Apple
Apple’s iMac Pro 2022: News, rumors, leaks, pricing, and release date
From screen size to power, we’ve got all the details so far.
Apple still has two Intel-based machines in its lineup, with the end of 2022 as its self-imposed deadline for switching to its own Apple silicon. That means the 27-inch iMac and the Mac Pro are both in need of an update in 2022. Could we finally see an iMac Pro 2022?
Thankfully, tech people are pretty good at sniffing out details about upcoming products before their actual release, and the 2022 iMac is no different.
The rumors and supply chain inspections that we could find all point to a 2022 release for the next generation of 27-inch iMacs. Here’s everything we know right now, and some of our thoughts as to what could be and should be included.
iMac 27-inch price and availability
Apple is having an Apple Event in March. That event seems to be for a cheaper, M2-powered MacBook Pro and some other devices.
Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) has the launch scheduled later this year, with a tentative summer release.
That could be August, or it could be the fall. That also lines up with a potential product reveal during WWDC in June.
MacRumors has the iMac 27-inch 2022 price starting at $2,000 and we think that’s on the low side. The rumored base configuration has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.
If you buy a 24-inch iMac right now with those options, it would cost $1,899. With the larger, better screen and M1 Pro or M1 Max chip, we expect the Apple iMac 27-inch to be starting closer to $2,499.
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Fully specced-out, you could even see a $5,000 price tag. That’s still cheaper than the prior iMac Pro, which started at $4,999.
The ever-reliable Ming-Chi Kuo has a new, different prediction for the iMac Pro – we won’t see it until 2023.
That seems about right for supply chain constraints, but maybe Apple can still hit the earlier summer date. We’ll likely know more after March 8, and knowing which devices Apple is releasing this spring.
iMac 27-inch 2022 naming
You’d think this would be an easy section to write. Normally, Apple sticks to its existing naming scheme but maybe not this time.
MacRumors has the idea that Apple will use the iMac Pro name for the 27-inch model, to differentiate it from the smaller 24-inch device. With Apple retiring that name last year, it’s available again.
Design of the rumored iMac Pro 2022
When Apple revamped the 24-inch iMac last year, they went with a flatter, more iPad Pro-like design. The current 27-inch model has an older, curved design.
We expect Apple to update the 27-inch to the newer, flatter design; as the move to Apple silicon means they don’t need the extra cooling solutions they needed for the Intel-powered iMac.
New iMac colors
Apple currently sells the 24-inch iMac in multiple colors and a report in DigiTimes says that will happen for the 27-inch iMac when it is refreshed.
At this time, we don’t have any indication of which colors Apple will choose. We expect that the bezels will be black, so perhaps Apple will choose darker colors than it did for the 24-inch model.
The display on the new 2022 iMac
It’s no secret that Apple is working on a new 27-inch screen model of the iMac. Supply chain analysis has shown that a mini-LED screen in that size is in the works. Apple already uses this screen type on its MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and iPhone 13 ranges, branded as ProMotion with a 120Hz refresh rate.
That means the screen will have XDR branding, just like Apple’s really-fucking-expensive monitor. We’re still expecting the 27-inch iMac 2022 to have a 27-inch screen. Early rumors did swirl around about a 32-inch LG panel being tested with custom silicon powering it, although we think that will be for an external display and not an iMac.
Apple might also offer the 27-inch iMac with multiple screen options. That way, you could buy the base model with an LCD screen, or upgrade to the mini-LED if you need a better screen.
The current 27-inch model also has options for normal and nano-etched glass on the screen. Will Apple keep that on the new model? We hope so.
iMac 27-inch 2022 power and performance
With Apple moving the 27-inch iMac to Apple silicon, a few choices are immediately available. The base model M1 chip is being replaced everywhere else in the line-up, so don’t expect to see that on this model.
Similarly, the M2 chip that is coming to replace it is rumored to go into the MacBook Air and other traditionally lower-powered devices. Don’t expect to see that here either.
That leaves the M1 Pro and M1 Max that was recently introduced in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. Apple is likely to offer both of these chips as options in the 27-inch iMac.
Expect even higher performance than the MacBook versions, as the iMac will be plugged into the wall all the time. The M1 Max supports up to 64GB of RAM, with the M1 Pro topping out at 32GB of RAM. Expect Apple to offer up to 8TB of SSD storage.
Ports and other features
The 24-inch iMac has two Thunderbolt/USB4 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the option to add two more USB 3 ports and Gigabit ethernet. The current 27-inch iMac has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, Gigabit or 10Gb ethernet, four USB-A ports, and an SD card slot.
We expect a combination of these specs on the refreshed 27-inch iMac. The M1 Pro and M1 Max-powered MacBook Pros have three Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an SDXC card slot; so we suspect the 27-inch iMac will have at least these ports.
Will Apple break out ethernet to the power brick, like it did on the 24-inch iMac? That’s likely, which means gigabit speeds. That said, if Apple makes the 27-inch model an iMac Pro, they might bring a 10Gbe ethernet option out. That would also mean the smaller 24-inch iMac could upgrade its ethernet speed.
Expect to see at least the 1080p FaceTime HD camera that Apple put into the 24-inch iMac. That uses the M1 chip to improve signal processing, so your video calls will look crispy.
If Apple goes the route it did with the 24-inch iMac, there won’t be any Face ID on the 27-inch model. That likely means Touch ID on the Magic Keyboard, just like it works on the smaller iMac.
We’ll probably also see the six-speaker system from the smaller iMac, which supports Dolby Atmos.
Accessories
We’re not so sure Apple will release new accessories specifically for the 27-inch iMac. The current Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is great, as is the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad.
If Apple does go with multi-colored shells for the 27-inch iMac, expect to see similarly colored versions of these accessories.
What we want to see from an iMac Pro 2022
With the larger size of the 27-inch iMac, we’d love to see the display come in the 5K resolution of the current model, or even higher. After all, Apple might be putting the XDR stamp on these panels, which indicates a higher quality display to the usual Retina branding.
We’d also love to see more ports, and some ports on the edge of the device, like on the iPad Pro. Yes, we know that wouldn’t look as good, but it would make them easier to use.
Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
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