Retired leaker claims iMac with bigger screen is on the way

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited April 2021
A refresh of the iMac line to include Apple Silicon could also bring with it a new display size, a prominent leaker predicts, with at least one model potentially having a larger screen than the existing 27-inch model.




Apple currently offers consumers the choice of two iMac sizes, with a smaller 21.5-inch model alongside a 27-inch version. If a tweet by serial leaker "Lovetodream" is true, the range could include a model with an even larger display.

Tweeted on Saturday, the leaker mused on the iMac screen in Chinese, stating the display "is really big and bigger than the biggest," as spotted by 9to5Mac and translated by Google. The tweet seems to suggest the new models will include at least one that will have a larger viewable area than the existing 27-inch model.

However, the leaker followed up with a tweet that put the claim into question, observing "I don't know why you guys like to over-interpret my words." The account also previously tweeted that they had retired from leaking.

Apple is thought to be working on a pair of redesigned iMac models sporting Apple Silicon chips. In January, a report claimed the models were codenamed J456 and J457, and borrowed design ideas from the Pro Display XDR by having slimmer bezels and no metal chin.

Earlier rumors have also put forward the idea of a 24-inch iMac model.

Some signs of hardware change have occurred, including the end of production for some 21.5-inch iMac configurations in March, as well as the official discontinuation of the iMac Pro. Hardware identifiers for an "iMac21.1" and "iMac21,2" have also been found in the macOS Big Sur 11.3 beta ahead of an expected spring refresh.

If Apple is to expand the display size, it will have to also increase the resolution so the iMac retains its Retina-level resolution. Since the 27-inch is a 5K panel, a larger screen may end up moving to a 6K resolution, which could end up pushing up the price of the model.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 39
    cpenzonecpenzone Posts: 114member
    I guess he's not retired.
    napoleon_phoneapartwookie01entropysapplguyeriamjhdoozydozenOctoMonkeywatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 39
    Eric_WVGGEric_WVGG Posts: 972member
    I’m personally betting on a new iMac Pro that uses the screen from the XDR display. 

    1. Apple went through a lot of trouble to get that thing designed, and there’s simply no way they’re selling in quantities that made it worthwhile.

    2. The iMac Pro suffered from lack of distinction from the iMac. Yes, it was more powerful, but the iMac was no slouch. An XDR iMac would be fucking pro.

    (but probably not this year)
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 39
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    I don’t see this coming in the first half off 2021. I also think a new ASi iMac will NOT have user upgradeable RAM either. While it may come with a 32GB option and more ports it will follow the same path as the Mini, a single SOC including RAM and SS Storage.

    That’s my ‘leak’
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 39
    Same size with no bezel == bigger screen.
    Why the surprise?
    chasmmike1
  • Reply 5 of 39
    danoxdanox Posts: 3,284member
    A larger screen needs to happen with a design that is somewhat easy to fix (access) ram and graphics.

    Let’s move on Apple as soon as possible.
    edited April 2021 williamlondon
  • Reply 6 of 39
    cpenzone said:
    I guess he's not retired.u
    "Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in!"
    Ofergregoriusmtokyojimuentropyswatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 39
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    danox said:
    A larger screen needs to happen with a design that somewhat easy fix (access) ram and graphics.

    Let’s move on Apple as soon as possible.
    Nope. Apple’s new paradigm will not have access to either RAM or Graphics cards. Those who are expecting this will be sorely disappointed. In my opinion the only Mac that will see that will be the Mac Pro when it comes. The iMac has always been the computer for the rest of us average users. The new ASi iMacs will double down on that legacy and provide out-of-the-box-and-plug-it-in simplicity. Those who think they have to root around in the guts of their machines and tinker away should really start thinking about moving to a different platform. These new iMacs are going to be even more sealed and locked down. And that’s a good thing for users like me who just want to use their machine, not fiddle with it. I also buy automobiles wit the features I want and not having to add them later, which I can’t anyway.
    edited April 2021 Oferwilliamlondonrandominternetpersonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 39
    cpenzone said:
    I guess he's not retired.u
    "Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in!"
    Much like 'Hotel California' then...
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 39
    I hope they offer a 32” or 40” model.  If not I am going to go to the Mini with that size of display. I use my Mac for things that real estate is needed (desired) and as a movie watching device.  So 27” is the minimum and is small in comparison.  My work setup is one 32” and one 40” 4K displays and it is perfect.

    I agree that having a user accessible port for ram and a hard drive would be perfect.  Maybe you have the AS unified memory and the user can offload the over burden to the user added ram instead of to the SSD?  Then the user added ssd can be a M.2 with a socketed lightning slot, so I could use it for my data files or process files so I don’t have to use up my integrated SSD so fast.  Right now I am doing the same with an external lightning 3 drive and while it works, I would love to keep the all in one aspect.
    gregoriusmboboliciouswatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 39
    WgkruegerWgkrueger Posts: 352member
    lkrupp said:
    danox said:
    A larger screen needs to happen with a design that somewhat easy fix (access) ram and graphics.

    Let’s move on Apple as soon as possible.
    Nope. Apple’s new paradigm will not have access to either RAM or Graphics cards. Those who are expecting this will be sorely disappointed. In my opinion the only Mac that will see that will be the Mac Pro when it comes. The iMac has always been the computer for the rest of us average users. The new ASi iMacs will double down on that legacy and provide out-of-the-box-and-plug-it-in simplicity. Those who think they have to root around in the guts of their machines and tinker away should really start thinking about moving to a different platform. These new iMacs are going to be even more sealed and locked down. And that’s a good thing for users like me who just want to use their machine, not fiddle with it. I also buy automobiles wit the features I want and not having to add them later, which I can’t anyway.
    I agree 100%. Used to build my own PCs until I went Apple. Now it’s just too easy to get what I want / need straight from Apple. 
    get seriousdoozydozenrandominternetpersonStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 39
    WgkruegerWgkrueger Posts: 352member

    I hope they offer a 32” or 40” model.  If not I am going to go to the Mini with that size of display. I use my Mac for things that real estate is needed (desired) and as a movie watching device.  So 27” is the minimum and is small in comparison.  My work setup is one 32” and one 40” 4K displays and it is perfect.

    I agree that having a user accessible port for ram and a hard drive would be perfect.  Maybe you have the AS unified memory and the user can offload the over burden to the user added ram instead of to the SSD?  Then the user added ssd can be a M.2 with a socketed lightning slot, so I could use it for my data files or process files so I don’t have to use up my integrated SSD so fast.  Right now I am doing the same with an external lightning 3 drive and while it works, I would love to keep the all in one aspect.
    Im seeing Apple platform as one that’s perfect without having to mess with the internals. Even my Linux box is a Dell, albeit with a minor mods but that was because I got the box for $200 and could afford to play 😁
    get seriouswatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 39
    WgkruegerWgkrueger Posts: 352member
    The biggest iMac is 27” so he’s in line with all the other rumors of a 32” screen. 
    doozydozenwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 39
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,521member
    Eric_WVGG said:
    I’m personally betting on a new iMac Pro that uses the screen from the XDR display. 

    You're betting incorrectly, IMO. There's little to no chance of another iMac Pro. Sorry.
    tokyojimuStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 39
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,521member

    Same size with no bezel == bigger screen.
    Why the surprise?
    This would be my bet as well. Reducing the bezel sufficiently could take the existing 27-inch and turn it into a 30-inch, likewise the 21.5-inch might be able to get to 23 or 24 inch with reduced bezels. I don't think a major redesign of the iMac (which is pretty perfect, especially with the RAM door in the 27") is on for this year. I think it will take quite some time and the next generation of Mx chips before the design department needs to rethink the Mac line to reflect the changed engineering possibilities.
    baconstangwatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 39
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,521member

    danox said:
    A larger screen needs to happen with a design that somewhat easy fix (access) ram and graphics.

    I agree that having a user accessible port for ram and [SSD] would be perfect.  Maybe you have the AS unified memory and the user can offload the over burden to the user added ram instead of to the SSD?  Then the user added ssd can be a M.2 with a socketed lightning slot, so I could use it for my data files or process files so I don’t have to use up my integrated SSD so fast.  Right now I am doing the same with an external [Thunderbolt] 3 drive and while it works, I would love to keep the all in one aspect.
    I think it extremely unlikely that the user-accessible RAM door in the current 27-inch will survive in the next design. You order it with the RAM you're going to need, especially when future gens of the Mx chip offer more than 16GB. Apple has zero reason to offer the option of third-party RAM slots with the Mx design, especially once the M-family line can handle more than 16GB, which I expect will happen late this year or early next.

    Now keeping that door but making it accessible to an additional storage slot instead would be appreciated. Apple's view thus far has been that you can add all the super-fast storage you want via TB3 (and the forthcoming TB4) and/or USB-C (and for 90+ percent of consumers this is correct and more than sufficient), but I certainly agree it would be nice to be able to drop in an M.2 or future iteration of SSD tech into a spare user-accessible slot for additional internal storage.

    At present, however, Apple uses a proprietary connector for their storage SSDs, so I wouldn't get my hopes up too much for the possibility of additional third-party internal storage. But even if you had to get the storage expansion module from Apple, it would still be a nice thing to have for the tiny but vocal market that wants the option.
    gregoriusmStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 39
    danvmdanvm Posts: 1,465member
    lkrupp said:
    danox said:
    A larger screen needs to happen with a design that somewhat easy fix (access) ram and graphics.

    Let’s move on Apple as soon as possible.
    Nope. Apple’s new paradigm will not have access to either RAM or Graphics cards. Those who are expecting this will be sorely disappointed. In my opinion the only Mac that will see that will be the Mac Pro when it comes. The iMac has always been the computer for the rest of us average users. The new ASi iMacs will double down on that legacy and provide out-of-the-box-and-plug-it-in simplicity. Those who think they have to root around in the guts of their machines and tinker away should really start thinking about moving to a different platform. These new iMacs are going to be even more sealed and locked down. And that’s a good thing for users like me who just want to use their machine, not fiddle with it. I also buy automobiles wit the features I want and not having to add them later, which I can’t anyway.
    Although sealed / non upgradable devices have some benefits, it also create issues.  For example, you don't see Apple offering on-site service for their notebooks.  And if the Apple "double down" with the new iMac, as you said, it could mean that the Mac Pro could be the only device with onsite support.  All of my customers have on-site support in their Lenovo devices, and it's very nice have someone to fix the devices at the office.  No mail or visit to a store, like with Apple devices.

    Other issue from non upgradable devices is that you have to replace everything when something is damage.  For example, we had a logic board issue in a mobile workstation, and since the RAM and SSD was replaceable, the user didn't lose any data, neither a restore was needed.  That's different from Apple, where you have to replace everything, and there are cases where it result in data loss, like this case I read recently.  

    https://medium.com/codex/my-macbook-air-m1-is-dead-a394e3581e95
  • Reply 17 of 39
    mcdavemcdave Posts: 1,927member
    danvm said:
    lkrupp said:
    danox said:
    A larger screen needs to happen with a design that somewhat easy fix (access) ram and graphics.

    Let’s move on Apple as soon as possible.
    Nope. Apple’s new paradigm will not have access to either RAM or Graphics cards. Those who are expecting this will be sorely disappointed. In my opinion the only Mac that will see that will be the Mac Pro when it comes. The iMac has always been the computer for the rest of us average users. The new ASi iMacs will double down on that legacy and provide out-of-the-box-and-plug-it-in simplicity. Those who think they have to root around in the guts of their machines and tinker away should really start thinking about moving to a different platform. These new iMacs are going to be even more sealed and locked down. And that’s a good thing for users like me who just want to use their machine, not fiddle with it. I also buy automobiles wit the features I want and not having to add them later, which I can’t anyway.
    Although sealed / non upgradable devices have some benefits, it also create issues.  For example, you don't see Apple offering on-site service for their notebooks.  And if the Apple "double down" with the new iMac, as you said, it could mean that the Mac Pro could be the only device with onsite support.  All of my customers have on-site support in their Lenovo devices, and it's very nice have someone to fix the devices at the office.  No mail or visit to a store, like with Apple devices.

    Other issue from non upgradable devices is that you have to replace everything when something is damage.  For example, we had a logic board issue in a mobile workstation, and since the RAM and SSD was replaceable, the user didn't lose any data, neither a restore was needed.  That's different from Apple, where you have to replace everything, and there are cases where it result in data loss, like this case I read recently.  

    https://medium.com/codex/my-macbook-air-m1-is-dead-a394e3581e95
    Yes. Shame the whole system isn’t on a card or stick you can just swap out for repair or upgrade. With ASi that should be possible.
    edited April 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 39
    boboliciousbobolicious Posts: 1,167member
    I hope they offer a 32” or 40” model.  If not I am going to go to the Mini with that size of display. I use my Mac for things that real estate is needed (desired) and as a movie watching device.  So 27” is the minimum and is small in comparison.  My work setup is one 32” and one 40” 4K displays and it is perfect.

    I agree that having a user accessible port for ram and a hard drive would be perfect.  Maybe you have the AS unified memory and the user can offload the over burden to the user added ram instead of to the SSD?  Then the user added ssd can be a M.2 with a socketed lightning slot, so I could use it for my data files or process files so I don’t have to use up my integrated SSD so fast.  Right now I am doing the same with an external lightning 3 drive and while it works, I would love to keep the all in one aspect.
    I too have a couple of 40" 4K curved displays and find them great for the pro work, also @ 110 dpi so the cinema and thunderbolt displays are size matched... The 40" also have multiple inputs and I can even run a legacy G4 powerbook to access older files at dual link resolution when needed...
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 39
    cpenzonecpenzone Posts: 114member
    Eric_WVGG said:
    I’m personally betting on a new iMac Pro that uses the screen from the XDR display. 

    1. Apple went through a lot of trouble to get that thing designed, and there’s simply no way they’re selling in quantities that made it worthwhile.

    2. The iMac Pro suffered from lack of distinction from the iMac. Yes, it was more powerful, but the iMac was no slouch. An XDR iMac would be fucking pro.

    (but probably not this year)
    I never understood why they didn't make the iMac Pro 1/3rd or 2/3rds wider. That's what Pros need. I'd love to have an iMac that was wider so I didn't need a second monitor.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 39
    Eric_WVGG said:
    I’m personally betting on a new iMac Pro that uses the screen from the XDR display. 

    1. Apple went through a lot of trouble to get that thing designed, and there’s simply no way they’re selling in quantities that made it worthwhile.

    2. The iMac Pro suffered from lack of distinction from the iMac. Yes, it was more powerful, but the iMac was no slouch. An XDR iMac would be fucking pro.

    (but probably not this year)
    This is very unlikely. It is a niche product as is. Selling a $10K+ iMac doesn’t sound likely. Particularly since the backlight for this screen already makes it an inch thick. I don’t think Apple will want to go thicker.  Putting the display in an iMac Pro is not going to make it less expensive. It is already a great deal for what it is.
    edited April 2021 watto_cobra
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