Apple’s iMac is one of the few Cupertino computers that hasn’t been given the latest or most powerful M-series chips. But that looks set to change this year.
In 2021, Apple redesigned its iMac, releasing a 24-inch iMac running on the M1 chip. The result was a very slim all-in-one desktop with a powerful yet efficient Apple silicon.
However, Apple now has the M2 chip, with rumors suggesting an M3 chip could be on the horizon. That means a refreshed iMac would likely come with the latest Apple silicon, potentially with Pro or Max variants for people who want a little more power.
With that in mind, here’s what we’ve heard and what we think we know so far about the iMac 2023 with the M3 chip.
iMac 2023 potential release date and price
Going by current rumors, the iMac 2023 looks set for a release in June. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, a reliable Apple tipster, has the computer slated for a reveal in late spring or early summer, which would also be around the time Apple could hold WWDC 2023.
As such, a June launch of the iMac 2023 during Apple’s developer conference would seem likely. The current iMac launched in May 2021, so arriving around two years later would make sense for the next iMac.
We’d expect the pricing to remain in line with what Apple charges for the current iMac. So that’s a starting price of $1,299 / £1,249 / AU$1,899. If Apple was to add in Pro chip options, the prices could shoot up by quite a degree. But we suspect prices won’t soar too much so that the iMac remains appealing to a general audience.
iMac 2023 design and display
The 2021 iMac brought in an all-new design for the all-in-one desktop, with a slim chassis and a bouquet of pastel colors. However, it wasn’t perfect, with a large chin and somewhat chunky bezels around the display. Unfortunately, the rumors seem to suggest Apple will continue with this design.
Rather than tweak the aesthetic, Apple observers such as Gurman reckon the iMac 2023 will be all about a new chipset. We hope this isn’t the case, and Apple makes the display larger while retaining the current iMac’s overall footprint by reducing the bezels around the screen.
Speaking of the display, if there are no design changes, the iMac 2023 would likely stick with a 24-inch LCD Retina display and a 4.5K resolution.
We’d like to see Apple port over its ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate displays from the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops, or even offer a mini-LED option. But we’ve heard no rumors to indicate that’s on the cards, and it would potentially be reserved for a Pro version of the iMac; that machine was discontinued but could one day be refreshed with M-series power.
More ports would also be appreciated, say an SD card reader and HDMI input/output. But we’d not be surprised if Apple sticks with four USB-C ports on the rear of the iMac 2023.
iMac 2023 specs
While some rumors did have the iMac 2023 pegged to use an M2 chip, be it standard, Pro or Max, Gurman reckons it’s more likely to use a M3 chip.
Given the M2 chip was launched last summer alongside the MacBook Air M2, it would make sense for a next-gen Apple chipset to arrive some 12 months later.
There’s not much in the way of information about the M3 specs. But there are rumors that the M3 could make use of a 3-nanometer process node from TSMC. In plain English, that would mean packing more transistors on the same size slice of silicon, which broadly results in boosted performance as well as greater power efficiency.
Additional power could be delivered in the form of the M2 Pro and M2 Max, or M3 variants on those optimized chipsets. But that’s more speculation on our part. And Apple hasn’t been aiming the iMac at professional users, so isn’t likely to lean too heavily on pro-grade silicon for the desktop.
iMac 2023 outlook
Overall, if iMac rumors so far are on the money, then the iMac 2023 is likely only going to get a bit of a specs boost, rather than any more significant changes.
More power and efficiency is never a bad thing, but we’d hope Apple does a bit more that a few under-the-hood tweaks. Some design nips and tucks, as well as more display options would be on our wishlist. Plus, the option for a 27-inch model would also be appreciated.
With no hard and fast information, we’ll still need to wait for a bit until we get concrete details about the next-gen iMac. But here’s hoping Apple leans a little more on design evolution than just a specs refresh.
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