Apple expected to offer more affordable 'budget' iMac next year

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited April 2014
Apple will get more aggressive on pricing its all-in-one iMac desktop in 2014, with a new "budget" model apparently slated to launch next year, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities.

iMac


Kuo, who has earned a positive reputation for accurately predicting Apple's future product plans, revealed in a research note on Saturday that new lower-cost version of its iMac desktop in the works.

He believes the lower pricing will boost overall iMac shipments by between 10 and 20 percent year over year in 2014. Currently, Apple's most affordable 21.5-inch iMac retails for $1,299.

According to Kuo, fewer-than-expected iMacs were shipped worldwide after the desktop was updated with a redesign in late 2012. He believes the price was set too high, which has prompted the company to work on a new "budget iMac model" that will help drive shipments in non-U.S. markets.

Apple surprised with a refresh to its iMac lineup late last month. The latest desktops feature Intel's Haswell CPUs, 802.11ac W-Fi, and GeForce 700-series graphics.

iPad mini


Also mentioned by Kuo on Saturday is was a third-generation iPad mini, unsurprisingly said to be in the works for a 2014 launch. Few details were offered on the new model, as the second-generation iPad mini has yet to be announced.

Kuo reiterated on Saturday that the second-generation iPad mini, which Apple is expected to officially unveil at an event on Oct. 22, will feature a high-resolution Retina display. He expects the third-generation iPad mini penned to launch in 2014 to feature the same resolution as the second-generation model, though he does believe Apple will increase the resolution on a sixth-generation full-size iPad next year.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 200
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,631member

    In order to appeal to the school market, I'd say Apple needs a $799 iMac or a Mac mini plus display combination for the same or less.  

     

    But apple doesn't cater to the low end, and that tends to be what schools buy.  So unless it is a machine with last year's or older specs, it will have to be crippled in some way (display, memory, HDD, etc.) for Apple to hold their margins.

  • Reply 2 of 200
    Everytime they come out with a budget model, folks buy the nicer ones. So many 5c's in stock right now.
  • Reply 3 of 200
    @Rob

    In stock because they can. 5c is 2nd best selling phone at ATT / Sprint.. beating out the Galaxy S4 of all things. 3rd at Verizon and T-Mobile.. so ANY statements that it's not selling well are simply false.. They ramped up for stock for coming holiday, then ramp down unless demand calls for more.. standard manufacturing.. companies do this all the time..

    All I'm hearing is same gloom and doom, in spite of awesome sales numbers from cell companies, that don't seem to be dropping.. The price drops from Walmart, BBY, and others are standard op.. They did this almost right away with the Galaxy S4.. you didn't hear it wasn't selling well. We are in the holiday season for buying.. TONS of specials going on and ramping up..

    pfff.. They will practically be giving away nearly all phones soon in ramp up for black friday. Maybe all phones are doomed then! !!!! ;p
  • Reply 4 of 200
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post

    Apple will get more aggressive on pricing its all-in-one iMac desktop in 2014, with a new  budget” model

     

    Why don’t idiots understand what the Mac Mini is? Is it the shape that throws them off? 

  • Reply 5 of 200
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    Let me guess, to lower the price, Apple will replace the aluminum case of the iMac with 5 colored plastic options with last years internals ...
  • Reply 6 of 200
    wardcwardc Posts: 150member

    This is kind of like the eMac Apple may be going for here.

     

    If Apple sells a clocked down dual-core i5 desktop with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB Flash Drive, 21.5" display, 802.11ac WiFi, and redesigns the case materials to be more affordable, Apple could build such a machine in the $400 range and sell it for $799 easily. DONE

  • Reply 7 of 200
    I just want a 30-inch iMac with a retina display and fusion drive for $2200 USD.
  • Reply 8 of 200
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    mac_128 wrote: »
    Let me guess, to lower the price, Apple will replace the aluminum case of the iMac with 5 colored plastic options with last years internals ...
    I like that idea. Even a three year old iMac is a very capable machine so last years model is fine. A white plastic shell would look nice. The new e-Mac. Well, it's feasible but I'm not convinced.
  • Reply 9 of 200
    wardcwardc Posts: 150member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by davebarnes View Post



    I just want a 30-inch iMac with a retina display and fusion drive for $2200 USD.

    Make that a Matte display.

  • Reply 10 of 200
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by davebarnes View Post



    I just want a 30-inch iMac with a retina display and fusion drive for $2200 USD.

     

    You can wish in one hand and crap in the other...see which ones fills up first. Cold day in hell before you see anything close to this for that price. 

  • Reply 11 of 200
    Originally Posted by macxpress0660 View Post

    Cold day in hell before you see anything close to this for that price. 


     

    Or a fall day in 2016. Not a 30”, granted, but…

  • Reply 12 of 200
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

     

    Why don’t idiots understand what the Mac Mini is? Is it the shape that throws them off? 


     

    Because if you don't have a keyboard, mouse, and display by the time you get these, you're damn close to the price of an iMac if you have to buy these all at once. 

     

    Yes, I do have a Mac mini, but already had an Apple keyboard (yes, I know you can use any USB one), with a gaming mouse, and got a good deal on a 23" IPS Dell display. So it was still more affordable for me to go Mac mini, but this isn't the case for everyone. 

     

    This being said, I hate that Apple is doing this "budget" crap if this is indeed true. They're starting to think they need to cater to everyone. This is where they need to stop and keep doing what they're doing. 

  • Reply 13 of 200
    Apple has had budget iMacs before. Nothing really too new about the concept.
  • Reply 14 of 200
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member

    WTF people. 

     

    There are complaints about Apple gear being too expensive, and there's insensible screaming about an "Apple Tax" . . . or something. Then there's news of a possible reduction in price (as if in response to this inanity). THEN there are complaints about Apple watering down their lineup with "cheap" computers. 

     

    O.o

     

    Apple knows their shit. Even in a market downturn they manage to ride it out. And who else can successfully (to Apple's degree) cannibalize their own products? 

     

    Additionally, for the Chicken Littles, this is a RUMOUR. 

     

    Grain of salt, folks. 

  • Reply 15 of 200
    xzuxzu Posts: 139member

    In a little over a week, Apple's entire line up of computers that will not include one computer you can add an additional internal hard drive nor video card. Really, a mini with non-descreet graphics? iMacs with mobile graphics and a Mac Pro with fixed pro graphics.... What happened to the desktop computer? Reinvented or completely ignored? I built a hackintosh for $1800 with great graphics, multiple drives, and plenty of ram... It looks like crap but I have given up on Apple desktops after 7 iMacs... I will never buy and all-one-computer again.... it is so 1999. Their portables are amazing... but how about a small tower, two drive slots, and 3 pci slots? And really give us a choice of some monitors... 24", 27", 30" + 42" with a tv tuner.

  • Reply 16 of 200
    Originally Posted by macxpress0660 View Post

    Because if you don't have a keyboard, mouse, and display by the time you get these, you're damn close to the price of an iMac if you have to buy these all at once. 


     

    Thing is, the Mac Mini is specifically for switchers. BYODKM. They toss their trash Windows tower and plug a Mac Mini in its place. They even get to keep their cigarette-stained keyboards and their mice that are so greasy you have to wear gloves to use them. 

     

    A slightly cheaper iMac won’t do squat to get the morons who pay $200 for a computer every two years to buy a Mac. Apple apparently needs to better explain that the Mac Mini, at $600, will last five times longer than the Windows machine it replaced, without any maintenance during its lifetime.

     

    Originally Posted by xZu View Post

    What happened to the desktop computer?

     

    Two decades happened to it. Welcome to the future, also known as modern day.

  • Reply 17 of 200
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member

    The low-end iMac is already pretty budget. Integrated graphics, HD instead of SSD, 21" screen only. And it's very reasonably priced. I don't really see how they can go much cheaper without going to a plastic case. But heck, that's exactly what they just did with the iPhone.

  • Reply 18 of 200
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    eriamjh wrote: »
    In order to appeal to the school market, I'd say Apple needs a $799 iMac or a Mac mini plus display combination for the same or less.  

    But apple doesn't cater to the low end, and that tends to be what schools buy.  So unless it is a machine with last year's or older specs, it will have to be crippled in some way (display, memory, HDD, etc.) for Apple to hold their margins.

    Apple does have school pricing.

    If anything, Maybe Apple will bring back the 17" as the "budget" model for $900/1000?
  • Reply 19 of 200
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Kuo, who has earned a positive reputation for accurately predicting Apple's future product plans, revealed in a research note on Saturday that new lower-cost version of its iMac desktop in the works.

    I would really love to see someone actually keep track of stuff like this.

    Kuo has certainly been right on some of his predictions, but he throws around so much crap, it would be impossible for him to be wrong 100% of the time. But I sure haven't seen any evidence that he's any more accurate than any of the other neanderthal analysts.
  • Reply 20 of 200
    xzu wrote: »
    I built a hackintosh...

    ...how about a small tower, two drive slots, and 3 pci slots? And really give us a choice of some monitors... 24", 27", 30" + 42" with a tv tuner.

    Firstly, did you steal OSX?

    Secondly, buy a Mac mini. It has thunderbolt, hdmi etc. and move into this century honestly.
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