Apple's Biggest iMac Pro Secret May Have Just Leaked
The iMac Pro has been discontinued but a new rumor suggests that Apple might not be finished with this powerful all-in-one after all. The older iMac Pro sported a luxuriously large, high-resolution display, powerful CPU as well as a discrete AMD Radeon GPU, making this a powerful workstation and it was priced accordingly, starting at $4,999. Apple Silicon updates have not disappointed yet, so it's safe to expect the supposed new iMac Pro to be just as impressive, matching and exceeding the older model in every way.
The iMac Pro was first introduced in 2017, bringing a much larger 27-inch display with a 5K resolution. Sitting between the iMac, which was designed with performance similar to the entry-level MacBook Pro, and Apple's top-of-the-line Mac Pro, the iMac Pro filled a gap in Apple's lineup, targeting professional users that wanted the ease of buying an all-in-one solution that was still powerful enough for demanding work. The iMac Pro boasted Intel Xeon processors with up to 18 cores and memory up to 256 gigabytes. Even in 2022, this system still outperforms Apple's best M1 Max chip in some benchmark tests.
In a recent Tweet, Apple leaker Dylan, claims confirmation that Apple will update its iMac Pro all-in-one desktop computer with Apple Silicon this year. The original iMac Pro was discontinued last March and the 2022 model might come as early as spring, though a later date would not be surprising. Apple is already expected to launch its iPhone SE and iPad Air in March or April, as part of a very busy year of product updates for the company. The new iMac Pro is said to feature a super-fast new chip that's more powerful than the M1 Max. A mention was apparently made in a code snippet that referenced a 12-core chip with a proposed name of iMac Pro, indicating that this would be a much higher-performance computer with a larger screen intended for professionals. For reference, the M1 Max found in the 2021 MacBook Pro has 10 CPU cores.
Dylan didn't share any speculation about pricing or any other hardware details. However, a few educated guesses can be made based upon what Apple has been releasing lately and the older iMac Pro's specifications. The original iMac Pro incorporated a 27-inch screen into the computer case, a big step up from the older iMac's 21.5-inch display. When Apple redesigned the iMac with Apple Silicon, it slimmed it down to a remarkably thin, iPad-like profile, increased the other dimensions slightly, and reduced the bezels. That resulted in a display size of 24-inches. A similar iMac Pro redesign could result in a 30-inch screen.
Mini-LED is becoming standard on Apple's Pro devices, featured on the iPad Pro 12.9, 14, and 16-inch MacBook Pro. The Pro Display XDR boasts a 6K resolution and Apple might not want to challenge it with an XDR iMac Pro with just as many pixels. On the other hand, there have been rumors of a new Apple monitor in the works, and if it costs as much as the older model, the iMac Pro might come with a new processor that's faster than the M1 Max and a 6K XDR display to justify the $4,999 price.
Source: Dylan/Twitter 1, 2