For most of the 2023, it wasn’t quite clear when the next set of Apple devices would drop and some rumours suggested it’d be 2024 before we saw new M3 devices. In the end, we got a new M3 iMac in 2023 but it seems like we could be in store for more next year.
It took until October but we finally got the iMac (2023) this year, landing alongside new MacBook Pro models. The change wasn’t exactly what many may have hoped for, with the new iMac essentially just upgrading the processor from an M1 chip on the 2021 model to an M3 and little else.
However, those hoping for a new kind of iMac soon may be in luck next year, with rumours rife that a 32-inch model could be on the way and some suggestions regarding an iMac Pro. Let’s dive in.
Release Date
Information regarding a release date for a new iMac is thin on the ground and it remains unconfirmed it will even launch in 2024. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg has been reporting since June of last year that a 32-inch iMac is on the way, and reaffirmed this in October following the M3 iMac launch. Gurman stated a launch of the larger model is expected in “late 2024 or 2025”.
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What we know so far
Very little is known about what Apple will have in store for us with the next iMac. All reliable rumours point to a 32-inch model but other less clear speculation has posited it could feature a Mini LED display (via Ming-Chi Kuo) and there is some suggestions we could see an iMac Pro soon.
Way back in January, Apple-focused reporter Mark Gurman stated that the iMac Pro had been “on and off” Apple’s agenda (via Bloomberg). It remains unclear if a new iMac or iMac Pro would get any kind of redesign when compared with the recently released M3 iMac, which stuck with the same design as its M1 predecessor. Either way, it does seem likely any new models would sport a chip (or chips) from the M3 range, should they launch in 2024.
What we want to see
Please, fix the Lightning accessories
The new M3 iMac was simply a power boost upon its M1 predecessor, with little else changing. And, one of the most frustrating things that stuck around was the same accessories. Apple is moving to USB-C across its wide range of devices, yet the new M3 iMac is stuck with Lightning across the board and that includes the Magic Mouse with its stupidly placed port on the underside. It’s time for USB-C, Apple.
A new design
If Apple goes to the effort of releasing new iMacs in 2024 then it’d be great to see a new design. It would be disappointing if a new 32-inch iMac or iMac Pro was just a larger model of the existing iMac design that’s been around for a few years now. And, that especially applies if the accessories remain the same. Apple has created some stunning devices with industrial design visuals in the form of the Pro Display XDR and Studio Display, it’d be great to see an iMac (2024) adopt something akin to those looks.
More power
Whether it’s a standard 32-inch iMac or an iMac Pro, it’d be nice to see more power in an iMac (2024). With the current iMac being designed around Apple’s lowest-power computing chip, the range would benefit from a design that accommodates an M3 Pro chip and beyond, and the extra unified memory that it would bring with it. If it is indeed an iMac Pro that comes down the line next, then it would need to feature at least an M3 Pro, if not an M3 Max or M3 Ultra, to justify its existence.
