The iMac, Apple’s all-in-one desktop computer used to come in two sizes: 21.5 inches and 27 inches. Since Apple abandoned Intel and moved to its own M-series chips, the company has split the difference, releasing a colourful 24-inch version and assuming that the solution specifically designed to please nobody will satisfy everyone.
But it looks like Apple has finally accepted the fact that some people quite enjoy having something that was once the size of a family television on their desks. Its engineers are now apparently experimenting with something larger, though you shouldn’t expect it any time soon.
Word of these experiments comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, and specifically the subscriber-only section of his Power On newsletter.
“I’m told that Apple is experimenting with iMacs with larger displays, including a model with about a 32-inch screen,” he wrote. “I don’t anticipate such a computer launching before the end of 2024, if not a little later, as development still remains early.”
You wouldn’t have thought this would take that much experimentation — putting a bigger screen on a computer doesn’t strike me as tough a challenge as, say, nuclear fusion or solving climate change. But in any case, we’re apparently at least 18 months away.
In the meantime, we can expect an upgraded version of the 24-inch iMac, Gurman writes. Apparently, the refresh will appear “early next year” as “one of Apple’s first M3-based devices.” This suggests that we won’t be getting M3-powered MacBooks this year either, explaining why the 15-inch MacBook Air arrived with the familiar M2 processor.
Of course, some will argue that Apple doesn’t really need to release a larger iMac anymore. It already has the Mac mini and Mac Studio — two powerful options that ship without a screen and can be connected to any monitor. Link them up to a 75-inch TV if you feel like it!
All the same, there was something to be said about the all-in-one solution, so hopefully we do see something from Apple before 2024 is out.
