(UPDTD)New iMac with MicroLED to be released in 2019, is buying the current 2019 iMac pointless now?

[Benz63amg]

“Update: MacRumors has received Kuo's research note and it refers to a 31.6-inch monitor as we originally reported. DigiTimes incorrectly referred to this product as a 31.6-inch iMac. There is no mention of an iMac.”

Just read this article: https://www.macrumors.com/2019/04/09/apple-to-launch-mini-led-backlit-31-6-inch-imac/

Apple will switch to mini LED backlighting for a raft of hardware coming over the next three years including a 31.6-inch iMac to be launched in the second or third quarter of 2019, reports DigiTimesthis morning.

Apple will adopt mini LED backlighting for a 31.6-inch iMac to be launched in the second or third quarter of 2019, a 10- to 12-inch iPad to be unveiled in fourth-quarter 2020 or first-quarter 2021, and a 15- to 17-inch MacBook to be introduced in first-half 2021, according to a analyst Kuo Ming-chi at TF International Securities.Today's DigiTimes report cites comments made by well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo to local media, a machine translation of which we covered on Monday. That report, which carried a warning of possible mistranslation, referred to a 31.6-inch 6K standalone display, but DigiTimes refers multiple times to an iMac with the same dimensions.

The report goes on to note that Apple is settling on mini LED technology for its wide color gamut, high contrast ratio, high dynamic range and local dimming.
The backlight unit (BLU) to be used in the 31.6-inch iMac will be made of about 500 LED chips of 600 microns in size, with Japan-based Nichia to supply the LEDs, Kuo said.

Strictly speaking, this is a quasi-mini LED BLU because the chip size is much larger than those of standard mini LEDs, according to industry sources. However, the use of such a BLU will give opportunities for the supply chain to improve mini LED production in cost and yield rate, the sources noted.More than 10,000 mini LEDs will be needed for the "10- to 12-inch iPad," according to the report, and these LEDs will be made by Epistar. Meanwhile, LCD panels will come from LG Display and BLUs by Radiant Opto-Electronics, and all three companies will form parts of the supply chain for the mini LED-backlit MacBook.

———/

This makes absolutely no sense, why did Apple refresh the Current 2019 iMac that’s available in stores now if they had a redesigned one with MicroLED to be released later this year..

 

[Dave245]

I don't think it will happen this year, i think Digitimes have the dates wrong. I think it will be next year, Apple have already updated the iMac's this year so why would they do it again only months later?

Edit: i think Digitimes have got confused with the Apple pro display that's coming later this year, it's rumoured to be coming alongside the Mac Pro (which makes sense). Possibly the Mac Pro and new Apple display will be shown off at WWDC.

https://9to5mac.com/2019/04/09/kuo-mini-led-apple-display/

 

[dcpmark]

I don't think it will happen this year, i think Digitimes have the dates wrong. I think it will be next year, Apple have already updated the iMac's this year so why would they do it again only months later?

Edit: i think Digitimes have got confused with the Apple pro display that's coming later this year, it's rumoured to be coming alongside the Mac Pro (which makes sense). Possibly the Mac Pro and new Apple display will be shown off at WWDC.

https://9to5mac.com/2019/04/09/kuo-mini-led-apple-display/

They COULD release a single updated iMac Pro in the same size as the new 31.6” Mac Pro display, but if they did it would be closer to $6k and cost-prohibitive to 99% of iMac purchasers, as is the iMac Pro. So, no, the current iMac isn't pointless.

 

[gazwas]

Your title is a big over dramatic.... 2019 iMac pointless?

If Apple releases a 31.6inch iMac but with the same internals, why would the size of the monitor render all others useless??????

I'm hoping this is in reference to a new Apple display to sit along size the new Mac Pro later this year. I see more chance of this going into a new iMac Pro first rather than the standard iMac as the cost will be pretty high however, eventually the display tech will filter down to all.

I don't see any issue buying a new iMac in light of this news.

 

[Benz63amg]

Your title is a big over dramatic.... 2019 iMac pointless?

If Apple releases a 31.6inch iMac but with the same internals, why would the size of the monitor render all others useless??????

I'm hoping this is in reference to a new Apple display to sit along size the new Mac Pro later this year. I see more chance of this going into a new iMac Pro first rather than the standard iMac as the cost will be pretty high however, eventually the display tech will filter down to all.

I don't see any issue buying a new iMac in light of this news.

Same internals? The rumors are referencing a REDESIGNED iMac with brand new display technology, by pointless I mean that if there is such a superior new iMac in sight what’s the point of getting one of the currently released 2019 iMacs that have a dated design. I’m confused on what to make of that article that was posted this morning, perhaps it could be they are talking about a redesigned iMac Pro with that new display and the current iMacs will stay as is for another year. I literally just bought a 2019 27 inch iMac on Saturday

 

[dcpmark]

Just read this article: https://www.macrumors.com/2019/04/09/apple-to-launch-mini-led-backlit-31-6-inch-imac/

Apple will switch to mini LED backlighting for a raft of hardware coming over the next three years including a 31.6-inch iMac to be launched in the second or third quarter of 2019, reports DigiTimesthis morning.

Apple will adopt mini LED backlighting for a 31.6-inch iMac to be launched in the second or third quarter of 2019, a 10- to 12-inch iPad to be unveiled in fourth-quarter 2020 or first-quarter 2021, and a 15- to 17-inch MacBook to be introduced in first-half 2021, according to a analyst Kuo Ming-chi at TF International Securities.Today's DigiTimes report cites comments made by well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo to local media, a machine translation of which we covered on Monday. That report, which carried a warning of possible mistranslation, referred to a 31.6-inch 6K standalone display, but DigiTimes refers multiple times to an iMac with the same dimensions.

The report goes on to note that Apple is settling on mini LED technology for its wide color gamut, high contrast ratio, high dynamic range and local dimming.
The backlight unit (BLU) to be used in the 31.6-inch iMac will be made of about 500 LED chips of 600 microns in size, with Japan-based Nichia to supply the LEDs, Kuo said.

Strictly speaking, this is a quasi-mini LED BLU because the chip size is much larger than those of standard mini LEDs, according to industry sources. However, the use of such a BLU will give opportunities for the supply chain to improve mini LED production in cost and yield rate, the sources noted.More than 10,000 mini LEDs will be needed for the "10- to 12-inch iPad," according to the report, and these LEDs will be made by Epistar. Meanwhile, LCD panels will come from LG Display and BLUs by Radiant Opto-Electronics, and all three companies will form parts of the supply chain for the mini LED-backlit MacBook.

———/

This makes absolutely no sense, why did Apple refresh the Current 2019 iMac that’s available in stores now if they had a redesigned one with MicroLED to be released later this year..

By the way, did you actually read it?? Because the article says “mini LED”, and your thread title says “MicroLED”. In fact, it says “quasi-mini LED BLU”, which is not close to micro LED.

 

[Benz63amg]

By the way, did you actually read it?? Because the article says “mini LED”, and your thread title says “MicroLED”. In fact, it says “quasi-mini LED BLU”, which is not close to micro LED.

I read it, they translated the original report from Chinese To English so perhaps it did say MicroLED in Chinese but when translated to English they wrote it as “mini led”

 

[Sir Ruben]

Same internals? The rumors are referencing a REDESIGNED iMac with brand new display technology, by pointless I mean that if there is such a superior new iMac in sight what’s the point of getting one of the currently released 2019 iMacs that have a dated design. I’m confused on what to make of that article that was posted this morning, perhaps it could be they are talking about a redesigned iMac Pro with that new display and the current iMacs will stay as is for another year. I literally just bought a 2019 27 inch iMac on Saturday

How can a personal computer be pointless once an updated design comes out? A computer is a machine that is available in numerous spec and designed to last years. This is not a fashion accessory like the iPhone which people change frequently.

My 2019 iMac arrives tomorrow and will stay with me until it can no longer handle the tasks I throw at it or it breaks beyond repair.

That’s not to say that there are people out there who will get a redesign even if their existing iMac was working perfectly fine because, bling.

 

[trsblader]

Same internals? The rumors are referencing a REDESIGNED iMac with brand new display technology, by pointless I mean that if there is such a superior new iMac in sight what’s the point of getting one of the currently released 2019 iMacs that have a dated design. I’m confused on what to make of that article that was released, I literally just bought a 2019 27 inch iMac on Saturday

Plenty of reasons. The 31.6" will almost certainly come at an even higher price point, it may have BTO options that you don't need, heck it might even have standard options that are overkill, and not everyone wants the largest screen possible. Many people outside of the very small number of people here on Macrumors don't care about a "dated" design. The majority of people buy computers for reasons other than because they look pretty on their desk so I don't see how a design matters when talking about usefulness. Check the number of people on this forum simply adding an SSD to 2010 and 2011 iMacs and getting even more life out of them. I think the other guy was right, this hardly renders the 2019 "useless."

 

[Benz63amg]

Plenty of reasons. The 31.6" will almost certainly come at an even higher price point, it may have BTO options that you don't need, heck it might even have standard options that are overkill, and not everyone wants the largest screen possible. Many people outside of the very small number of people here on Macrumors don't care about a "dated" design. The majority of people buy computers for reasons other than because they look pretty on their desk so I don't see how a design matters when talking about usefulness. Check the number of people on this forum simply adding an SSD to 2010 and 2011 iMacs and getting even more life out of them. I think the other guy was right, this hardly renders the 2019 "useless."

It’s not only about the “design” aspect in terms of looks. It may have a better cooling system due to design changes in the build of the machine, SSD drives standard as opposed to fusion drives and other enhancements that will result in a better machine. The currently released 2019 iMac is a fantastic machine there’s no doubt about that but it’s exterior design has been used for several years now
[doublepost=1554814735][/doublepost]Hey guys macrumors just released a statement with an update to the original article saying “Update: MacRumors has received Kuo's research note and it refers to a 31.6-inch monitor as we originally reported. DigiTimes incorrectly referred to this product as a 31.6-inch iMac. There is no mention of an iMac.”

 

[dcpmark]

I read it, they translated the original report from Chinese To English so perhaps it did say MicroLED in Chinese but when translated to English they wrote it as “mini led”

So you’re saying “perhaps” it said MicroLED, that it was mis-translated, and that’s why YOU changed it from mini LED to a completely different technology??

 

[trsblader]

It’s not only about the “design” aspect in terms of looks. It may have a better cooling system due to design changes in the build of the machine, SSD drives standard as opposed to fusion drives and other enhancements that will result in a better machine. The currently released 2019 iMac is a fantastic machine there’s no doubt about that but it’s exterior design has been used for several years now

"Better" machine doesn't mean everything else is useless. Even if it comes standard with SSD (but at a $1,000+ premium compared to other non ssd models) wouldn't make those other models pointless. You yourself said it's a very capable machine, and people have done tests showing the cooling with the i9 is very good. It's the unfavorable opinion here, but most people who buy iMacs are not professionals and an ssd will not vastly change their life of youtube and facebook. This sub-category on the forum is the exception, not the rule. I simply can't see how a design change and better cooling can make the current iMacs useless.

Even though you say the design doesn't matter, your very last sentence discounts the entire machine simply because of its design. I almost wonder if this is more buyers remorse than anything. Possibly hoping the 2019's would be redesigned and a little bummed because they weren't. If you're unhappy with the 2019 design, return it within your 14-day period and wait to see what happens with this rumor. If it happens, cool, if it doesn't, you can repurchase your current machine possibly even at a discount.

 

[Benz63amg]

So you’re saying “perhaps” it said MicroLED, that it was mis-translated, and that’s why YOU changed it from mini LED to a completely different technology??

I know Apple was developing the MicroLED technology to be implemented in future Apple products so that is why I assumed that’s what they meant by mini led, regardles though the article was just updated by macrumors with an update saying their article was referring to an upcoming display and not an iMac

 

[JoSch]

If one would follow the thread of your argument, any older generation computer would be pointless.
My iMac 2017 just runs fine, being far from being pointless.

 

[gazwas]

Do you need the power of your new 2019 iMac now?

The only pointless would be if you purchased it unnecessarily......?

 

[Kfamily]

I stretched as far as I could to get a very maxed out 2019 27”, because I buy them every 8 years and want them to last. The last time I did this in 2011 it was redesigned the next year, had a Retina display a few years later. But my display was still beautiful and I was happy with my machine until it started slowing down and was unable to keep up with software I needed. (One trick is to use these forums to help make informed purchasing decisions and then stay off them, or at least as they pertain to new designs, until you actually need a new one.)

For me to afford that new screen, I’d surely have to sacrifice some performance and I wouldn’t want to anyway, as that’s what will keep me happy longer. There are already people complaining about iMacs being too expensive because the expensive screen is non-optional.

 

[Benz63amg]

If one would follow the thread of your argument, any older generation computer would be pointless.
My iMac 2017 just runs fine, being far from being pointless.

Wrong, My point was that it was pointless for people in the market for an iMac right now. Not for people that have a 2 year old iMac such as you which quite frankly this thread wasn’t aimed towards to.

The conversation is pretty much irrelevant now as macrumors revised the original article claiming that their source was incorrect and provided false info. The article was referring to a new upcoming display as opposed to an upcoming new iMac with an updated display

 

[dimme]

I love buying the first of anything! Can I be the first to use the term MicroLEDgate.

 

[JoSch]

Wrong, My point was that it was pointless for people in the market for an iMac right now. Not for people that have a 2 year old iMac such as you which quite frankly this thread wasn’t aimed towards to.

No, I'm not. That's why I wrote "follow the thread of your argument".

The conversation is pretty much irrelevant now as macrumors revised the original article claiming that their source was incorrect and provided false info. The article was referring to a new upcoming display as opposed to an upcoming new iMac with an updated display

What is not moot, is the hyperbole of your post title and that of similar posts.

 

[TETENAL]

The first few generations of a MicroLED-iMacs will probably have some of these LEDs burn out after a few years, and you will get dark spots on your screen. And because they will probably be incredibly hard to be repaired, you will have to throw away a otherwise perfectly fine computer worth a few thousand dollars, because a $2 LED burned out.

So I would say, no, the 2019 iMac is not pointless.

 

[Weaselboy]

Moderator Note:

Please continue the discussion in the news thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ech-in-future-macs-and-ipads-updated.2177189/