iMac Pro 2021

New iMac 2021 release date, price & specs for M1 iMac redesign

@amdix concept created

Apple and design used to go hand in hand, helped somewhat by the presence of design guru Jony Ive who was the head of design at Apple until he left in 2019. We don't doubt that Apple can continue to innovate beautifully designed products without Ive, but we are starting to feel concerned that the part of Apple's DNA associated with design expertise has been locked away somewhere, because there are a number of products that have maintained the same design for a long long time.

Longest of all is the iMac. The iMac has not visually changed since 2009. Even then it was only a minor change - a slightly more tapered, thinner side-view made possible by the removal of the DVD drive (remember them?) Prior to that the Aluminium iMac design still familiar today had been introduced in 2007.

This is one reason why we are hoping that the rumours are true and that in 2021 Apple will finally get around to redesigning the iMac. For more reasons why Apple needs to update the iMac design read: Why the iMac needs a redesign.

It's not only a redesign we are hoping for though. Having seen the achievements of Apple's M1 Chip inside the MacBook Air, 13in MacBook Pro and Mac mini we can't wait to see what Apple can do with its own M-series chips inside the iMac - and it seems that Apple is planning an even more powerful processor for the 2021 iMac, as we will discuss below.

To find out what was new in the 2020 iMac read this: iMac 2020 price and specs. Plus here's how the 2020 iMac compares to the 2019 iMac and our review of the new 2020 27in iMac.

When is the new iMac coming out?
Apple said we would see some new Macs with Apple processors in 2020 and subsequently launched its MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini in November, but there was no new iMac.

This might have been disappointing if you were hoping for a new iMac, but it's probably good news as it means the upcoming iMac update will be worth waiting for. We anticipate that Apple will be introducing a brand-new design for the iMac and adding an even better M-series chip. Perhaps an M1X, or even an M2 (more on that below).

So when can we expect to see this brand new iMac?

A report in The China Times back in October 2020, discussed here, suggested that the M1 iMac would launch in spring 2021.

We think this new iMac could appear in the spring. There are rumours that Apple will hold an event in March 2021, so it is feasible we could see it then.

Indeed, as Apple is now (as of March 2021) listing multiple configurations of the 21.5in iMac as "currently unavailable", is certainly looks like they will soon be replaced by new models with M1 - or M1X - processors.

However, we think that Apple might make us wait until June and launch the new model at WWDC 2021.

Apple's also stopped selling all but the entry-level iMac Pro. Read about whether that means the iMac Pro is discontinued, or if Apple has something even better planned.

iMac redesign
Aside from the new processor (discussed in detail below) there is something else coming that is just as exciting (if not more so). The iMac is said to be getting a redesign.

There are lots of reasons why we think it's time for Apple to redesign the iMac: it's not very ergonomic, the design looks dated, and the screen is no longer worth bragging about. As we said at the beginning of this article, our main criticism is that the iMac design hasn't really changed in over a decade. This is, in fact, the longest Apple has ever gone without refreshing a product's design. We discuss why the iMac needs a redesign here.

So, on the assumption that Apple must be looking at redesigning the iMac, what do we expect to see?

Sources quotes in a Bloomberg report indicate that we can expect to see Apple slim down the boarders around the screen - often referred to as the bezels. The size of the 'chin' below the screen will also be reduced. Additionally the iMac will have a completely flat back, rather than the curved rear it has currently. Read more: Redesigned iMac and G4 Cube-like Mac Pro coming.

Alongside slimmer bezels we expect to see a bigger display and better display tech on the iMac, based on the redesigns that other Macs have undergone. By transitioning to slimmer bezels we could see a bigger screen on the iMac without the iMac itself getting any bigger. There are in fact rumours that a 23in iMac is destined to replace the 21.5in model (more on that below).

The new model could take design cues from the Pro Display XDR display (pictured below) and it will apparently adopt an "iPad Pro like design language" and "Pro Display like bezels". As per Sonny Dickson's tweet here:


imac m1x

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