Will there ever be a new large iMac (Pro)?

[iFan]

Not sure why these people on twitter are involved in any discussion related to a specific launch date. They likely have zero inside information. Friends at Apple who work on these projects don't even tell me what they are working on until after it is shipped, and even then, with vague details. Too afraid to lose any stock options. Some of the people who worked on parts of this iMac don't even know the exact date it will launch.

Supply chain leaks usually get sold to analysts, or more recently, sold and posted by social media influencers to help grow their brand.

Even if you owned a factory that supplied Apple, you wouldn't know what day the product was going to launch (you'd have a general idea of 1-2 months probably.)

Those involved in logistics sometimes have a 1-2 day heads up, if the product is immediately shipping. Although, when I worked for Apple, unreleased products would be drop-shipped from China and excluded from the SAP shipping manifests, then re-added later. Yes, Apple goes to insane lengths.

Essentially, anyone who even has inside info either wouldn't want to lose their job $$$, doesn't know the launch date, or would try to actually profit from the info in some way. Gurman is an extreme outlier by building a network of sources as a teenager - brilliant skills there.

Regardless, I like speculating about unreleased products like the rest of you

 

[reclusive46]

Same, but it's also a terrible time to build a PC. The new AMD processors are about to come out and both the next generation of AMD and NVIDIA GPUs are on the way as well.

 

[iFan]

I'll add one more thing just in case people are interested in random Apple facts: some products have a much larger circle of people involved and more room for real leaks. Mainly the iPhone. After the iPhone 3G launch debacle, Apple started to give advanced access to products and specific launch dates to AT&T (and now other carrier partners) so that they could do proper activation server stress testing, etc. So a dozen or so people within AT&T know when the new iPhone is going to launch at least 30 days prior. The NDA was described to me as bible-thick. Launch days hit activation servers an insane orders of magnitude higher than any other day of the year. I don't remember the number off the top of my head but I think it was something around 82X higher than highest previous day.

You also have people at UL testing in advance, and other certification bodies getting a hands on before any announcement. I believe this may happen for the iMac as well, but it's been awhile since I've spoken to my UL friend who originally told me about their special top secret testing facility for these sorts of products. That would be a cool job!

 

[CWallace]

They have no idea.

*Nods*

That one of the release options for Apple Silicon Macs is a month or more before there is even an OS to put on them... *facepalm*

Here is the thing, as someone with the i9 iMac and is extremely frustrated with the poor cooling. The 10th gen i9 is hotter, requires 30 more TDP than the 9th gen i9. You do not need to do anything intense to have the i9 iMac get LOUD. The cooling on the current iMac is such a poor design.

It is frustrating with Intel's current nuclear furnace CPUs (and, to a lesser extent, AMD's GPUs). Apple started designing the iMac and MacBook Pro when Intel was telling them that transistor-process would shrink by half (from 14nm to 7nm) and these 7nm chips would sip power and run as warm as a spring day in the Pacific Northwest.

Instead, a decade on, Intel is still at 14nm and their most powerful models are pushing two - even three - times rated TDP. It is so bad that Intel had to redefine TDP from the maximum heat output a chip would generate to the bloody baseline!

Now if Apple had no choice but to keep using Intel, we'd be seeing much thicker iMacs and much thicker and heavier MacBooks because they would have eventually had to throw up their hands and take the design hit to cover Intel's catastrophic thermal miss.

But they have had Apple Silicon likely in the pipeline for years now (2018 at the earliest and I expect earlier) so they're just running out the clock on the consumer Intel-powered Mac line until they can move it all to Apple Silicon and where they have to stay Intel (iMac Pro and Mac Pro), design for insane heat-loads with large fans and lots of cooling holes.

I have never regretted a computer purchase before as much as I regret this iMac. Apple should have never put an i9 chip in the iMac. And I only regret this purchase due to the lack of cooling and fan noise.

They probably should have just moved to the 65W chips, but if they had not, they'd have been crucified by the "Spec Hounds" who will trade numbers for usability.

It's likely why Intel is making a custom 95W i9 for the next Intel iMac as the 125W model is just a no-go.

 

[Traverse]

In certain benchmarks, I expect it to perform as well or better, but overall in this first round, I think the upper-end Intel CPUs and AMD GPUs will be able to stay ahead. And even with raw benchmarks, actual usable performance within applications could still favor Intel+AMD until those applications are fully-optimized for Apple Silicon.

I always enjoy your posts CWallace.

While I'm looking forward to eventually upgrading my 2017 iMac, I'm in no rush. I am afraid, that people are setting expectations too high related to either 15-hour battery life or night-and-day performance gains. While I think Apple Silicon is more than ready to take on mid-range Intel, I do not think this first wave of Macs are going to be able to take on the upper-mid to high range of Intel chips and dedicated GPUs.

I do, however, think that after two or three generations they'll be able to steadily outpace intel in all but perhaps the highest-end workstations. I'm also not too concerned about the GPU situation. I think that Apple will be able to stack enough core to match at least the mid-tier 27" iMac traditional performance slot and there's nothing stopping Apple from supporting discrete GPUs. In fact, I don't see how they can avoid doing so if they're going to keep a Mac Pro in the lineup.

 

[fireguy286]

I don't put much in the cryptic no name tweets, Prosser has some weight still some salt, either way Seems clearer redesign not likely for the refresh. That's a serious bummer but it makes sense to Target AS first with it.

 

[Traverse]

We should rename this thread : The never-coming redesigned iMac therapy.

“The new iMac is almost certainly coming”

 

[fireguy286]

“The new iMac is almost certainly coming”

"Things changes everything... eventually."

 

[Ethosik]

*Nods*

That one of the release options for Apple Silicon Macs is a month or more before there is even an OS to put on them... *facepalm*




It is frustrating with Intel's current nuclear furnace CPUs (and, to a lesser extent, AMD's GPUs). Apple started designing the iMac and MacBook Pro when Intel was telling them that transistor-process would shrink by half (from 14nm to 7nm) and these 7nm chips would sip power and run as warm as a spring day in the Pacific Northwest.

Instead, a decade on, Intel is still at 14nm and their most powerful models are pushing two - even three - times rated TDP. It is so bad that Intel had to redefine TDP from the maximum heat output a chip would generate to the bloody baseline!

Now if Apple had no choice but to keep using Intel, we'd be seeing much thicker iMacs and much thicker and heavier MacBooks because they would have eventually had to throw up their hands and take the design hit to cover Intel's catastrophic thermal miss.

But they have had Apple Silicon likely in the pipeline for years now (2018 at the earliest and I expect earlier) so they're just running out the clock on the consumer Intel-powered Mac line until they can move it all to Apple Silicon and where they have to stay Intel (iMac Pro and Mac Pro), design for insane heat-loads with large fans and lots of cooling holes.





They probably should have just moved to the 65W chips, but if they had not, they'd have been crucified by the "Spec Hounds" who will trade numbers for usability.

It's likely why Intel is making a custom 95W i9 for the next Intel iMac as the 125W model is just a no-go.

Oh is there a report somewhere that mentions the custom i9 10th gen for Apple?

 

[CWallace]

Oh is there a report somewhere that mentions the custom i9 10th gen for Apple?

There is a Geekbench report for an unreleased iMac 5K that uses a custom i9-10910 CPU with a lower core clock and turbo mode than the 125W part, but higher than the 65W part. There is speculation it is a custom 95W part to meet the current iMac's thermals.

This iMac also has an AMD Radeon Pro 5300 workstation GPU.

 

[Ethosik]

There is a Geekbench report for an unreleased iMac 5K that uses a custom i9-10910 CPU with a lower core clock and turbo mode than the 125W part, but higher than the 65W part. There is speculation it is a custom 95W part to meet the current iMac's thermals.

This iMac also has an AMD Radeon Pro 5300 workstation GPU.

Interesting. If its still the same TDP as the current i9 iMac I still think its a horrible decision to use the chip. The cooling is not sufficient.

 

[pldelisle]

Interesting. If its still the same TDP as the current i9 iMac I still think its a horrible decision to use the chip. The cooling is not sufficient.

They don’t care if it’s horrible or not.

They will be using their own chip within a year.

The intel chip is designed to throttle. Apple will rely on this mechanism and they will laugh once they release an iMac with their own chip

 

[ssong]

If it is August and are just press releases then my bet is either next week or the week after to mess with Samsung’s unpacked need cycle.

Although I’d wonder if AirPods studio really only warrant a press release... been looking forward to that since 2018 when they were first rumoured

 

[Freida]

I'm just going to say that tomorrow is not happening. And I doubt we will see anything soon. All these bloody leakers are nothing than just bunch of teenage wankers. Prosser included - that guy is a ducking tool.

They all have been wrong so many times that they clearly showed us that they have no idea and they are just trying their 'luck'.
So, Intel is doing something this week so lets wait for that and then there is the september thing.

Overall, I feel we will just have to wait Sep/Oct.

If Oct then RDNA2 would be perfect. It would solve the heating issues and if the custom intel chips is good too we are good to go for a redesign.

Otherwise, Apple keep your bloody spec bump that no one wants. We want good machines for your prices. Not the outdated junk you give us each year.

And the bezels? Don't get me started there and on Fusion - oh dear I'm just getting pissy

 

[DrRadon]

Soooooo tempted to just build a pc.

you could put an iMac under your table and run everything with a external display of you liking



i am amazed that no one cares about the Apple store dates I posted yesterday. They are news, they are super exact for the stores in eu.
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Otherwise, Apple keep your bloody spec bump that no one wants.

i want one.

 

[iPadified]

Now, let's see if another round of "leakers" gets burned today. Very probable, I would like to have those AirPod studio though...

It is upheaval in the Apple kingdom and "leakers" apparently have difficulties to navigate the information given in second or third hand. They may hear many messages from the inside that naturally can be mixed up because of AS.

Pity the cannot drop the price on the iMac Pro with say $1000-1500. If so they could simply remove the current iMac and many would be happy until the AS 27-32 inch arrives.

 

[The_Lord_of_Apple]

i am amazed that no one cares about the Apple store dates I posted yesterday. They are news, they are super exact for the stores in eu.

I was looking at the Australian stores and non are available for pickup.

Looking at the three base 27" models without customising the order, the default delivery schedules are:
3GHZ 6CORE - 11/08/2020 - 18/08/2020
3.1GHZ 6CORE - 18/08/2020 - 25/08/2020
3.7GHZ 6CORE - 22/09/2020 - 29/09/2020

You tell me what you make out of this?

 

[The_Lord_of_Apple]

Pity the cannot drop the price on the iMac Pro with say $1000-1500. If so they could simply remove the current iMac and many would be happy until the AS 27-32 inch arrives.

Don't you feel that the iMac Pro is a bit long in the tooth? I don't think I would be comfortable shelling out AUD$9000 on a three year old computer.

I'm looking forward to seeing some leakers burn tonight.

 

[DrRadon]

You tell me what you make out of this?

I don't know anything about the dates. I am just making assumptions.
Might just be a giant ass shipment of the old machines arriving in Europe.
Might also be someone messed up in EU region and accidentally gave us these exact dates on the new machine.
(than again Australia often is considered part of the EU marked in media, is it not?)

Just checked Italy for fun.
Gives availability everything on 20th of August, except the highest tier 27 inch wich is October first.

This is no coincidence.
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I'm looking forward to seeing some leakers burn tonight.

I think everyone except "the one" backpedaled yesterday.

 

[The_Lord_of_Apple]

I don't know anything about the dates. I am just making assumptions.
Might just be a giant ass shipment of the old machines arriving in Europe.
Might also be someone messed up in EU region and accidentally gave us these exact dates on the new machine.
(than again Australia often is considered part of the EU marked in media, is it not?)

Just checked Italy for fun.
Gives availability everything on 20th of August, except the highest tier 27 inch wich is October first.

This is no coincidence.
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I think everyone except "the one" backpedaled yesterday.

I don't know what to make of those dates to be honest as they is such a wide variance in the dates.

Which leaker backpedaled? I missed that one.

Perhaps I am going to get banned for posting another leaker tweet 😂 but here it goes:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1283827549366300672

 

[applemanit]

They have no idea

They are not leakers, they are forecasters.

 

[MacRazySwe]

An Intel update without redesign is dead on arrival for me personally, but I understand there are people who prefer the tried and tested, are in need of the Intel architecture or simply cannot wait any longer.

 

[DrRadon]

I don't know what to make of those dates to be honest as they is such a wide variance in the dates.

How is "everything back in store on August the 18th except the highest tier 27 inch wich sais 30th of September" a wide variance? It's brand new, exact, dates straight from Apple. It's the most real news we ever got on this thing.
And the mid August date actually lines up with one of the leakers that backpedaled and said "nope, it's week around the 19th, they changed dates". - It also lines up with the people that said iPhone event is not first week of September but later. And that would be still two weeks ahead of a late september launch of high tier 27 inch iMac. It all lines up pretty good for now.

So they probably split the highest tier one from the pack because stuff needs to be in stores. Highest tier waits for 11th gen processors, some newer GPU, maybe actually needs and gets a redesign for better cooling with the high tier parts... what do i know.

Which leaker backpedaled? I missed that one.

All of them. Except the one that was super certain. I can't curate twitter for you, it's like 4 accounts, not that hard to catch up on if you do more than just point fingers and talk down.

 

[Azrael9]

"We have some new Intel-based Macs in the pipeline that we're really excited about."

- Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, a month ago.

Yeah. Tim Apple sez stuff like that. (*Points to the meh updates this year. 7 months in and still waiting for something Mac significant.)

He also got excited about the 'pro' (as rumoured) Mac Mini. Probably because it upped it's price by 50%? Or did it double? And got a lick of grey paint and shocking iG.

Azrael.
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Apple moving the iMac to the iMac Pro chassis and cooling is almost certainly going to result in a not-insignificant price increase, you all realize. Probably minimum $500 when you factor in the price of the cooling system plus the new systemboard they will need to design to work around it. You will almost certainly also lose user-upgradeable RAM and of course SSD-only storage options.

So you all ready for the entry level iMac to run $2999 with 10th Gen i5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD and Radeon Pro 5300?

And probably at or abover $4999 for a 10th Gen i9, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD and Radeon Pro 5600/5700?

We can't rule out anything ridiculous with Apple's pricing.

Mac Pro. 100% price increase.
Mac Mini. 100% price increase.

iMac...? (The 'affordable' Mac desktop...for the 'rest of us.')

I call it Tim Apple Inflation.

£500 extra for 8 gigs of ram. And a dirty cheap SSD. ...and a sorry 5300 'pro' gpu.

Because in Apple's world...you don't get more as tech' comes down in price. They've decided on a new innovation...as tech' comes down in price they put up prices.

The cooling system on the iMac is 3 years old and the ungodly price on the iMac Pro will have paid for its R&D by now. Sticking an extra fan or vent tube in there hardly warrants a dramatic price rise.

So, yeah, £2999 will probably be about right...

...and use that as justification for charging more for AS processors. Or trimming prices on AS Macs (when it reality they'll be the same as Macs are now...)

Smoke and mirrors. Apple.

£4999. For an iMac with 5700? Wouldn't surprise. 'We've brought you the mid range gpu from last year...but in typical Apple fashion...we've decided to charge even more for outdated tech'...'

Azrael.

 

[iPadified]

Don't you feel that the iMac Pro is a bit long in the tooth? I don't think I would be comfortable shelling out AUD$9000 on a three year old computer.

I'm looking forward to seeing some leakers burn tonight.

Its performance is still fine and that what matters. A 10-core xeon (1100/9500 geek bench )and 10900 10C (1400/11000) only differes 20-30% 20-30%. We will not get a 10900k that is not throttling so the performance difference will be (much) smaller.

I would rather take a good cooling and slightly lower perfomance than an "new" comet lake chip i iMac case/cooling.