1 chip was released in April 2021, and Gurman expects an updated model with a faster M3 chip to launch by early next year. All current Apple silicon chips are manufactured based on TSMC's 5nm process, while the M3 chip is expected to move to a 3nm process for significant performance and power efficiency improvements.

Article Link: Larger iMac With Around 32-Inch Display Reportedly in Early Testing
I think is what irritates me with Apple. It's a guessing game with their products. When you buy the 24 inch Imac. Surprise we've come out with a Mac Studio and a 27inch Studio Display. People who just bought the Mac Studio and the Studio Display. Surprise, now there's rumors Apple is possibly coming out with a 30inch Imac. This where they need to release a official statement on what they're coming out with. So, people don't buy this device. Then a year later they come out with a bigger display or what have you. I know the chips are going to be upgraded. To me, the M1 chip is plenty. I have a Macbook Pro that has the M1 Pro chip. It's more then enough. I was going to buy the 24inch Imac. But now there is suppose to be the 24inch Imac with the M3 chip. I figure, I might as well wait until it's released. Now, surprise, they're working on a 30inch Imac. So, if the new 24inch somehow are released this fall. There is the possibility they might come out with the 30inch Imac later next year.
 
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With the Studio display and MacMini and Mac Studio models, I don't get the appeal of the iMac anymore. A bigger display isn't that enticing.
 
That's almost too big.
It was for me, I had a 32 and needed to move my head to see the edges. Also, the edges on a large screen at a short distances aren't great, that is why curved displays were created. I ended up pushing the display back on the desk and increasing the font size. Replaced it with a Studio 27" and it's back to a normal distance and font size. Much better.
 
What I want to know is, what takes 2 years testing? Testing what? It's an all-in-one computer, not a space rocket (which I think actually get built and flown faster than Apple can do with this iMac).

It just seems they could get this thing on the market, at the latest, by early 2024.
 
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32? now I'm listening

weird thing about Apple Silicon it reduces a lot the options and combinations, with Intel we got 2.345 options with so many processors and "so many" GPU (ahem...) but now there are 3 + 2 SOCs plus RAM and SSD options....
so comparing prices is quite simple, you now exactly that 6 PCI slots is worth 3500USD for Apple, so lets see how much is a 32" screen attached to a M3 Max or Ultra...

You couldn't do this maths with intel as the processors and GPUs where always different.
 
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I'm so tired of my iMac being marked obsolete by Apple and the screen working fine. I will never buy another iMac. No adjustable screen height. No ports on the front. No additions (memory, SSD). Needs dongles to work. I guess there is one positive, you don't need to know how to plug in a cable between the computer and display.

All the students the iMac was designed for have moved to the iPad. Lets just get rid of the iMac and make a decent Mac mini and separate display that are not hobbled and priced ridiculously high so that they do not cannibalize iMac sales.
 
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I'd love a 32" iMac that can be used as an external monitor again.
My 2009 iMac was the GOAT for Home Office, just a key to switch from iMac to work PC use.
 
I don't think I could go back to using a normal screen ration monitor after buying an ultra wide.
 
Coming in late and 220 replies behind, so forgive the re-stating of anything obvious:

  1. This display will have to be Retina because Apple only does Retina. That means 31.5" with a 6K (6016 by 3384) resolution.
  2. In addition to the 6K LG "IPS Black" panel used in the Dell U3224KB 6K display, BOE also has a 6K panel that Apple could use. Both are 60Hz full-backlit so they can do "HDR 600", but compared to the Pro Display XDR, they fall far short.
  3. I do not believe Apple will commission a "custom" 5.5K panel because that would likely cost more than using the existing LG and/or BOE panels.
  4. Speaking of the Pro Display XDR, LG does have a MiniLED ProMotion 7K panel in development and this is believed to be destined for the next Pro Display XDR refresh. As Gurman makes no mention of it being 7K or MiniLED, his sources are unlikely conflating the two and this is likely an iMac those sources are seeing.
  5. Apple runs engineering samples through the supply chain for products that never see the light of day and that could be the case here. Apple might be testing low-volume production to use in internal testing and development and this might not be a sign of LRIP (Low-Rate Initial Production) of a retail product.
  6. As for price, the Dell U3224KB has an MSRP of $3200, but it often goes on sale for $2400. Apple's first iMac 5K matched the sale price of the Dell 5K display so it is possible Apple could offer this 31.5" iMac with a binned M2 Pro, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for between $2499 and $2999.
 
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Apple is experimenting with larger iMacs, including a model with around a 32-inch display, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said these iMacs are still in early development, so he does not expect them to launch until late 2024 or at some point in 2025 at the earliest.

iMac-Pro-2022-27-and-24-iMac.jpg

Gurman previously said Apple was developing a larger iMac with over a 30-inch display, and he has now specified that the display will be around the same 32-inch size as Apple's high-end Pro Display XDR monitor. Released in December 2019, the Pro Display XDR has 6K resolution for Retina-quality content and starts at $4,999.

Apple discontinued the Intel-based 27-inch iMac and iMac Pro over the past few years, and has yet to launch a larger-screen iMac with an Apple silicon chip as a replacement. Instead, Apple offers the 27-inch Studio Display, which can be connected to the Mac Studio or another Mac with Apple silicon, but this is not an all-in-one solution like the iMac.

For now, the 24-inch iMac is the only all-in-one computer sold by Apple. The current model with the M1 chip was released in April 2021, and Gurman expects an updated model with a faster M3 chip to launch by early next year. All current Apple silicon chips are manufactured based on TSMC's 5nm process, while the M3 chip is expected to move to a 3nm process for significant performance and power efficiency improvements.

Article Link: Larger iMac With Around 32-Inch Display Reportedly in Early Testing
I noticed last year a ‘sleeper’ of a product in the Microsoft Surface brand. It was a desktop computer that was all display. A 28“ touch screen on a base that gave this tablet a drafting table posture. Not inexpensive. But an idea whose time has arrived. I noticed the Apple response and figure they will be racing there too.

 
If true, this debunks many peoples theory that the Mac Studio was supposed to replace the larger iMac.

Debunks 'Theory' ? Apple announced the Mac Studio and STOPPED selling the large screen iMac. How is that even remotely 'theoretical'? The even explicitly said that that there was only "one more Mac to go" with the transition. (but yeah the intel Mini was still hanging around). Apple was 'done' with the iMac.

The word you are perhaps looking for is 'denial' not 'theory'. That some 'large screen' iMac isn't coming until 4 years after the transition extremely likely means it was not part of the 2 year transition at all.




My theory was that Apple wants to replace the iMac Pro and put a ProMotion XDR display into a 32in iMac with an M1 Ultra chip. That’s hard to do and likely takes some good engineering to make that happen.

Again denial. That would not be all that hard to do at all if just take the iMac Pro chassis as a baseline and scale it up slightly ( taller pedestal for bigger aluminum 'half eggshell' to fit the XDR 32" panel ). The iMac Pro thermals handed 400W. If you put to incrementally bigger fans with bigger inlets and output vents in a bigger chassis, then that could straightforwardly get to 450-500W which is plenty for Mn Pro and Mn Ultra . The Mac Studio doesn't crack 300W

" ...
10 W295 W
..."

You put the SoC almost directly under the output vent and blow the hot air almost straight out of the chassis. That would work fine; not "hard engineering" to do at all.

If Apple tried to make the large screen iMac a gigantic " iPad on stick" like the 24" iMac that might be 'hard'. But if just use the thermal solutions they already have , it would not be a 'hard' project. That is not a 'engineering' problem , it is likely more so a 'thinness politburo' design problem ( if anything). Apple painting themselves into a corner; not the product being 'hard to do'.

[ This is similar to when some folks were yelping that a Mini Pro was 'hard' and that's why it took Apple so long to put a Mn Pro into a almost half empty case they already had. That wasn't some 'moon shot' engineering , hard task. Neither is this one if use some engineering common sense. ]

The XDR panel might be a bit more sensitive to heat bleed from the 'backside' of the logic board , but there is some common sense solution for that if square off the edges and add some vertical thermal venting (and small blowers ) through the central core. But biggest 'problem' there is the getting the design folks to sign off on 'non magical' chassis with vents nobody can see ( for a Ultra class SoC thermal issue). If the thinness folks win then probably can toss the Utlra variant aside ( they'll stuff a 'Max' into the bigger 'chin' of the 32" display laptop style. And physically keep the backside of the logic board completely away from the screen. )


The larger hurdle is likely 'who is going to buy it?'. If priced in the iMac Pro range the Mac Studio is till going to be the affordable option. The iMac Pro sold OK when it wasn't being squeezed from two sides. ( protected regular 27" iMac below and super stale MP 2013 'above' ). Now the Mini Pro is decent. The Mac Studio would be highly fratricidal and Mac Pro even more so. Apple probably needs to bring the price down so would likely want to wait until the XDR panel is even less expensive (i.e. older, mature. ). That is just going to take time.


Apple is smart and likely saw that this product wouldn’t be viable until late 2024 and so they created the Mac Studio and display as options for now.

Probably not. Apple was 'smart' in that when they could see that the Mini ( regular and "Mini Pro") were not going to be kneecapped and crippled in the M-series era , they realized they could have as effectively herd a larger number of buyers into the iMac option. It was going to get smaller. Likewise when the laptops were 'just as fast' as the iMac... folks not adverse to an 'all in one'... well the MBA/MBP are even more 'all-in-one'. ( might be a relatively very small corner case where stuff a Mn Ultra into an iMac but a plain Mn , Mn Pro , Mn Max .... there isn't going to be a huge computational gap 'feature' to push for the large screen iMac. )

That is why the 24" iMac has lane comatose for 2+ years now. The iMac is not the strategic desktop product it was 10 years ago. It isn't the dominate force at all in desktop.

There is also lots of dynamic change happening in the 2020-2024 era with display technology trends. Apple squatting on the 5K screen for 6+ years by 2020. Now there are mini/microLEDs. New OLED (that might work for desktop well without burn in issues), etc. Same with resolutions and refresh frequencies ( some folks 'boo' 60Hz now). In 2020, there wasn't a screen tech that Apple could 'bet the farm' on for the next 6+ years for an iMac.


I don't think it is 'viability' as much as convenience. Apple likes riding large LCD panels into the ground for 6+ years. ( ACD 30" , the 27" Thunderbolt display, etc). The XDR's competitors are likely going to force Apple to update the XDR before they would want to ( 4-5 years). 'Dumping' the panels into a large screen iMac 'hobby' product could let them ride that production out another 2-3 more years. Apple needs a 'hand me down' location for the XDR panels as one of the primary product drivers.


I think the success of the studio means I may stay on as a new product but my theory was that the studio was not a permanent replacement for the larger iMac and iMac Pro.

"may stay". Chuckle. Again denial. In the broader PC market there is no doubt that non-all-in-ones have long term viability. Epsecially, when folks talk even more about 'green' usage where don't churn displays every 3-5 years. And the rise of 'right to repair'. Apple's glued , no doors , magically seamless iMacs are not really repair friendly.

Apple's move to the M-series where they invent their own SoC is only an even bigger push to make the laptops the most dominate 'all-in-one' product they sell than every before. mobile with large screen docking station displays is where Apple is strategically going. "one cable" USB-C displays are taking off not just in the Mac market, but in the general PC market also. That is where the 'puck is going'.

The iMac is a 'side project' now.
 
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Apple's move to the M-series where they invent their own SoC is only an even bigger push to make the laptops the most dominate 'all-in-one' product they sell than every before. mobile with large screen docking station displays is where Apple is strategically going. "one cable" USB-C displays are taking off not just in the Mac market, but in the general PC market also. That is where the 'puck is going'.
Ever since covid and the parts shortages, along with constrained shipping it appears Apple thinks about larger packages as a negative. So the large boxes that the 27” iMac used were not as valuable as many smaller boxes that other more profitable devices that Apple needed to store/ship. That’s more their thinking then large all-in-one have fallen from grace. So the more valuable a product and the less warehouse space is involved seems their current priorities. ;)
 
As for price, the Dell U3224KB has an MSRP of $3200, but it often goes on sale for $2400. Apple's first iMac 5K matched the sale price of the Dell 5K display so it is possible Apple could offer this 31.5" iMac with a binned M2 Pro, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for between $2499 and $2999.

Probably not. Dell's 5K price sagged a much larger percentage after the volume kicked in ( into the $1,500 range , -38% range).

" With Dell listing its display at $2500, it is clear pricing remains a challenge for Apple's ambitions to launch Retina iMacs and standalone displays. Standalone displays may stand a better chance, as Apple has historically been willing to develop expensive large-screen displays priced in the thousands of dollars for its pro-level customers. An iMac almost certainly priced well north of $3000 could be a difficult proposition, ... "
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/09/05/dell-5k-display/

And Apple drove lots more volume into 5K panel buys than they will be able to now ( the Mini isn't crippled. Neither are the laptops). Apple likely did at least one (if not two) orders of magnitude more 5K panels shipped than Dell ever did. That probably isn't going to happen this time as they won't be able to herd as many users into buying an iMac when they don't want one. If it is relatively low volume panel Apple needs .... they already have a 32" options that perfectly matches up with the resolutions density they want to support. I doubt Apple is going to chase IPS black as a very long term solution at all.


If Apple was trying to keep the 'old' $1,799 entry price point then they would be trying to stuff the 27" IPS Black panel into an iMac, not the 32" version. At 2,799-2,999 they would have left the bulk of the old < $1,999 buyers behind. It isn't going to be the same unit volume in panels ( and iMacs ). if the very high volumes are there , then they probably won't be able to wrangle much lower panel prices out of the suppliers to present the illusion that they are adding in the computer "for free".

The 24" iMac isn't a dominating high volume product. (otherwise Apple would not be letting it lay comtose for 2+ years.). The large screen iMac is going to to run into a very similar buzzsaw of fratricide problems with the rest of the Mac line up ( desktop and laptops.). Apple probably isn't going to throw in the computer parts "for free". ( just look at Studio Display were the A13 and SSD there is keeping the costs high and not even a M-series large SoC. That A13 is't being tossed in 'free'. )
 
And so you think there will be no new Macs in this 2023?
We've already had new Macs in 2023.

The 24" iMac isn't a dominating high volume product. (otherwise Apple would not be letting it lay comtose for 2+ years.). The large screen iMac is going to to run into a very similar buzzsaw of fratricide problems with the rest of the Mac line up ( desktop and laptops.). Apple probably isn't going to throw in the computer parts "for free". ( just look at Studio Display were the A13 and SSD there is keeping the costs high and not even a M-series large SoC. That A13 is't being tossed in 'free'. )
I'd like to see the stats on that, but what I've seen is that the iMac vastly outsells both the Mac mini and the Mac Studio.


most-popular-mac-cirp-report-1.jpg
 
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With how Apple randomly and arbitrarily drops support for hardware now, I wouldn't even consider an iMac. Seperate components only.
 
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