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New 23” iMac coming in second half of 2020?


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New 23” iMac coming in second half of 2020?
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
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2020-04-21, 11:17

Well this is interesting: new rumor points to a new lower-cost 23"(!) iMac in the second half of 2020. Hmmm...

I would also hope/assume, halfway into 2020, any new Mac release - whether a simple update or a redesigned or brand new model - would come with 256GB SSD. The fact that the $799 Mac mini and $999 MacBook Air have this is a good sign. I can't imagine a $1,000+ desktop sticking with the spinners at this point. It's a little silly and tough to justify.

Maybe 2020 is the year Apple extracts their head from their luxury/upscale ass a little bit, and introduces some better bang-for-the-buck products for those who appreciate that sort of thing. So far they’ve delivered on the notebook and iPhone front, so maybe they’ve got something nice planned for their iconic AIO.

Not sure where a 23” iMac would fall on the “cheaper” scale...cheaper than the current 27” I guess? But the article isn’t written that way. Is it too much to hope for that they put out a 23” iMac for $999? Although they used to sell a 20” iMac and it got bumped up by 1.5”. 21.5 + 1.5 = 23, so it wouldn’t be unheard of, that amount of increase (especially after so many years).

If true, does that mean the 27” may go to 30”? Do the math...the smaller iMac goes up by 1.5”, while the larger increases by 3” (24, 27 and 30”)? It’s happened already, after all.

EDIT: According to MacTracker, the 21.5" and 27" iMacs replaced the 20" and 24" versions in October 2009, so we've had those sizes for over a decade now. The bodies have been tweaked, slimmed a few times, but the iMacs have had the same two display sizes for over 10 years, so that's a good long time and makes the notion of a slight size increase seem halfway reasonable/believable.

23" iMac with 256GB SSD for $1,099 (with a Retina display) would definitely hit the "bang-for-the-buck" mark (you currently have to jump up to $1,299 for a Retina-based iMac, so maybe that's what they mean by "lower-priced" 23" iMac...not quite $999, but less expensive than the current $1,299? Even if $1,199, that's more screen and a better hard drive (along with the processor updates, etc.) than you currently get for $1,299. That would be a very MacBook Air type of thing to do to the iMac line...

Great. I finally get my head around the idea of owning a 13" affordable portable and then the idea of a really nice iMac with ~10" of display for roughly the same price appears...thanks, Apple. I wish you could just release all your stuff at once so I could make an informed, all-cards-on-the-table decision! I'll convince myself a $1,799 13" MacBook Pro is the way to go and, two months later, Apple rolls out a sub-$1,399 iMac that trounces the hell out of it in every way.

EDIT #2: What do you think a 2020 redesigned iMac would consist of, port-wise? Being a desktop (where space/weight/size isn't a real concern) would they opt to keep some of the "legacy" ports as they do with the Mac mini (USB 3, Ethernet, etc.) onboard, or do you think they'd go the notebook route and just put in nothing but 2-4 Thunderbolt 3 ports? That makes no sense to me on a machine with room enough to include the others (and if the $799 mini has those, why not a $1,000+ iMac). With Ive out the door, maybe the drive for over-the-top minimalism left with him, so a new iMac might keep some useful ports around and not trigger a dongle orgy.

Anyway, interesting stuff. The idea of size increases on the iMac never really occurred to me, but that would require a bit of a design/chassis redesign and update as well. And after so many years (they went to the current rounded/slimmer back in late 2012), maybe they've come up with something a bit new/different on that front as well. The current design is so distilled down to just the basics, anything too crazy/different would just seem weird. But there are still things they could do in the framing/bezels, the stand, port placement, mobility (tilt/swilvel/rotation) to stir up some interest/sales. They've got that new $1,000 display stand to take inspiration from on that front. And they've never had a more enjoyable, useful iMac design than that chrome-armed iMac G4. Maybe they've come up with some sort of re-take on that whole thing with a cool adjustable display on the iMac once again?

2020 has been a fun time to be into this stuff, again...actual cool stuff not 100% centered around $700+ Phones and "services" is happening again. It's about damn time...this is the Apple I've missed.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2020-04-21 at 12:40.
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kscherer
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2020-04-21, 14:33

I'm not sure if "replacing" the 21.5" iMac with a larger model is such a good idea. We already have a slew of customers who are concerned that the smaller model is already too large, and would like something a bit smaller. Yes, there are people out there who want a smaller screen.

Should this rumor be true, I think it's not a good idea. We'll keep selling computers, but only because people don't have a choice.

Now, that said, I think that it will be OK if this new thing is the same physical size, but with less bezel. That would be mostly acceptable. Still, larger screens can sometimes be overwhelming for older customers, and they almost exclusively opt for the smaller screen version.

And, if Apple intros a new, larger screen at a lower price than the 21.5" model, that will create another confusing space in the lineup. I think what is more likely to happen is a 21.5" model dropping to $999, a new 23" model filling the $1299 to $1599 space, and the 27" remaining up around $1800.

But, I'm probably wrong.

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turtle
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2020-04-21, 15:34

I'm guessing they would keep the overall dimensions but trim the chin and change the aspect ratio. Just my guess though.
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psmith2.0
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2020-04-21, 15:42

I don't think people have a gripe with larger screens, really. As you said, if they could go to work on the bezels (the way they seem to be able to do on various iOS devices), a 23" display should fit in the current footprint of the 21.5" chassis.

I don't think Apple is ever going to make a smaller (17-19" iMac, although part of me would kinda dig that...I like that 17" size, having experience on that in both iMac and PowerBook G4 form, years ago). But if they've got some new design up their sleeve where a 23" iMac is in the rough space of a current 21.5", and for the same, or even a bit less, money, they know there will only be a sliver of the population who'd squawk about that. And they've proven plenty of times over the years that they don't seem interested in catering to/pleasing the "sliver" demographic.

The 21.5" might stick around, crippled/underspec'd, and sold for as cheap as possible. But the two larger models would be the new mainstream/flagship iMacs, I'm guessing.

Apple isn't going to make a design/manufacturing design based on what a handful of outliers want. They've told all us who like a 4"/one-hand-friendly iPhone to get bent.

Also, Apple is all about creating multiple, confusing and overlapping spaces. That'll be nothing new.

But seriously, I'd like to see them not do the iMac what they did the 12" MacBook/13" Air/Pro space in recent years...because, yes, that was a mess-and-a-half. No mortal could figure out the way and what of any of that nonsense. Thankfully, as of now, the "smaller notebook" field is fairly easy to navigate.

The iMac line already has an ugly-stepchild variant (non-Retina, low-speed, etc.). Up for debate if that needs to stick around or not.

It just seems like they could create a universal, smallish (23" if that's the reliable rumor) chassis and then populate it with whatever components they wanted to span a nice, something-for-everyone $999-1,799ish range...if someone wants a non-retina, spinning hard drive, 8GB RAM, etc. desktop AIO, they can get one for under $1,000. And then the rest would have Retina, SSD, some options on the graphics, etc.). I can "lottery spec" a currently 21.5" model for well over $2,500 if I wanted (max everything out). But I think most folks are served well in that $1,199-1,499 space...Retina displays and SSDs are "normal" now, and no sense making those some sort of "premium" BTO step up on this next go-around.

I'm hoping the recent Air and SE releases provide a clue as to the sort of approach they've got in store for the iMac.
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kscherer
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2020-04-21, 16:08

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
I'm hoping the recent Air and SE releases provide a clue as to the sort of approach they've got in store for the iMac.
As am I!

I'm going to be in the market for a new iMac in the summer time frame, but I can hold out until the end of the year if I need to. I've been waiting fo an industrial design change before I pull the trigger. Hopefully, this is this year. I sold my 2011 MB Pro, and my 2012 Mac Mini is not handling Catalina well (although I think that is because of all the miscellaneous fluff that's been migrated over the years—the next system will be starting from scratch). It's definitely time, but I'm waiting for Apple to release the right computer. QC i5, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Retina display, 21", $1500-ish. I can get pretty close to that right now, but waiting for the design refresh.

Then, I'll jump!

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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
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2020-04-21, 17:15

I’d love an iMac like that. I’m really hoping the era of “SSDs are super new and cutting edge and demand a premium!” idiocy has run its course.

It hasn’t been 2015 for a long time.
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kscherer
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2020-04-21, 17:20

Yeah, but Apple hasn't used 2015 SSD tech since, well, 2015!
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Frank777
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2020-04-21, 21:55

Cheaper because Apple is bringing its A-game?
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kscherer
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2020-04-22, 14:35

That could be. I won't be complaining.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
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2020-04-22, 14:42

Nobody’s saying they can’t do both. They can have their gold Hermes watches and $700 wheels, just keep regular folks/customers in mind too. So far, I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen the past month or two.

“Hey, it’s stuff I want, and that I can actually afford!”

I don’t think I uttered that once in 2018-2019.
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Frank777
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2020-04-22, 19:18

WWDC is going to be really interesting.

If the A-chip revolution is truly ready for the Mac masses, there's no better showpiece than to roll it out in a brand-new iMac.

For the media, the iMac is the personal computer synonymous with Apple, Even if the MacBook Pro line sells more machines now.

And if the bring-the-productivity-apps-to-iOS march is really a smokescreen for Mac-on-A-chip development, then the Adobe suite and Microsoft Office will be along in quick fashion. I expect that Apple's productivity and Pro Apps will be available at launch.

In fact, if Apple has been playing the really long game here, we may look back at the 2010 launch of the iPad and realize that the much-reviled 2011 total rebuild of Final Cut Pro X might have been influenced by moving the codebase to be eventually compatible with ARM. Is it possible this has been a decade-long project?

I may be getting ahead of things here, as 2021 is still the rumour. But I think it will be fun to make the chip transition this time, whenever it comes.
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kscherer
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2020-04-22, 19:41

Yes, Apple is playing the long game. And, as Steve said back in 2005, there is a building somewhere on Apple's campus where Mac OS Ax has been leading a secret double life.

And, yes, every app in Apple's pocket has been optimized—or is being optimized—for Mac OS Ax. This is already all running in the labs, or the sky is yellow!

And also, yes, Adobe and Microsoft are very well positioned to meet this next transition head-on, as most of their suites are already running on ARM. If they aren't seeing the writing on the wall, then they aren't very bright.

In fact, with MS having a lot of code already working on ARM, it may not be very long after Apple goes all in that the PC industry starts playing more than just part time. Intel should be scrambling right now, and if they aren't then they aren't very bright either.

And, if Apple does use the iMac as the jumping-off point, well, that would be pretty crazy. But I don't think that's the case. I think they start with a laptop in the MacBook range.

- AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :)
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Last edited by kscherer : 2020-04-22 at 19:52.
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PB PM
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2020-04-22, 20:04

Other than an maybe cheaper entry level model, I don't see Ax taking over the iMac lineup. Just not enough grunt.
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Frank777
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2020-04-28, 08:01

Quote:
Originally Posted by PB PM View Post
Other than an maybe cheaper entry level model, I don't see Ax taking over the iMac lineup. Just not enough grunt.
I don't think anyone's suggesting that iPhone chips are going to be inside the iMac line.
Apple clearly has Ax chips that have been purpose-built for higher-end Macs.
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kscherer
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2020-04-28, 09:59

I think they have stuff in the labs that is going to blow our minds!
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Matsu
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2020-04-30, 10:13

I think there are possibilities for many screen sizes. I’m quite used to having two 27” screens at home, and feel a bit limited by the 23” screen I have at work, but plenty of people have better eyesight than I do.

I would kind of be intrigued by a return to some form of cute and cuddly iMac in the spirit of the original gumdrops, something for the kids. Or maybe styled as an easel that can either lay flat or stand up, or any angle in-between, that merged touch and pen functions onto the screen. This probably couldn’t be too big for ergonomic reasons - has to be able to sit right at the lip of the desk and withstand being moved around - maybe I just want a larger iPad, I don’t know. Curious what something between an iMac and an iPad looks like if such a thing were designed by Apple, and not Wacom or MS.
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Frank777
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2020-05-01, 11:37

Are these things in production yet? Is it too late to add USB4 with 8K?
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psmith2.0
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2020-05-05, 14:15

Hopefully these things are further along than we realize and, like yesterday's 13" MacBook Pro, they just pop up on Apple's site one morning, out of nowhere, here in the next month or two (before mid-summer).

Kinda makes you wonder if this virus and all surrounding it is delaying, or fast-tracking, Apple releases?

During these "difficult times" (I'm just quoting every TV commercial I see), we've managed to see a nicely updated MacBook Air, a new awesome iPhone and a snazzy new 13" Pro (well, two models anyway) all get released. If any upcoming iMac updates are half this impressive in the bang-for-the-buck department, Apple's got a really solid, for-the-rest-of-us lineup for 2020!

Not sure how this all affects the iPhone 12 release, but I honestly don't care either. Once this iMac update arrives, everything I truly care about, Apple-wise, will have been updated/released for 2020...and that's when I start to drop some $$$ like a drunken sailor (apologies to any present drunken sailors).
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kscherer
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2020-05-05, 14:34

Drew will not be happy! 24-hour ban for triggering the drunken sailer.
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chucker
 
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2020-05-05, 14:45

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Hopefully these things are further along than we realize and, like yesterday's 13" MacBook Pro, they just pop up on Apple's site one morning, out of nowhere, here in the next month or two (before mid-summer).

Kinda makes you wonder if this virus and all surrounding it is delaying, or fast-tracking, Apple releases?
Neither, I'd say.

Comet Lake-S (which would be appropriate for a new iMac) was just announced last week. So if they do announce new iMacs in May, that makes sense to me.

For the Air in March and the 13-inch Pro this week, it's harder to say because Intel never announced those CPUs in advance (they appear to be custom parts that only Apple gets to buy*). But I think those, too, weren't gonna come much sooner; the CPUs weren't ready. Nor much later: Apple needed to put the Magic Keyboard in there!

*) I wonder if this is Apple's gun-to-the-head approach with Intel right now? They've just about had it with Intel's delays, and as a concession, Intel is a bit friendlier towards making parts just/mostly the way Apple wants them?

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
During these "difficult times" (I'm just quoting every TV commercial I see), we've managed to see a nicely updated MacBook Air, a new awesome iPhone and a snazzy new 13" Pro (well, two models anyway) all get released. If any upcoming iMac updates are half this impressive in the bang-for-the-buck department,
Probably not. Intel's 65W CPUs aren't moving to 10nm yet*, so we get another warming-over. The CPU will probably be offered with up to ten cores this time, but otherwise won't wow anyone. The GPU will probably go to the new Navi generation, so that's good.

If we're lucky, we'll get a more interesting iMac upgrade next year.

*) yes, yes, Apple could go with AMD. But they probably won't.
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Frank777
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2020-05-05, 15:16

I could really use a new iMac, but it doesn't matter if it comes in May. I'm not buying anything until I see the WWDC 2020 keynote.
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kscherer
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2020-05-05, 15:30

I'm ready for a new iMac as well, and am also waiting until the keynote—and the next rev.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
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2020-05-05, 18:30

Yeah, I wouldn't buy one right now if there's any truth to the above rumors. Might be in for a treat in the next few months.

If nothing else (if the new ones aren't all that appealing for whatever reason), the current-generation refurbs will drop another chunk and that might be a way to go too.

I don't have to buy anything at the moment, so I've got the luxury of waiting to see what pans out on the iMac front. At which point, I'll have 3-4 options to narrow down...two notebooks, or a new (or refurb) 21.5" iMac. One of those four will win the contest.
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Syulaschi
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2020-05-14, 05:36

my old Mac will still give heat to all new ones. in addition, the price at the start will obviously be overstated. the product is of course high-quality but the first batch is also not immune from malfunctions. it’s better to wait a few months for usage comments to appear
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kscherer
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2020-05-14, 11:13

Good to know. How are things in South Africa?
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Frank777
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2020-05-21, 23:17

I hope those iMacs aren't in production yet...
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drewprops
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2020-05-22, 19:00

4GB/second?
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709
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2020-05-22, 19:31

I still have some of my shit on Zip disks.
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Frank777
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2020-05-22, 21:36

Quote:
Originally Posted by drewprops View Post
4GB/second?
Apparently. I'm guessing it's for shuttling around video files between movie houses working on future Star Wars episodes.

As usual, I have no immediate need for this tech. But I want it.
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drewprops
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2020-05-22, 23:02

Quote:
Originally Posted by 709 View Post
I still have some of my shit on Zip disks.



...
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