There have been rumors about a new 27-inch iMac for some time now, even the possibility that it may launch this year as the iMac Pro 2023. Unfortunately, it seems like this machine may never see the light of day, either powered by Apple Silicon or otherwise.
Apple has confirmed to The Verge that it has no plans to build a 27-inch iMac. Instead the company has said anyone holding out for such a larger-screened machine will have to pick up a Studio display with either a Mac Studio or Mac Mini. The Studio Display measures 27-inches and offers 5K resolution but also costs $1,599 by itself.
There’s also the new 24-inch iMac M3, which starts at $1,299 and comes powered by the new M3 chip. It may be a smaller 4.5K screen, but it means you don’t need to buy a separate computer to get stuff done.
The last version 27-inch iMac was officially retired in March 2022, but despite rumors there has been no sign of an M series chip replacement. Which is strange, because the machine was one of Apple’s flagship products — popular with consumers and professionals alike. That happens when you combine a large hi-res screen with a solid set of speakers and powerful graphical and computational performance.
Take all that and run it on Apple Silicon, and you have the recipe for something truly great. But as all other Apple machines, including desktops and iPads, have gradually moved to M-series chips, the 27-inch iMac lies forgotten. Clearly Apple would like customers to opt for other things, like the Studio Display.
But as powerful as a Studio Display would be when paired with a Mac mini or Mac Studio, it doesn’t have the same neatness you’d get from one of the best all-in-one computers. As for the 24-inch iMac, well, it’s a great machine and by far the best iMac Apple has created. But the loss of the extra screen space isn’t going to do it any favors.
Maybe we’ll see a larger iMac, possibly even an iMac Pro, at some point in the future. But for now, it looks like you’ll all have to give up waiting and pick up a different product in Apple’s lineup.
