The day of the supposed March Apple event has come and past and… no Apple event. No new iMacs, iPads, AirTags, or other techie toys. But that doesn’t mean they’re not coming. They are. In fact, one of these sources is none other than Apple itself. Talk about a reliable leaker.
Apple’s latest version of the macOS 11.3 beta shows two as of yet unreleased iMac models. Apple wouldn’t add them to the operating system unless they were within a few weeks of releasing, specifically because it reveals their plans and creates unnecessary work. According to 9to5Mac’s research, the two iMacs mentioned in the beta directly refer to iMacs with Apple Silicon chips. Their codenames align with a previous Bloomberg report.
According to these sources, not only are Apple’s new iMacs coming immanently, they’ll have Apple Silicon inside.
Codename J456 and J457
Catchy, right? No. No, they’re not. But, those are, according to Bloomberg, the internal codenames for the 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims these new models will feature a design similar to Apple’s Pro Display XDR. It’ll have a rigid, more squared-off design, with smaller bezels. If you’re wondering what that looks like, it’s the display at the top of this paragraph.
If you’re thinking it just looks like a blocky iMac with smaller bezels and corners…
… you’re not wrong. Apple hasn’t gotten risky or innovative with iMac design for over a decade at this point. With the processors completely redesigned, it’s unlikely they’ll get creative with the design now. However, the lower heat of the Apple Silicon chip means Apple could get more creative with their Mac designs in the future.
According to a less reliable leaker—at least less reliable than Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman—the next iMac will feature new colors as well. It’ll take on the same light pastel-like colors of the iPad Air and AirPods Max. That’ll give it something interesting on the outside. According to 9to5Mac, the inside will be where it’s really special.
iMac21,1 and iMac21,2
Again with the catchy names! The macOS Big Sur beta shows the above two iMac models. It’s worth noting that the 21 is just a model number, not the size of the screen. 9to5Mac says that these are the same J456 and J457 that Bloomberg references in their report. That means these are not only going to be Apple’s next iMacs, that much was obvious. They’re also going to be the first Apple Silicon iMacs.
Apple recently discontinued their iMac Pro as well as some configurations of the 21-inch iMac. Along with the fact that the new iMac models are in beta software that Apple releases regularly, and we can expect the iMac update soon. This is now the 5th beta of macOS 11.3, which means the full version, which will likely coincide with the iMac release, is close. The iMac with Apple Silicon processors could be less than a month away.