imac redesign in the works, half-height Apple silicon Mac Pro coming this year
This year could see a new look for the imac and Mac Pro with Apple silicon.
If recent rumours are any indication, 2021 is going to be a landmark year for the Mac. We recently saw reports stating that Apple will ship 14- and 16in Macbook Pros with Magsafe, Apple silicon with more cores and enhanced GPUS, and a case redesign. Now, another report says that new imacs and Mac Pros are coming this year, as well.
Rumour has it that the imac will be redesigned to resemble Apple’s Pro Display XDR. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman last month reiterated the Xdr-like redesign, with 21.5-and 27in models that have a screen with
a much smaller bezel, no ‘chin’, and a flat back instead of the curved one the current imac.
It’s been a long while since the imac saw a change in form. The current design was introduced 2004 with an imac G5 that used a white plastic case around an LCD. In 2007, Apple kept the design but switched to a silver aluminium case. In 2012, Apple switched to the design that is still in use today, with the edges of the case that taper to about 5mm.
Gurman also reports that Apple is working on two Mac Pro models. One of the Mac Pro models will an Apple-designed system on a chip (SOC), but in a case that’s half the size of the current Mac Pro and “a mostly aluminium exterior”. He adds that the new design could remind people of the Power Mac G4 Cube.
Interestingly, the other Mac Pro model is an update to the current design and could still use Intel processors. Using Intel chips could address concerns about compatibility with software and hardware in production environments.
No information was given on pricing and ship dates on the new imacs and Mac Pros.
Rumours have also floated around that Apple could be making a display that’s more affordable and consumer friendly than the Pro Display XDR (which starts at £4,599). Gurman states that Apple is in “early development” of a cheaper display that “wouldn’t have the brightness and contrast ratio” of the Pro Display XDR.