Long-rumored Apple Silicon iMac Pro still in the works, but not coming soon
Apple is rumored to be working on a large-screen iMac Pro revival -- using the Apple Silicon M3 chip.
Apple is continuing to work on what could end up being a revival, with development of a larger-screened iMac reportedly still underway -- and using the Apple Silicon M3 chip.

After years of offering two iMac sizes and downsizing to just one 24-inch iMac, rumors have circulated about Apple making a big-screen counterpart. On Sunday, the rumors were revived, though with the added twist of including the next Apple Silicon chip generation.
In Sunday's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman answers a question about an iMac with a large display. In his response, Gurman believes Apple is still working on "a larger-screened iMac aimed at the professional market."
He goes on to say that the specific iMac will "use a variation of the M3 chip, likely an M3 Pro and M3 Max," which would match the chips used in the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
As for the reasoning behind its creation, Gurman doesn't think "the combination of a Mac Studio or Mac mini plus an Apple Studio Display cuts it for many pro users who want more screen real estate."
This is not the first time that Gurman has brought up a return of the retired iMac Pro. In April, he insisted a new model was coming but that it "won't be anytime soon."
Given the mention of the M3 chip family, and that Apple has only just started releasing devices using M2, it looks like much longer than a year until the supposed iMac Pro surfaces.
Read on AppleInsider
Apple is continuing to work on what could end up being a revival, with development of a larger-screened iMac reportedly still underway -- and using the Apple Silicon M3 chip.

After years of offering two iMac sizes and downsizing to just one 24-inch iMac, rumors have circulated about Apple making a big-screen counterpart. On Sunday, the rumors were revived, though with the added twist of including the next Apple Silicon chip generation.
In Sunday's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman answers a question about an iMac with a large display. In his response, Gurman believes Apple is still working on "a larger-screened iMac aimed at the professional market."
He goes on to say that the specific iMac will "use a variation of the M3 chip, likely an M3 Pro and M3 Max," which would match the chips used in the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
As for the reasoning behind its creation, Gurman doesn't think "the combination of a Mac Studio or Mac mini plus an Apple Studio Display cuts it for many pro users who want more screen real estate."
This is not the first time that Gurman has brought up a return of the retired iMac Pro. In April, he insisted a new model was coming but that it "won't be anytime soon."
Given the mention of the M3 chip family, and that Apple has only just started releasing devices using M2, it looks like much longer than a year until the supposed iMac Pro surfaces.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
The most challenging aspect is probably the XDR ProMotion display or displays. I doubt design is the problem, it’s the sourcing and costs that are difficult.
Clearly this is why Apple sunsetted the full-size HomePod, 12" ultrathin MacBook, and entire iPod product line.
An executive with less vision would have kept all of those alive.
The assertion here is that there is some interest in the pro market for a high quality Retina display 32" or larger driven by Apple Silicon. Clearly the Mac Studio can drive such a display panel. Whether or not it makes sense to be an all-in-one system is debatable.
The M2 Max and M2 Ultra require a substantial thermal solution and as we know, Apple likes their iMacs really thin. Putting something like an M2 Max/Ultra into an all-in-one without putting a big bulge on the back would be challenging.
One thing we can count on: there are prototypes sitting in a lab somewhere in Cupertino of both an all-in-one iMac Pro and a standalone large screen display. It's reasonable to assume that Apple receives sample parts of pretty much all commercially viable display panels. Naturally most will never see the light of day as a shipping Apple product. But that won't dissuade Apple from testing these components.
There are probably iMac Pros with big back bulges in the lab, something the senior executives will shake their heads at.
I’m still waiting on my Mac Studio Ultra which will run on an LG 5k2k monitor, so I don’t need a new iMac Pro right now. But when they finally release one (must have mini-LED backlight), I could see getting one as a secondary system.
Also, about the thermals, exactly on point. I think Apple would have to make an iMac Pro thicker than they'd like to keep it cool without throttling. From what I've seen with testing, Mac Studio can run pretty much indefinitely at max CPU/GPU power without overheating have have to start throttling. Even if Apple goes to 2nm for their next gen M2 Pro/Max/Ultra or whatever they want to call it it'll still need a really good cooling system for max performance. This is another reason why I just don't see where the iMac Pro fits into the line up.
And yet if Apple were to make a 32” or larger iMac Apple would sell out of all they could make.
Actually, they make what they can sell. For decades Apple has sold more notebook computers than desktops. Today, their Mac unit sales are >85% MacBooks.
Remember that Apple uses JIT manufacturing, they will only make what they can sell in 60 or so days. Pre-pandemic at launch there was often a supply-demand imbalance but after a few months, this balanced out and it was easy to find the products on store shelves for immediate sale.
They only make what they can sell. That's why they have no deep discounts to clear out old inventory. Apple's sales forecasting is superb; some of their channel partners aren't as skilled at this hence deeper discount at retail partners when a product launch is imminent.
Moreover, of each product family, the biggest sellers are always the entry level models not the high end models. Of the iMacs, it's always the smallest/least expensive iMac that sells the most units. Something like the iMac Pro is a niche product for the already small desktop market. I doubt if Apple sells more than 3-4 percentage points of iMac Pros.
That's probably why they discontinued the product. They know exactly how many iMac Pros sold and how that product line's sales trend was comparing to other Mac product lines.
It wasn't some middle level marketing manager who made the decision to stop producing the iMac Pro. The executive team pulled the plug. Remember that the iMac Pro was released as a stopgap measure while their engineering team designed a new Mac Pro after the ill-conceived Trashcan.
We know they have Apple Silicon iMac Pro prototypes sitting in their labs and likely in some scrap heaps. Hell, there's probably one with the 32" Pro Display XDR panel.
Whether it's "good enough" is one thing. Whether it's a large enough market for them to continue pursuing is something else.
Apple has a long history of killing off product lines even while profits are still good and consumers still have an interest in them.
This may simply be a response to global constraints in the pandemic era, but it is still good business.
An iMac Pro would seem to be for a niche of buyers who are minimalist and like the simplicity of an AIO. A niche of Mac buyers like it and would buy an AIO over a Mac Studio with an external displays.
It would be nice if they offered a high end AIO. Hope they go big with it. Say, an 8K 36” model, 10k zone miniLED (40k LEDs). An MBA15 would be higher in my priority list though.