A few weeks ago, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said Apple was working on an iMac with a display larger than 30 inches. At that time, the journalist reported that this product was in “early work.” Now, in his latest Power On newsletter, he once again says that this Mac is still in early testing, but he doesn’t expect it to be released before late 2024 or 2025.
That said, a 27-inch screen iMac replacement could be announced in the next couple of years, as the company doesn’t sell a Mac with a display larger than 24-inches, and it only has one monitor with more than 30-inches, the 2019 Pro Display XDR that starts at $4,999.
Interestingly, while Apple has boosted its MacBook offerings and CPUs, it still only offers one iMac with an M1 chip and a 24-inch display. If the company follows its past trend, a larger iMac could feature a better processor, such as an Mx Pro or Max chip, and a few other improvements.
Gurman believes a new M3 iMac could be released later this year or early next year, but besides the new chip, it’s unlikely that Apple will change its form factor or completely revamp the redesigned 24-inch iMac.
With that, it’s almost a requirement from customers that Apple bets on larger displays as the company lacks new offerings. In a previous report, Mark Gurman said Apple was already working on the likely successors of the 2019 Pro Display XDR and the 2022 Studio Display, in addition to a monitor that can be used as a smart display when the Mac is idle.
While both of them are praised for their capacities – and, honestly, they are the best choice if you want to plug your Mac into an external display – there are a few features they lack that would be well-received.
For example, neither the Studio Display nor the Pro Display XDR offers a 120Hz refresh rate, or as Apple calls it, ProMotion. This technology is available for high-end iPhone, iPad, and MacBook models but not for the company’s displays.
That said, even if you buy the very expensive Pro Display XDR, you’ll get a trade-off by adding a 32-inch 6K display but losing the smoothness of a higher refresh rate.
For the Studio Display, Apple could offer a better screen for a future iteration – such as a LED panel instead of an LCD – and also add a higher-refresh rate. For a starting price of $1,799, this product could also include a built-in adjustable stand without charging users more.
With that in mind, the company needs to release a larger iMac and new monitors for Pro customers or those who just want better specs.
BGR will keep reporting on new Macs and Apple monitor models.
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