Shipping Estimates for 27-Inch iMac Continue to Slip, Now Into September

[MacRumors]

Amid rumors and hints of a forthcoming update for the iMac, supplies of Apple's current 27-inch iMac continue to dwindle with mid- and high-end stock configurations now seeing shipping estimates pushed back into September.

The 27-inch iMac has seen tight supplies and extended shipping estimates for months now, but the situation has been gradually worsening to the point where new buyers can now expect to wait nearly two months to receive their machines.

Rumors of an imminent iMac update date back to March when reliable leaker CoinX indicated that one was coming "soon." A few weeks later, word of a new 23-inch iMac coming in the second half of the year surfaced, while Bloomberg's Mark Gurman noted that a "substantial" iMac refresh potentially including a redesign would be coming later in the year.

As WWDC approached, occasional leaker Sonny Dickson claimed that a redesigned iMac with "iPad Pro design language" would be arriving at the conference, but it failed to materialize, leaving considerable uncertainty about when we should expect an update to arrive.

MacRumors mockup of an ‌iMac in the style of an iPad Pro‌​

Lurking in the background is Apple's transition to Apple Silicon in its Mac lineup, as noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that a redesigned 24-inch iMac will be one of the first machines to make the move, and Apple announced that the first Apple Silicon-based Macs will be released before the end of the year.

Kuo also said that the current Intel-based iMac will get one more update in the third quarter of this year, which would be between now and the end of September, and we have in fact seen a recent Geekbench benchmark for an apparent unreleased iMac equipped with unreleased Intel Comet Lake-S and AMD graphics processors.

So when will we see the next iMac update? It's hard to say at this point. We've heard no specific rumors of an update coming in the very near future, but with Apple rumored to be releasing an Apple Silicon-based iMac before the end of the year, it would seem this last Intel version should come sooner rather than later. Even a refresh right now would leave a relatively short update cycle unless the Apple Silicon-based iMac coming at the end of the year is intended to be sold alongside Intel-based models during a transition period.

Article Link: Shipping Estimates for 27-Inch iMac Continue to Slip, Now Into September

 

[Dhock_Holiday]

I was hoping to see an ARM based iMac, don't see very many people rushing to buy if its Intel based. Especially now that people know the entire lineup is transitioning within 2 years.

 

[topgunn]

I've got three that are due to be delivered today that were ordered on June 8th. Fingers crossed that they arrive with a silently updated config with a i9-10910 and a Navi GPU.

 

[topmounter]

Anyone taking bets on if this will be a ARM or Intel based machine?

I certainly wouldn't bet on it being ARM unless Apple is willing to put the iMac line on hiatus until 2021. And if I had an Intel-based model on order, I most definitely would not be ok with Apple delaying shipment until an ARM-based iMac was available... especially considering Big Sur is no where near GA.

 

[Freida]

Not happening. Also, why not wait a little longer? Buying outdated tech for today's prices is not really the best, is it?

I've got three that are due to be delivered today that were ordered on June 8th. Fingers crossed that they arrive with a silently updated config with a i9-10910 and a Navi GPU.

 

[zombierunner]

The September event is going to be jam packed with hardware announcements. If they are going to showcase the new iMac on stage, it will almost certainly be the redesignEd iMac.

 

[Spock]

They released the first generation Intel iMac with the exact same design as the previous iMac G5, it’s not impossible that the new iMac design will be able to accommodate ARM and Intel.

 

[PatriotInvasion]

Here's what I see happening:

1.) Another update to the 27" iMac in it's current 2012-era design with 2009 bezels/front face ?
2.) A 23 or 24" all-new ARM-based iMac in the fall as a replacement for the 21.5" entry level and just powerful enough to entice prosumers that would typically opt-for a 27" iMac
3.) An ARM-based replacement for the 27" iMac in late-2021/mid 2022 that is 29-32" with the power to meet or more likely exceed historical Intel performance

Basically, anyone holding out hope for a redesigned 27" iMac should probably be prepared to wait yet another year or more. Hopefully the benefits of Apple Silicon in a desktop form factor will be worth the wait.

 

[G4DPII]

If the dates are slipping due to an Arm switch, Apple would have to tell customers. People would not be getting what they have placed an order for - illegal.

Will just be shipping issues dating back to the start of the Covid19 pandemic.

 

[Falhófnir]

The September event is going to be jam packed with hardware announcements. If they are going to showcase the new iMac on stage, it will almost certainly be the redesignEd iMac.

Probably will be a separate October Mac event if there's a lot to get through. I don't think Macs have ever been released during an iPhone event (only the occasional iPad or watch) as they unsurprisingly want their keystone product to be getting the lions share of attention.

 

[Alex Diaz]

Couldnot this also be due to the fact that a lot of retail employees are being sent home during store closirs and given iMacs to do Customer service?

 

[now i see it]

Taking JIT inventory to a whole new level

 

[satchmo]

Whether it's the current design or an entirely new one, the return to 24" size is long overdue.

 

[TwoH]

Can't wait for them to announce touch screen for it too.

 

[Rellypatricio]

Amid rumors and hints of a forthcoming update for the iMac, supplies of Apple's current 27-inch iMac continue to dwindle with mid- and high-end stock configurations now seeing shipping estimates pushed back into September.

The 27-inch iMac has seen tight supplies and extended shipping estimates for months now, but the situation has been gradually worsening to the point where new buyers can now expect to wait nearly two months to receive their machines.

Rumors of an imminent iMac update date back to March when reliable leaker CoinX indicated that one was coming "soon." A few weeks later, word of a new 23-inch iMac coming in the second half of the year surfaced, while Bloomberg's Mark Gurman noted that a "substantial" iMac refresh potentially including a redesign would be coming later in the year.

As WWDC approached, occasional leaker Sonny Dickson claimed that a redesigned iMac with "iPad Pro design language" would be arriving at the conference, but it failed to materialize, leaving considerable uncertainty about when we should expect an update to arrive.

MacRumors mockup of an ‌iMac in the style of an iPad Pro‌​

Lurking in the background is Apple's transition to Apple Silicon in its Mac lineup, as noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that a redesigned 24-inch iMac will be one of the first machines to make the move, and Apple announced that the first Apple Silicon-based Macs will be released before the end of the year.

Kuo also said that the current Intel-based iMac will get one more update in the third quarter of this year, which would be between now and the end of September, and we have in fact seen a recent Geekbench benchmark for an apparent unreleased iMac equipped with unreleased Intel Comet Lake-S and AMD graphics processors.

So when will we see the next iMac update? It's hard to say at this point. We've heard no specific rumors of an update coming in the very near future, but with Apple rumored to be releasing an Apple Silicon-based iMac before the end of the year, it would seem this last Intel version should come sooner rather than later. Even a refresh right now would leave a relatively short update cycle unless the Apple Silicon-based iMac coming at the end of the year is intended to be sold alongside Intel-based models during a transition period.

Article Link: Shipping Estimates for 27-Inch iMac Continue to Slip, Now Into September

patiently waiting JK not really just drop the new one I need one now so I can actually work lol I’m not trying to buy the current one if a new one is supposedly dropping lol hurry! ??

 

[Applebot1]

For me if you can hold out for Apple Silicon, I would. All depends on your needs today especially if it earns you money.

 

[dannys1]

Even a refresh right now would leave a relatively short update cycle unless the Apple Silicon-based iMac coming at the end of the year is intended to be sold alongside Intel-based models during a transition period.

Well duh, of course they are! The bottom line specs are being updated first. The ARM iMac will replace 21” iMac with the Intel refresh for the top end 27” and the entry level 8th gen Intel 13” MBP’s will be replaced with ARM leaving 10th gen Intel as the top end 13” MBPs for now.

 

[Spectrum]

I've got three that are due to be delivered today that were ordered on June 8th. Fingers crossed that they arrive with a silently updated config with a i9-10910 and a Navi GPU.

Whilst unlikely, that is far more probable than Apple swapping in Arm as others have suggested!
But I suspect it is just inventory problems.

 

[dannys1]

For me if you can hold out for Apple Silicon, I would. All depends on your needs today especially if it earns you money.

I wouldn’t it’s false economy. The higher spec you need the longer you’ll be waiting for the 1st gen ARM version. Even then it’d be better to wait for the refresh. You’ll be looking at 4 years until the top end ARM systems are as mature as the top end Intels by which point it’d be time to upgrade anyway no matter what architecture you’re using.
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I've got three that are due to be delivered today that were ordered on June 8th. Fingers crossed that they arrive with a silently updated config with a i9-10910 and a Navi GPU.

They won’t

 

[Azrael9]

Amid rumors and hints of a forthcoming update for the iMac, supplies of Apple's current 27-inch iMac continue to dwindle with mid- and high-end stock configurations now seeing shipping estimates pushed back into September.

The 27-inch iMac has seen tight supplies and extended shipping estimates for months now, but the situation has been gradually worsening to the point where new buyers can now expect to wait nearly two months to receive their machines.

Rumors of an imminent iMac update date back to March when reliable leaker CoinX indicated that one was coming "soon." A few weeks later, word of a new 23-inch iMac coming in the second half of the year surfaced, while Bloomberg's Mark Gurman noted that a "substantial" iMac refresh potentially including a redesign would be coming later in the year.

As WWDC approached, occasional leaker Sonny Dickson claimed that a redesigned iMac with "iPad Pro design language" would be arriving at the conference, but it failed to materialize, leaving considerable uncertainty about when we should expect an update to arrive.

MacRumors mockup of an ‌iMac in the style of an iPad Pro‌​

Lurking in the background is Apple's transition to Apple Silicon in its Mac lineup, as noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that a redesigned 24-inch iMac will be one of the first machines to make the move, and Apple announced that the first Apple Silicon-based Macs will be released before the end of the year.

Kuo also said that the current Intel-based iMac will get one more update in the third quarter of this year, which would be between now and the end of September, and we have in fact seen a recent Geekbench benchmark for an apparent unreleased iMac equipped with unreleased Intel Comet Lake-S and AMD graphics processors.

So when will we see the next iMac update? It's hard to say at this point. We've heard no specific rumors of an update coming in the very near future, but with Apple rumored to be releasing an Apple Silicon-based iMac before the end of the year, it would seem this last Intel version should come sooner rather than later. Even a refresh right now would leave a relatively short update cycle unless the Apple Silicon-based iMac coming at the end of the year is intended to be sold alongside Intel-based models during a transition period.

Article Link: Shipping Estimates for 27-Inch iMac Continue to Slip, Now Into September

It's intended to be sold alongside the AS iMac.

All the parts of the rumoured Intel iMac are nothing special. But the timing of a more heat efficient set of gpus? The RDNA1+ are September incoming? But if the Macbook got a custom gpu...what's stopping the iMac getting the same. ie. No hold up. Unless they want a BTO 6700'M' RDNA2 variant?

Which would coincide with Sep' RDNA2 launch and the other rumblings of a Sep' iMac launch. Which kinda of bumps into the iPhone 12?

Azrael.
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I wouldn’t it’s false economy. The higher spec you need the longer you’ll be waiting for the 1st gen ARM version. Even then it’d be better to wait for the refresh. You’ll be looking at 4 years until the top end ARM systems are as mature as the top end Intels by which point it’d be time to upgrade anyway no matter what architecture you’re using.

That's a fair point in terms of maturing of the 'AS' tech'. But I'd expect it to be better than we expect out the gate.

The A12z is Apple low balling. Even a A14 minus any AS customisation will be significantly better. The AS14 itself...tickles my furtive imagination...

That said. Still waiting for the 27 inch Intel iMacs.

Azrael.
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Well duh, of course they are! The bottom line specs are being updated first. The ARM iMac will replace 21” iMac with the Intel refresh for the top end 27” and the entry level 8th gen Intel 13” MBP’s will be replaced with ARM leaving 10th gen Intel as the top end 13” MBPs for now.

Yep. Pretty much.

Azrael.
[automerge]1594046675[/automerge]

Can't wait for them to announce touch screen for it too.

Yes....can't rule it out.

Azrael.
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Whether it's the current design or an entirely new one, the return to 24" size is long overdue.

I loved my 24 inch (!) iMac.

The return of the 24inch size is LONG overdue. Should never have been dropped. I thought they would make it the entry size. They didn't. Bah.

Azrael.
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Probably will be a separate October Mac event if there's a lot to get through. I don't think Macs have ever been released during an iPhone event (only the occasional iPad or watch) as they unsurprisingly want their keystone product to be getting the lions share of attention.

October...that's a long time to wait for the last intel iMac...

Azrael.

 

[CWallace]

Most BTO Macs have month-long delivery times as do iPad Pros which makes me wonder if Apple has been forced to switch from air shipping of bulk products to sea shipping as shipping from China by sea averages 30-40 days "door to door".

I believe the first Apple Silicon Mac will be the ~24" model that is said to look similar to an iPad Pro and I expect that to be released in October at a separate event for a few reasons:

1. Apple likes the September event to focus on the iPhone and (now) Apple Watch.
2. The first consumer AS Mac is a pretty major release so I do not believe it can be properly described in 15-20 minutes as a "One More Thing".
3. In addition to iPhone 12 and Apple Watch Series 6, we might also see a new Apple TV and a new Home Pod. That means the event is already pretty packed to then spend 30-45 minutes on an AS Mac.
4. Apple has often used October for Mac-focused events.
5. Consumer AS Macs require macOS 11 / Big Sur and macOS usually ships in October.

 

[Azrael9]

Here's what I see happening:

1.) Another update to the 27" iMac in it's current 2012-era design with 2009 bezels/front face ?
2.) A 23 or 24" all-new ARM-based iMac in the fall as a replacement for the 21.5" entry level and just powerful enough to entice prosumers that would typically opt-for a 27" iMac
3.) An ARM-based replacement for the 27" iMac in late-2021/mid 2022 that is 29-32" with the power to meet or more likely exceed historical Intel performance

Basically, anyone holding out hope for a redesigned 27" iMac should probably be prepared to wait yet another year or more. Hopefully the benefits of Apple Silicon in a desktop form factor will be worth the wait.

It seems like a fair overview.

As in 'likely.'

Azrael.
[automerge]1594047032[/automerge]

Most BTO Macs have month-long delivery times as do iPad Pros which makes me wonder if Apple has been forced to switch from air shipping of bulk products to sea shipping as shipping from China by sea averages 30-40 days "door to door".

I believe the first Apple Silicon Mac will be the ~24" model that is said to look similar to an iPad Pro and I expect that to be released in October at a separate event for a few reasons:

1. Apple likes the September event to focus on the iPhone and (now) Apple Watch.
2. The first consumer AS Mac is a pretty major release so I do not believe it can be properly described in 15-20 minutes as a "One More Thing".
3. In addition to iPhone 12 and Apple Watch Series 6, we might also see a new Apple TV and a new Home Pod. That means the event is already pretty packed to then spend 30-45 minutes on an AS Mac.
4. Apple has often used October for Mac-focused events.
5. Consumer AS Macs require macOS 11 / Big Sur and macOS usually ships in October.

Sound reasoning.

Point 5. Yes. True. That would give the AS Mac and the big Sur release synergy. October has been a sort of traditional iMac release time.

Azrael.

 

[jmgregory1]

I'm hoping for a Apple chip version to hit this fall or early 2021, so I can replace the aging early 2013 iMac. No way I would buy an Intel version at this point, even if my current iMac died, I would still wait for the Apple chip version to hit. I bought a G5 tower towards the end of it's life and although it ran fine for years afterwards, it then became the world's best looking paper weight.

 

[PutTheFBackIn]

Oh FFS. The last 6 months have been...

“ERMAGRRRRRD SHIPPING DATES SLIPPED NEW IMAC COMING”

“WWDC IMAC COMING”

“AAAAAAARMMMMMM IMAC RAWR”

::Insert inaccurate Jon Prosser tweet here::

“SHIPPING DATES SLIP AGAIN IMAC IMMINENT BUT DON’T BUY NEW ONE COMING LATER SO DONT UPDATE ARMMMMMM”

Ad nauseam.

So over it at this point. I’m probably just going to go Windows... Lol actually no. I’ll just complain, but then rejoice in excitement whenever Apple ends the cockblock of the century and releases a redesigned iMac.

 

[Azrael9]

Oh FFS. The last 6 months have been...

“ERMAGRRRRRD SHIPPING DATES SLIPPED NEW IMAC COMING”

“WWDC IMAC COMING”

“AAAAAAARMMMMMM IMAC RAWR”

::Insert inaccurate Jon Prosser tweet here::

“SHIPPING DATES SLIP AGAIN IMAC IMMINENT BUT DON’T BUY NEW ONE COMING LATER SO DONT UPDATE ARMMMMMM”

Ad nauseam.

So over it at this point. I’m probably just going to go Windows... Lol actually no. I’ll just complain, but then rejoice in excitement whenever Apple ends the cockblock of the century and releases a redesigned iMac.

I thought it was just me...

'ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!!!!'

'fOR THE LOVE OF GOD, aPPLE....'

'FOR FUSION'S SAKE GUYS....GUYS!!! GUYS!!!!'

'aRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR'

*(rocks back and forth...)

Azrael.