Apple unveiled a redesigned iMac with a colorful new design and M1 chip at the Spring Loaded event back in April 2021. As the new iMac’s two-year anniversary approaches, we expect Apple to update it sometime in 2023. new chip.
Apple is successfully launching the second generation of Apple silicon, with the M2 coming in June 2022 and the M2 Pro and M2 Max coming in January. This makes the 24-inch iMac one of the few remaining M1 Macs. Can we expect Apple to introduce a variant of the iMac M2 soon? Read on to find out.
New 24-inch iMac release date
Apple introduced the M2 chip in the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro back in the summer of 2022, so it makes sense that Apple would update the iMac with the M2 chip soon. However, recent rumors suggest that this is not the case. Instead, Apple could ditch the M2 chip and move straight to the M3 at the end of 2023.
In a January 2023 newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman stated that new M3-based Macs will arrive either later this year or early 2024.
New 24-inch iMac: Price
Apple has unveiled new iMac pricing for 2021, with the entry-level model priced at $1,299. Barring a major redesign like the MacBook Air, we expect the next model to cost the same.
However, when Apple added the M2 Pro and M2 Max processors to the MacBook Pro and Mac mini in January 2023, it also increased the price of existing iMac models in countries outside the US. In the UK, for example, each iMac model now costs £150 more. . Since Apple has adjusted prices in line with exchange rate fluctuations, we do not expect prices to rise again.
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New 24-inch iMac: design
When Apple introduced the iMac’s new look in 2021, it refined the all-in-one design with a set of two-tone options and a larger 24-inch screen that’s even thinner than before at 11.5 mm (0.45 inches).
While there are features we’d like to see, such as a height-adjustable kickstand and a smaller chin bar, we don’t expect much change in the design, other than perhaps new color options.
New 24-inch iMac: display
The 24-inch iMac features a 500-nit Retina 4.5K display with anti-glare and True Tone technology. While the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros brought the best miniLED display with ProMotion technology, we doubt the iMac display will change much with the second generation. We’d love to see ProMotion for iMac, but since it’s a more high-end feature, we’ll probably have to wait for a larger iMac or iMac Pro if it ever arrives.
New 24-inch iMac processor and specs
Gurman has repeatedly stated that the Apple M3 chip will be used in the next generation of the 24-inch iMac. This chip is supposed to be a stronger upgrade than the M2, and there are rumors that the new chips will be built using a new 3nm manufacturing process that will improve performance and power efficiency. Skip a generation, the next iMac will represent a significant leap over the current model.
The M1 iMac starts at 8GB of RAM, which is expandable up to 16GB. Apple’s Mac M2 offers upgrades to 16GB or 24GB, so the iMac will likely support those higher storage options as well.
iMac includes a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, but Apple has since introduced a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera with a 122-degree field of view in Studio Display. This is likely to come to the new iMac along with Center Stage, a feature that keeps you centered as you move. Apple has criticized the quality of the Studio Display camera, so we assume that it will fix these issues with the image signal processor of the M3 chip.
New 24-inch iMac: Ports
Entry-level iMacs come with two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack built into the side, while higher-end models have two additional USB 3 ports. More expensive models also have a Gigabit Ethernet jack in the power adapter, which costs extra $30 for the entry level model. With such thin bezels, it’s unlikely we’ll get an HDMI or SDXC card slot like the MacBook Pro and Mac Studio.
All recent Macs offer Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, which we expect to come to iMacs. In terms of audio, the iMac already has a six-speaker sound system that supports spatial audio, so we don’t expect it to be updated, although it may get dynamic head tracking when using AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods. Maximum.