Will Apple Bring Back a Larger iMac? Here's What the Latest Rumors Say

[SnooChickens6278]

I think Apple kit releasing a large iMac is a good thing.

Once you get to larger monitors, the user expectation for it to last longer and operate independently from the computer, increases.

It’s also more sustainable. Throwing away a 32” monitor when the computer technically is working, or vice-versa, feels…perverse.

The only issue right now is the lack of an affordable Apple monitor, which means that users have to ditch the Apple aesthetics and features.
I would love to see a sub-$1000 monitor that is more in line with today’s competitor specs and radiates the Apple look and feel.
For their more expensive offering I would then demand - as a consumer - 120-144Hz refresh rate, excellent color reproduction and well backlit, and a Thunderbolt 4 dock integrated, plus a decent Web Cam.

>I would love to see a sub-$1000 monitor that is more in line with today’s competitor specs and radiates the Apple look and feel.

That’s already here. Samsung answered the call. They made a 5K 27” inch monitor that looks exactly like the studio display called the Viewfinity S9. It goes on sale all the time for half price. I have both the monitors right now (S9 and studio display) and it’s visually hard to see a difference. There you go. Now will you accept this recommendation or will you find some flaw with it? Because you’re not going to get a better recommendation than that. You literally said you wish there was a cheaper alternative that looks like the Apple studio display. And it’s been here since August 2023. You’re welcome. Now dont complain or look for flaws. It’s literally a plastic studio display that goes on sale all the time. I just bought it for 50% its MSRP from Best Buy. Case closed.

 

[Seoras]

You can use an old imac as a screen with a simple controller board and some light tinkering.
You can get an M4 Pro mini, and keep using your display.

Yes I know, that's why I said in my OP
"I'm going to re-cycle my iMac into just a display with some mods. I don't want to have to do that again."

As I said, I dont want to keep doing it.

 

[icanhazmac]

I prefer iMacs because it’s just one cable and one power button. The simplicity and elegance of that setup cannot be replicated with a traditional computer + monitor combo.

But event if i didn’t like them I wouldn’t want Apple to stop selling them.

To each their own, but is a mini and a monitor that different? One power cable to the mini, one cable from the mini to the monitor, one monitor power, OMG the horror, cable management is a thing! To my way of thinking the inherent waste of an AIO should be heavily considered versus "simplicity and elegance". How many iMacs do you think are in landfills because the CPU/SSD failed or is too slow but the beautiful 4k or 5k monitor was still perfect?

HumanCentric Mount Compatible with Mac Mini, Custom Mount Adapter for Wall, Rack, Under Desk, Behind Monitor, 75x75mm and 100x100mm VESA Patterns, Does Not Work with 2024 M4 Mac Mini

-

www.amazon.com

Edit: I did suggest that they could build in the functionality to let the monitor live on. I don't think that is hard, expensive or too much to ask.

 

[CWallace]

The 27" iMac was so popular because it was the "best" desktop Apple offered for a decade. The Mac Pro was too expensive (especially the 2019 model) and the Mac mini was generally too limited (either overall with the silver model or in terms of graphics power with the space grey model).

Apple Silicon offers a great deal more flexibility in terms of CPU and GPU performance (normal, PRO and MAX) in both desktop and portable form factors. It has also made laptops even more popular since they now offer "desktop power" and many people buy them even if they only occasionally use them in a portable role. So that increased the latent demand for an Apple standalone display that slots below the Pro Display XDR (especially in price) even more, which finally convinced management to pull the trigger and now we have the Apple Studio Display.

 

[SSDGUY]

I had a 5K iMac for years and it was the most trouble-free mac I've ever owned since the Quadra-freeze 700 in 1992. I'm now fine having a mac mini w/ separate display but I do miss the less-desk-clutter part. And I really wish apple would get with it and sell a 32" "retina" monitor for much less than the aging XDR. With modern thin panels and minimal bezels, a 27" almost looks like a 24" nowadays. 27" is the new 24".

 

[sza]

iMac is dead already. When you throw your iMac, you can’t keep iMac’s monitor. Just buy a Macmini with a monitor.

 

[jayb3]

Folks just need to get used to the idea of buying your own monitor for a a mini or studio. You can get much better monitors for less money than what Apple sells with the Studio Display.

And for crying outloud bring macOS out of the stone age and fix the scaling issue. Windows has been able to do this for over 10 years.

Can you point out a better & cheaper 27" 5K monitor for MacOS than the Studio Display? I would seriously like to know.

 

[HiVolt]

Can you point out a better & cheaper 27" 5K monitor for MacOS than the Studio Display? I would seriously like to know.

Samsung S9. it often goes for well under $1000 on sale.

Dell has a 5k too. customer of mine has it, looks great.

 

[pacalis]

I remember when you used to walk into some university's or startups and see rows of beautiful imacs.

Now it's a bunch of cables and macminis and studios and samsungs and dells all with the newest chips. Apple's desktop computing in the wild now has the design aesthetic of wintel.

There shouldn't even be a 24" imac. It's too small. Old people can't read it and kids are on MBAs. Tim should give up a few points of margin and only ship beautiful colorful 27"s.

{Written from my 2015 27" imac that I use more than my MBA and my puny 2024 24" imac).

 

[whitby]

1. Mains cable to the display.
2. Mains cable to the Mac
3. Video cable from Mac to display. Fork out for a Studio Display and that does half-decent sound, mic & webcam too.

Three wires! All tucked away behind the computer and display. Oh, the humanity!

Now, I prefer a wired keyboard and a proper Ethernet connection - but that was the same with an iMac, too.




...then you have the third group who wanted a powerful headless desktop Mac that let them choose their own displays, which Apple refused to make after 2013, so had no other choice than buy an iMac. The Mac Mini got knobbled in 2014 (and even the 2018 was held back by a joke of a GPU) and by 2015 it was clear that the trashcan was a dead end. The 2019 Mac Pro was priced way out of most people's range. Those are the people who have bitten Apple's hand off to buy Mac Studios and M2/M2 Pro Minis.

The 24" iMac is possibly a worthy successor to the original iMac (and certainly harks back to that design) - but that always lived alongside relatively affordable desktop towers. The concept of 27" iMac as the only midrange desktop Mac was an aberration that only lasted from about 2015-2020.

In a perfect world, Apple would make a Mac Studio and a large-screen iMac so people could choose - but Apple don't seem to get out of bed for anything that ships less than a million units per year. Of course, that's more understandable these days when the vast majority of customers want laptops and there's no longer much perfromance advantage to a desktop now they're all using the same range of processors.

I think a big part of the Studio/Mini + Studio Display "plan" is that the Studio Display can also be sold as the ultimate MacBook docking station (it certainly wasn't designed to be part of a multi-screen desktop setup or any "studio" doing audio work).

Won’t debate you on the wires (3 cables are still 3 times as many as 1) as you are quite correct, but there is an elegant simplicity in setting up an iMac. Plug it in, get out the mouse and keyboard and turn it on, done. That, for many people, is a nice solution.

And yes I have lots of peripherals plugged into my iMac (I too prefer wired mechanical keyboards and an Ethernet connection, along with a RAID Array and other specialized audio and hardware controllers.) I also agree we should have a choice And not be forced into one solution. So iMac, Mini and Studio are fine but for upper end computing power we only have the Studio (if you want the memory) which is inordinately expensive. I just think we should have a decently capable large screen iMac.

So where was I going with this. I think a reasonably priced large screen iMac with mid range performance would be nice to have. The Mini solution is currently under powered with too little memory and the Studio is too expensive for a non upgradable box. And the Studio Display is way overpriced for its function and size. Camera is meh and the sound is a waste of time. The old 27” iMac had a decent display and camera and upgradeable memory with mid level performance at a decent price.

 

[Felix01]

I have a friend who started with the original (2009?) 27-inch Intel-powered iMac that served him for several years, then got a kid through college and now belongs to twin granddaughters who just started middle school. And it’s still going strong despite being stuck on an OS which will never be updated. Maybe it’s still getting security updates, I don’t know.

 

[Chuckeee]

I think a reasonably priced large screen iMac with mid range performance would be nice to have.

So it is all about price.

It is not happening.

Apple is not interested in the business of “reasonable priced”. If [and that’s a HUGE If] Apple ever again provides a “large screen iMac with mid range performance” it will be at a premium price, I would guess starting above $4000 for a stripped down version. And I think, it would only be a limited production vanity project. Apple will not provide a bargain priced AIO with a discounted large display with a free computer board.

If Apple wanted to venture into the “reasonable priced” computer market. [Which they currently show NO interest in] It certainty would not be into the shrinking desktop segment of the market.

 

[Marx55]

Really amazing. All-in-one computers should be forbidden by law, because they are a significant environmental aggression. CPU may last seven years until Apple macOS stops supporting it (another thing that should not be allowed), but displays may lasts for more than 20 years. Soldered CPU, RAM or SSD should not be allowed, as well as proprietary connectors or blocking using the ones from other sellers. Easy access to such parts should be compulsory.

 

[Spongmincer]

I don't get the point to an iMac. It locks you into your computer and monitor as a set. A monitor with a Mac mini, or, as I do, a laptop makes more sense to me.

Near and tidy all in one solution that suits many people and lasts for years. Less clutter, fewer cables etc.

 

[svish]

Would love to see a non Pro larger iMac. Simply a larger version of the current 24" with the same bright colours but with a proper pink colour too. Hopefully the price will not be more than $1999 for the base version.

 

[zenotds]

I'm clinging to my 2019 iMac like it's holy water.. but in a few years I'll just switch to mini + non apple double display.
I admit that the existence of a 32" iMac would make me heavily rethink my roadmap tho. I've been using iMacs all my adult life and the AIO approach always worked great for me.

 

[eXan]

I've had many iMac models up until 2011 and I agree it used to be one of the better values for many. However, laptops now do a better job compared to what iMac used to do. They are all-in-one, plus the battery, plus the mobility, they are fiercely competitive, and they offer flexibility that modern day iMac cannot match. A laptop plus an external display (for when it's needed) is the best value for general computing right now.

 

[zombierunner]

I bought my 2015 imac back in 2015 for about 1700.

 

[MadCar]

Still rocking a last of line 2020 Intel iMac, still going strong and for mostly used for surfing does a great job. Got an M Mini for headless activities yeah it's super quick but that 27" 5k monitor is hard to let go considering the Studio display is the same as the entire iMac cost.

As many others have said the 27" studio is too small and too expensive to be a good option these days, if they shook that up and offered some more cost effective 27" and 32" versions I don't think anyone would car about getting separate Mini or Studio Macs to go with a nice display.

 

[MadCar]

Really amazing. All-in-one computers should be forbidden by law, because they are a significant environmental aggression. CPU may last seven years until Apple macOS stops supporting it (another thing that should not be allowed), but displays may lasts for more than 20 years. Soldered CPU, RAM or SSD should not be allowed, as well as proprietary connectors or blocking using the ones from other sellers. Easy access to such parts should be compulsory.

Yeah so stop all laptops, got it. MMmmm

As it happens my daughter is STILL using my old 2012 MacBook Pro even today, still quick, just a shame it can't get updates these days.

 

[ThomasJL]

What is the point of a large iMac? Why not just buy a Mac mini and a third-party 32-inch IPS monitor? That combination will likely be less expensive than a large iMac. Also, a large iMac will likely be smaller than 32 inches.

 

[JippaLippa]

I think Apple kit releasing a large iMac is a good thing.

Once you get to larger monitors, the user expectation for it to last longer and operate independently from the computer, increases.

It’s also more sustainable. Throwing away a 32” monitor when the computer technically is working, or vice-versa, feels…perverse.

The only issue right now is the lack of an affordable Apple monitor, which means that users have to ditch the Apple aesthetics and features.
I would love to see a sub-$1000 monitor that is more in line with today’s competitor specs and radiates the Apple look and feel.
For their more expensive offering I would then demand - as a consumer - 120-144Hz refresh rate, excellent color reproduction and well backlit, and a Thunderbolt 4 dock integrated, plus a decent Web Cam.

I'd 100% buy a cheaper apple studio display with no webcam, speakers and thunderbolt hub.

I tried the display, and the image quality for creative work was pretty good.
It had great colour coverage, without the downsides of OLED and mini-LED (I'm specifically talking about creative work, especially animation).

OLED is 1000 times better for content consumption, but risky with static interfaces, while the mini-LED dimming is not suitable for animation (my area of expertise).

I don't think the studio display was a bad product...just outrageously expensive.

The Pro Display XDR, on the other hand, is in desperate need of replacement...
500 dimming zones on a 32" display is very outdated at this point, especially for that price.

 

[wozwebs]

My late 2017 27" 3.8 GHz i5 iMac with 40GB of RAM was starting to struggle so I bought a 2TB external SSD to run MacOS on and in the main it's been fine. Mainly do Web Deign / Photoshop on it but the beachball is starting to come up a fair bit and I can't upgrade from Ventura now.

Options seem to be a Mac mini or Mac Studio paired with a new Apple Studio Display or another brand of monitor. Best to wait to see what the October refreshes bring. I do have a MacBook Air 13" M1 which is really handy when travelling so, as a test, I presume I can plug this into another monitor to see how I get on to start with?

With other unbranded monitors I guess I would need to purchase a webcam and speakers too? So used to this 5K Retina display that I would need one equally as good / sharp. Any recommendations?

 

[Stenik]

Folks just need to get used to the idea of buying your own monitor for a a mini or studio. You can get much better monitors for less money than what Apple sells with the Studio Display.

And for crying outloud bring macOS out of the stone age and fix the scaling issue. Windows has been able to do this for over 10 years.

No good monitors exist unfortunately
I need 32 inch 6K and the only option is Dell but it has a super ugly forehead.

 

[Smartuser]

I like how some people take a statement to the effect of "We're not going to make another 27" iMac and focusing on the 24" iMac" as 100% confirmation that another, much bigger size being in the works.

I only had iMacs because some components or features were limited to them and a Mac Pro was too expensive for my purposes.

Older iMacs had the option of being used as a display for other Macs.
Between 2014 and 2016, iMacs were the only way of getting a 5K Retina display.
Until the last 27" one, some CPUs and GPUs were only available in iMacs.

That's all gone now.

iMacs (particularly 27") were always stupidly unwieldy to transport, have serviced, and sell. The display always outlasted the usefulness of the rest.

The all-in-one reasoning of saving cables was always BS to me because I typically use 3-display setups. Right now, I'm using a Mac Studio with two studio displays and one LG Ultrafine 5K. One of the studio displays is in portrait, which a 27" iMac couldn't even do (unless you opted for VESA mounting at purchase maybe).