T2 in the new iMacs?

[viktor121]

Hey,

I know there’s hundreds of threads about purchasing an iMac, but what are your thoughts on the T2?

My thinking is the next iMac will have a T2/T3 possibly with the same issues as the current model..

Also the ram may be upgradable but not by the user like the Mac mini?

What do you guys think is the likelyhood of this happening on the next refresh and this taken into account would it sway you to purchase one of the current models?

 

[BigBoy2018]

Hey,
I know there’s hundreds of threads about purchasing an iMac, but what are your thoughts on the T2?

My thinking is the next iMac will have a T2/T3 possibly with the same issues as the current model..

Also the ram may be upgradable but not by the user like the Mac mini?

What do you guys think is the likelyhood of this happening on the next refresh and this taken into account would it sway you to purchase one of the current models?

All signs point to yes, there will be a ‘T’ chip in the next iMacs. That said, theres no harm in waiting since there will still be plenty of 2017 models (either new or refurbished) available for purchase once the next iMac is announced.
As people who have read my other posts know, I personally hate all the ‘T’ chips and feel its a way for Apple to lock out any option for internal storage upgrades, which to me is still an important option to have.
Will the T3 have problems? Who knows. But the bottom line is that with every new chip, every new complexity you add, thats another element that could have a flaw and bring the whole system down.

 

[xgman]

I have a November imac pro and T2 (even with secure boot functions turned off) has caused multiple startup bridge os panics that Apple tech supoort can't seem to pin down. This has been an issue all year in T2 macs incl recent macbooks, or at least for many owners. Apparently still has not been fixed. So I'm not optimistic the new regular imacs will be any better.

 

[BigBoy2018]

I have a November imac pro and T2 (even with secure boot functions turned off) has caused multiple startup bridge os panics that Apple tech supoort can't seem to pin down. This has been an issue all year in T2 macs incl recent macbooks, or at least for many owners. Apparently still has not been fixed. So I'm not optimistic the new regular imacs will be any better.

Heres a pipe dream: What if Apple made the T2 a BTO option? That way all those who think they need that supposed ‘extra security’ could add it, and those of us who never asked for or wanted some ******** extra chip watching over our macs could go without it!

 

[Fishrrman]

If you want an iMac WITHOUT the t2, buy a 2017 model.
Otherwise, be ready to live with it.

 

[CWallace]

I am positive the next iMac will have the T2 chip performing the same functionality it does on the other Macs equipped with it.

If Apple keeps the existing 27" case design, then memory will be as easy to replace as it is now. If they make a change, then that might change depending on what they do (if they, say, adopt the iMac Pro's cooling system, for example, then I would expect the memory to be as convoluted to replace as it is on the iMac Pro).

 

[Tigerman82]

If you want an iMac WITHOUT the t2, buy a 2017 model.
Otherwise, be ready to live with it.

I'm currently on the waiting list for the next iMac as my current desktop, Mid-2010 iMac isn't cutting it in terms of screen estate for multitasking and wireless connectivity. I thought about the 2017 iMac, especially since I've read about the T2 chip and the kernel panics related to it. The thing is that it looks like the next iMac will finally have SSD drives as standard AND, if you look at the MacBook Pro line, 16 gigs of RAM in the higher-end models as standard. I know a lot you seem to have unlimited funds but those Apple BTO prices are just too rich for my blood. So while I'd love an iMac without the T2 chip, I don't want to pay for older components plus the BTO prices to get at least an SSD drive which I'd have to do if I got the 2017 model. Some of you do buy refurbs but unfortunately they aren't on the table in the country where I'm currently residing (Finland).

 

[MandiMac]

Our best guess is that we should take a hard look at the existing iMac Pro and the Mac mini. All-SSD, T2 chip, but non-removable RAM. Why? Because it makes sense to make the chassis the same like the iMP regarding economies of scale. So when Apple says they‘re focusing on updates that are actually meaningful to the customers - so I guess we‘re not seeing the same ol‘ rebadge of an AMD RX card

 

[Peter_M]

An iMac with the same cooling as iMac Pro, using a powerful Vega Pro GPU (Nvidia would be even better, obviously), now that would be a great machine. The Xeon CPU and ECC RAM are needlessly inflating the price point, and are not needed for even most pro users today. Will Apple actually do the sensical thing, bringing the iMac forward with tech from the iMac Pro (with Tim Cook still at the helm)? Hmm, let's wait and see...

As far as the T2 chip goes, I haven't had any issues with it afaik. I used to have some random reboots, but they were fixed around late summer/early autumn (by macOS updates). These reboots only happened in macOS, never in Bootcamp.