While we’re expecting a few different new Mac launches this year like the 15-inch MacBook Air and Apple Silicon Mac Pro, one product that’s been notably absent from rumors is a refreshed iMac. Now we’ve got news from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on what to expect from the next iMac including chip, size, colors, a potential launch date, and more on the next-gen MacBook Air.
Mark shared the iMac details and more in his Power On newsletter this morning noting the most common question he gets each week is “when is a new iMac coming out?”
New iMac development stage
He says the good news is that the next-gen iMacs, codenamed J433 and J434 are “at an advanced stage” of engineering validation testing (EVT) and Apple is currently running production tests of the desktop.
New iMac size and colors?
9to5Mac reported last year that Apple wasn’t working on anything but a 24-inch version of the new iMac and Mark reports that is indeed the only size the next iMac will be available.
As for colors, the next-gen iMac is being tested with the same as what’s available with the M1 iMac including silver, blue, pink, and orange. No specific mention of yellow, green, or purple in the report, but those could be available again too.
What M-series chip?
Mark notes that naturally, the new iMacs will be more powerful with an updated Apple Silicon M-Series chip. But he stops short of naming it – at first.
Last year he reported that Apple was working on the next-gen iMac with an M3 chip and we corroborated that with an independent source here at 9to5Mac.
Further into the report, he reiterates the expectation that the new iMac will be “one of the company’s first M3-based machines. And like unveiling the M2 at last year’s WWDC, we could get a peek at the M3 this June ahead of the new iMac’s launch a bit later.
New iMac launch date?
Mark says that even though the new iMacs are quite far along in development they are not “expected to go into mass production for at least three months.” That puts the earliest launch into the second half of 2023.
While that may be a bummer for those eager for an updated iMac, it’s nice to know they’re on the horizon and hopefully, the launch won’t get pushed into 2024.
Updated MacBook Air laptops
Mark highlights the MacBook Air updates are somewhat unclear. While a brand new 15-inch MacBook Air may work to put the older M2 chip in, he thinks Apple is more likely to wait and put the M3 in the refreshed 13-inch MacBook Air.
“A 15-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip may still excite consumers, but a new M2 13-inch MacBook Air is unlikely to be compelling.”
That would make sense if Apple is trying to launch the 15-inch MacBook Air as soon as April while holding back the 13-inch version until June when it announces the M3 chip.
The M3 will be an important shift as Apple moves from a 5-nanometer to 3nm chip design that will bring a “major boost” in power efficiency and performance.
Macs and iPad Pro in 2024 and beyond
The report also briefly looks into the years ahead with Mark noting Apple may follow the M3 this year with the M3 Pro and M3 Max for the MacBook Pro laptops in 2024. Plus the iPad Pro with OLED screens with the M3 could arrive in 1H 2024.
And in two years Mark says “even more exciting Mac upgrades will come as early as 2025.” As he previously reported, that could be Apple’s first MacBook with a touch screen and OLED display.
What are you most excited about when it comes to the Macs launching soon? Share your thoughts in the comments!
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
