The New iMac Could Have A 32-inch Display

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Oh, the iMac. It’s had a rough old time of late, hasn’t it?

Despite being updated with a brand new design in 2021, Apple’s all-in-one has been left out to dry. For two years.

During that time, every other Mac has received an update (or several updates) and rumours relating to chip upgrades for the 24-inch iMac and the replacement for the now discontinued 27-inch 5K iMac have all but dried up.

Until now.

There are murmurings. Whispers. Backstreet gossip is picking up pace. Analysts are adding new lines to their spreadsheets. There’s talk, again, of a bigger iMac being in the works. There are even rumblings about the 24-inch iMac being the first to receive the 3-nanometer M3 chip next year.

What’s going on? And what does this mean if you’re looking to buy a 24-inch iMac right now?

The tragic tale of the 24-inch iMac

My 24-inch iMac – as depicted rather tragically in the header image of this blog post – has been residing seemingly unloved and unwanted on the floor of my studio for the last few months.

This isn’t because I’ve fallen out of love with it or because I don’t think it’s up to the task of my business. It’s simply because I have too many Macs and, well, to be frank, there are no content opportunities for it at the moment.

I’m not your atypical user, thankfully. I have no doubt that there are many 24-inch iMacs out there being put to very good, consistent use. In fact, I know there are – I see them out in the wild regularly.

Despite this, Apple has indeed, on the face of it, completely abandoned its venerable all-in-one – despite treating it to one of the biggest facelifts any Mac has seen in the last ten years.

But that was two years ago. New chips have come and gone. Every other Mac has received a spruce up and tickle beneath the chassis. Why hasn’t the 24-inch iMac been given the same love?

Will the iMac get an M2 chip?

The answer to the above question is still unclear, but rumours are beginning to surface a little more readily regarding the fate of the 24-inch iMac.

Some analysts believe it’ll receive a much-needed update to the M2 and M2 Pro chips in 2024. Others, including Rumour Renegade Master Mark Gurman, predict that it’ll be the first Mac to get the M3 chip next year, thus skipping the M2 generation entirely.

My guess is the latter. I think Mark and his fellow rumour pirates are onto something there. It feels too late for the iMac to receive the M2 chip; it’d almost be like an afterthought and only add weight to the belief that Apple isn’t that bothered about the iMac anymore.

To show that the iMac has a future, it needs to put its best foot forward and be one of – if not the – first Macs to be powered by a 3-nanometer chip. This would be the first Apple silicon of its kind to be manufactured on that process and, given the somewhat tumultuous journey of the M2 chip, a big PR play for Apple. Put simply, any Mac that is granted access to the M3 first is a big deal.

I think the iMac deserves that accolade. Maybe that’s what Apple has been waiting for. Why do the obvious by chucking in the stop-gap M2 when you can make a much bigger splash with one of your favourite children (that’s what Macs are to Apple, right?) and give it the best desktop chip you’ve ever made?

New rumours about a 32-inch iMac

The latest iMac rumours get better.

I, and many others, had written off the possibility of a larger iMac hitting the shelves once more. The death of the iMac Pro two years ago and the complete dearth of supply chain chatter about a replacement suggested that 24 inches was as far as Apple was planning to go with the modern iMac.

That might have been shortsighted.

According to renowned Apple supply chain analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, we might yet be treated to a high-end, larger-screened iMac.

In 2025.

There’s always a caveat, isn’t there?

If we put the potentially long wait to one side, the details are rather tantalising. By then, Apple will be well into 3-nanometer territory for its chips and, with an expected display size of 32 inches, the next big iMac would match the 6K Pro Display XDR in terms of size and presence. That would also, presumably, make it astronomically expensive, but it’s becoming clearer that this rumoured 32-inch iMac would more than likely be a replacement for the iMac Pro.

That excites me.

My thoughts (for now)

Whatever Apple does with the iMac, I hope it’s something. It doesn’t feel right for the iMac to slowly die an unannounced death, which is what I’ve been fearful of with each passing chip update for the rest of the lineup.

However, the more I think about it, the more I think that Apple has simply been biding its time with this one. I don’t blame them, either; if we assume that the 24-inch iMac is selling satisfactorily alongside the updated specs of other Macs, why plough manufacturing resources into churning out new versions? This is why Apple is so profitable; it knows how to maximise its supply chain and manufacturing investments by rinsing a product for as long as humanly possible.

Despite this, we are reaching a point where the iMac needs to be updated, and talk of an M3 version in 2024 and a pro-focused 32-inch iMac in 2025 is incredibly tantalising. More importantly, it feels right.

This does leave one very important question unanswered, though: should you buy a 24-inch iMac today? My advice is simple: if you desperately need or want one – yes. Spec it up as far as possible and you’ll receive a brilliant Mac that will last you many years.

If you can wait – wait.

What do you want from the next iMac?

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