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

[Traverse]

I find myself in agreement with Renee's opinion: if Mac Studio sells well (and most sell with an Apple Studio Display), that would indicate to Apple there was no compelling need for an iMac Pro. If it does not (or say, sells primarily as the Ultra model and in lower volumes), then this would indicate the market still wants a Pro/Max iMac Pro.

I agree for long-term decisions, but given Apple's lead times I'd be shocked if a larger iMac (Pro) wasn't in active development if they thought there was at least a chance of delivery in 2022 or 2023. I really don't know why they wouldn't offer a least a prosumer version because all know Apple loves to reuse parts and they have the components readily available.

The desktop market is currently missing something between the M1 and M1 Max. I think we could see the M2 Pro in a Mac mini and maybe even the 24" iMac (I don't see why not). Then the larger iMac could resume it's old place as the higher-tier iMac starting with the M1 Pro and configurable to the M1 Max. Then it's basically a Mac Studio sans the Ultra option.

I do wonder wha the pricing would be. If truly a replacement for the iMac Pro with ProMotion and MiniLED then I think it starts at $2,999 at a minimum, but likely $3,499 or up. I feel like Apple would also offer a more consumer-focused version. I guess I could see $1,999 for an M1 Pro and the comparison to the Mac Studio would be that you get a lesser chip but beautiful screen. I feel like $2,299+ is more likely, but if it's consumer focus I really think Apple needs a $1,999 or lower tier. Then you have the fact that the monitor-only Studio Display is $1,699.

I can't really guess Apple's pricing structure at the moment.

 

[CWallace]

At the moment, the most logical step to me is to offer M2 Pro in the 24" iMac. That way you have an AIO the bridges the gap between the 21.5" and 27" models (including the resolution at 4.5K) and it offers better performance than the 2020 iMac 5K with Core-i9 and 5700XT.

That leaves the M2 Mac mini to anchor the lower end of the market (with much better than low-end performance) and the Mac Studio Max and Ultra to cover the upper-end with far better performance than the top-end 2020 iMac and top-end 2017 iMac Pro coupled with a better monitor (as the Apple Studio Display offers better picture quality than the 27" iMac and iMac Pro).

 

[fcracer]

I have to agree with some of the folks above, there will definitely be a 27" iMac Pro in the future. Once you've used the Studio, it becomes obvious that there's a huge gap in the lineup. The Studio is overkill for many people and it's timing was a way for Apple to bring some iMac 27" users into the semi-pro category within their product suite.

If I could go back in time, I would have waited for Apple to release the 27" iMac Pro with M1 Pro CPU. The bulk of the Studio setup is more than I expected, and the performance, while amazing, would probably be almost as amazing with a Pro CPU setup. btw. I bought the 10/32/64GB/1TB Studio Max.

 

[subjonas]

I have to agree with some of the folks above, there will definitely be a 27" iMac Pro in the future. Once you've used the Studio, it becomes obvious that there's a huge gap in the lineup. The Studio is overkill for many people and it's timing was a way for Apple to bring some iMac 27" users into the semi-pro category within their product suite.

If I could go back in time, I would have waited for Apple to release the 27" iMac Pro with M1 Pro CPU. The bulk of the Studio setup is more than I expected, and the performance, while amazing, would probably be almost as amazing with a Pro CPU setup. btw. I bought the 10/32/64GB/1TB Studio Max.

I think you did well not to wait. If there is a bigger iMac, I‘m pretty sure it’s not coming this year, and I doubt in the foreseeable future. Apple at their presentation explicitly stated that there is only one more Mac to transition to Apple Silicon—the Mac Pro. It’s very un-Apple like to talk about future plans so specifically, so I take it that Apple really wanted people to clearly know not to expect any other Mac. Not to mention the 27” iMac was then discontinued following the event, leaving the 24” as the sole successor to both the 21” and 27”. It would be contradictory, or at best very odd, to turn around and release an M series 27” a short time later.

So we have a powerful modular replacement for the 27”, and a 3” smaller all-in-one replacement for the 27”. There’s just no powerful all-in-one replacement, of any size. That’s why I do think there could be a M Pro 24” iMac option in the near future. Just conjecture of course.

At some future point, they may make a larger higher-performance iMac, who knows. But like I said, probably not any time soon. By the way, 27” seems too close to 24”. I think it would be 29” or more.

 

[Septercius]

Apple at their presentation explicitly stated that there is only one more Mac to transition to Apple Silicon—the Mac Pro.

I took that to mean that there is one more current product to transition. A bigger iMac (e.g. 32") is a new product, so doesn't count.

(Or perhaps that's wishful thinking!)

 

[subjonas]

I took that to mean that there is one more current product to transition. A bigger iMac (e.g. 32") is a new product, so doesn't count.

(Or perhaps that's wishful thinking!)

I suppose the announcement would have technically still been true, but then that would leave me with a lot more questions. Why then did Apple uncharacteristically make that announcement if not to warn people to not expect a bigger iMac? If Apple was trying to throw people off, then why didn’t they do that with the 24” iMac or the Mac Studio or any other new product they’ve ever released (as far as I know)? Why start trying to throw people off now instead of taking their usual position of silence? Why did they simultaneously discontinue the 27” instead of selling it until the replacement arrived like they did with the 21” and 24” (if we assume the 24” was the replacement for the 21”)?
I think the simpler explanation is usually the way to go, and to me the simpler explanation is that there is no immediate plan for a larger iMac.

Edit- If a 30+” iMac is a new product, then the 24” was new as well, right? But wasn’t that considered the transition of at least the 21” Intel iMac (if not partially the 27” as well)? They simultaneously discontinued the 21” when the 24” was released, so it seems to me it was considered the transition. So it also seems to me, since the 27” iMac was discontinued when the 27” Studio Display and Mac Studio were released, those were considered the transition, not a 30+” iMac. All that to say, it doesn’t seem Apple is thinking of a 30+” iMac as a new product that doesn’t count as a transition.

 

[Juuro]

So it also seems to me, since the 27” iMac was discontinued when the 27” Studio Display and Mac Studio were released, those were considered the transition, not a 30+” iMac.

Jepp, that's why they said that only the Mac Pro is missing in the transition. But that doesn't mean that there will at some time in the future be a new iMac next to the 24" iMac.

I think Apple said this to make clear that no one should wait for a larger iMac because it could be a while until a product like this is ready. And to give a hint that the Mac Studio is not the top of the line pro machine because the Mac Pro is still coming.

After the Mac Studio announcement I thought the large iMac was dead, at least for years. But Mark German keeps insisting that there is still one coming. So now I think that we might see one in around 1.5 years. Because I assume it will start with a M2 Pro at least and looking at Apple M1 timeline the M2 Pro and Max are due in autumn 2023. And I also think that this iMac will (at least optional) come with the same display as the rumored "Studio Pro Display". So 27" with miniLED and ProMotion. And that again means it will be really expensive.

 

[subjonas]

Jepp, that's why they said that only the Mac Pro is missing in the transition. But that doesn't mean that there will at some time in the future be a new iMac next to the 24" iMac.

I think Apple said this to make clear that no one should wait for a larger iMac because it could be a while until a product like this is ready. And to give a hint that the Mac Studio is not the top of the line pro machine because the Mac Pro is still coming.

After the Mac Studio announcement I thought the large iMac was dead, at least for years. But Mark German keeps insisting that there is still one coming. So now I think that we might see one in around 1.5 years. Because I assume it will start with a M2 Pro at least and looking at Apple M1 timeline the M2 Pro and Max are due in autumn 2023. And I also think that this iMac will (at least optional) come with the same display as the rumored "Studio Pro Display". So 27" with miniLED and ProMotion. And that again means it will be really expensive.

I pretty much agree with all of that, but I’m only vaguely aware of Mark Gurman’s prediction. A release 1.5 years from now would definitely be on the early end of what wouldn’t surprise me. In other words, I think that would be just enough time to warrant Apple telling people to not wait.

 

[TinaBelcher]

Well, this didn't age well...

 

[satchmo]

But that doesn't mean that there will at some time in the future be a new iMac next to the 24" iMac.

Of course there’s always a possibility. Maybe customer feedback changes their mind. Or they realize the new M2 Mac mini w/Studio Display isn’t selling or filling that void left by the 27” iMac. But with anything Apple, they rarely go back on a decision quickly. I tend to believe this is more or less a permanent decision (at least for the next 4-5 years).

It’s funny how we complain that Apple is too secretive with their upcoming product announcements. Yet when they essentially tell us there’s no larger iMac coming, we refuse to believe them. ?

 

[subjonas]

It’s funny how we complain that Apple is too secretive with their upcoming product announcements. Yet when they essentially tell us there’s no larger iMac coming, we refuse to believe them. ?

LOL totally. We only want them to tell us what we want to hear, no more no less! ?

 

[icemantx]

I think it is pretty obvious why Apple discontinued the 27" Intel iMac in March without a replacement. With the introduction of the Mac Studio + Studio Display, they get the comparison/competition out of the way for existing 27" iMac owners who want to upgrade. They have no choice (for now) if they want to upgrade to another 27" Apple display/computer. Get the Studio Display + Mac Studio (or M1 Mac Mini) or go to the 24" iMac (majority of current 27" iMac owners do not want to go to a smaller screen size)

In a year or two when the hype has long since subsided for the Mac Studio + Studio Display, they can introduce a new (possibly larger such as 30") iMac "Pro" when the customer base is ready for something new.

Or they may not introduce any larger iMac for years (if at all) and just keep the iMac one size (24") moving forward like it was one size only originally way back in 1998.

 

[Andrey84]

Oh my god, I wish I'd seen this post 3 years earlier!

Me and wife have been watching every Apple Event in full since 2019, waiting for the new 27" iMac. It never came... And it never will.

We bought the top spec 2020 iMac, it should last her for 2-3 more years. She will then be forced to migrate to Apple Studio + Studio display, which is much more expensive.

My wife has been using 27" iMacs for 14 years now, so will be a massive end of an era for her, once the 2020 iMac won't be fit for purpose anymore.

 

[EugW]

Oh my god, I wish I'd seen this post 3 years earlier!

Me and wife have been watching every Apple Event in full since 2019, waiting for the new 27" iMac. It never came... And it never will.

We bought the top spec 2020 iMac, it should last her for 2-3 more years. She will then be forced to migrate to Apple Studio + Studio display, which is much more expensive.

My wife has been using 27" iMacs for 14 years now, so will be a massive end of an era for her, once the 2020 iMac won't be fit for purpose anymore.

What is she doing with it? Apple Studio is MUCH more powerful than the 27" iMac ever was. A consideration would be the Mac mini Mx or Mac mini Mx Pro if she doesn't need all that power. Also, there is no rule that the next monitor has to be from Apple.

In my case I moved from a 27" iMac to a 16 GB M1 Mac mini (with Thunderbolt 4 dock for more ports), plus Huawei monitor for now. I'd consider getting a different monitor in the future, but so far I'm unimpressed with what the Studio Display has to offer.

 

[startergo]

Just get an LG ultra fine 5K with Mac mini. On eBay you can get them for around 500 USD now.

 

[EugW]

Just get an LG ultra fine 5K with Mac mini. On eBay you can get them for around 500 USD now.

For most people this won't matter, but in my case I prefer the 2304x1296 scaled resolution. I find the native 2560x1440 2X scaled resolution provides default text sizing that is a little small. However, for some strange reason, Apple refuses to offer this 2304x1296 scaled resolution natively for the 27" iMac, Studio Display, and LG UltraFine 5K, even though it offers many other non-integer scaled resolutions.

So right now I'm running a Huawei MateView 28.2" 4K+ monitor. Its native resolution is 3840x2560, and I'm running at a scaled resolution of 2304x1536. Text sizing is perfect for my needs.

 

[startergo]

For resolution changes you can just use SwitchResX.

 

[Andrey84]

What is she doing with it?

Just get an LG ultra fine 5K with Mac mini

Main tasks are: UX design and app prototyping in Adobe XD and Figma. Tons of research with an average of 30 Safari tabs open. Rendering of jewellery models in Rhino 3D. She also uses other professional & personal applications, like Photoshop, Lightroom, Miro, Notion, Slack, ...at least 20 apps are open normally.

Her current RAM usage can easily reach 100GB, so I won't be recommending 16GB to her, which is the maximum M1 Mac Mini can have. 64GB will be the minimum we'll be comfortable with.

But you are right, there is a case for the Mac Mini here, however the top spec Mac Mini Pro costs similarly to the Mac Studio Max.

LG display - very low chance she will go for it. The cost saving of $1,000 for her won't be worth looking at black plastic bezels for 10 years. I have nothing against this, but she is a hardcore Apple design fan and is almost certain to go for the Apple Studio Display.

 

[startergo]

There is another way to skin the cat. Find an iMac which can run High Sierra or earlier. HS should be fine. Run that iMac in Target mode through thunderbolt as a display:

Spoiler: iMac Target mode

How to use target display mode​

1. Make sure that your iMac is started up and meets the system requirements above.
2. Make sure that the other Mac is started up and logged in to a macOS user account.
3. Connect the two computers using the appropriate Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt cable.
   You can use more than one iMac as a display, if each iMac is using a Thunderbolt cable to connect directly to a Thunderbolt port on the other Mac (not the other iMac).
4. Press Command-F2 on the keyboard of the iMac. You should now see the desktop of the other Mac.
5. To exit target display mode, press Command-F2 again. Or disconnect the cable, or restart either Mac.

Apps that were open on your iMac when entering target display mode remain open in target display mode. For example, if you begin playing music on your iMac and then enter target display mode, the music doesn't pause on your iMac.

The other Mac can't use the iMac computer's built-in camera or ports. To use external devices with your other Mac, connect them directly to the other Mac, not to your iMac.

Control brightness and sound​

If you want to use the built-in speakers of your iMac to play audio from the other Mac:

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Sound, then click Output.
2. Select the iMac as the device for sound output.

You can then use the sound and media keys on the keyboard of the other Mac to adjust volume and control media playback.

To control the brightness of the iMac display while it's in target display mode, use Displays preferences on the other Mac, or the brightness keys

on the keyboard of the other Mac.

If target display mode doesn't work​

If your iMac doesn't show the desktop of your other Mac, try these steps first:

1. Restart your iMac.
2. Restart the other Mac.
3. Unplug the Thunderbolt or Mini DisplayPort cable from the other Mac, then plug it back in.
4. Press Command-F2 on the iMac.

If that doesn't work, try these other solutions:

• If you're currently logged in to the iMac that you want to use as a display, choose Apple menu  > Log Out to return to the login window. Then press Command-F2 again.
• Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Keyboard. If ”Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys” is selected, target display mode uses Command-Fn-F2 instead of Command-F2. It might also help to use the keyboard that came with your iMac. Some third-party keyboards and older Apple keyboards don't support target display mode.
• Make sure that your iMac is using macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 or earlier. You can't use target display mode with later versions of macOS, or with Boot Camp and Windows.

 

[Andrey84]

There is another way to skin the cat. Find an iMac which can run High Sierra or earlier. HS should be fine. Run that iMac in Target mode through thunderbolt as a display:

It's a great idea, but are you sure that Retina iMacs support this?

From the Target Display Mode article:

iMac models introduced in 2011, 2012, 2013 and mid 2014​

In Wikipedia I can see that the first Retina iMac is "Late 2014"

 

[startergo]

It's a great idea, but are you sure that Retina iMacs support this?

iMac models introduced in 2011, 2012, 2013 and mid 2014​

In Wikipedia I can see that the first Retina iMac is "Late 2014"

I think it is 2014 or 2015 onwards. iMac Pro came with HS, but I heard a report that at some point after upgrading the firmware it would not install HS anymore. I asked in the iMac Pro forum, but did not get a reply. Anyway make sure the iMac you are bying can install HS before getting it. You can always use opencore to run HS on unsupported Mac of course.

 

[startergo]

and there is always Luna Display which can convert any iMac into a display only through thunderbolt (or wifi).

Computer-to-Mac — Retina - Knowledge Base

Luna Display now supports 4K and 5K on secondary iMacs when using a USB-C Luna unit. The maximum resolution is dependent on your computer model and will be set

help.astropad.com

 

[EugW]

Target Display Mode on the Thunderbolt Retina models supposedly only works if the client is an Intel Mac running an old version of macOS, Catalina or earlier. Apple Silicon Macs not supported.

Target Display Mode on the pre-Thunderbolt iMacs does work with any client including Apple Silicon Macs, but unfortunately those pre-Thunderbolt iMacs are not Retina. I have one of them but the native resolution is 2560x1440.

BTW, I'm not sure about the Retina models, but for my non-Retina model, even in Target Display Mode you still need the keyboard because that's how you turn on Target Display Mode and that's how you adjust brightness.

 

[startergo]

Target Display Mode on the Thunderbolt Retina models supposedly only works if the client is an Intel Mac running an old version of macOS, Catalina or earlier. Apple Silicon Macs not supported.

Target Display Mode on the pre-Thunderbolt iMacs does work with any client including Apple Silicon Macs, but unfortunately those pre-Thunderbolt iMacs are not Retina. I have one of them but the native resolution is 2560x1440.

BTW, I'm not sure about the Retina models, but for my non-Retina model, even in Target Display Mode you still need the keyboard because that's how you turn on Target Display Mode and that's how you adjust brightness.

You are correct, but still Luna Display works for any iMac HS or higher even in 5K mode.

 

[EugW]

You are correct, but still Luna Display works for any iMac HS or higher even in 5K mode.

I have not tried Luna Display but have read that it can be temperamental, so YMMV. I can tell you that Target Display Mode with the non-Retina iMac works perfectly, 100% stable. I had it set up this way for years, the only time it would glitch would be with a sub-par cable.