A flagship Apple silicon iMac with the Apple M2 chip is now rumored to launch in 2022 to avoid cannibalizing Mac refreshes around the M1X chip expected before the end of 2021.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS:
- The flagship Apple silicon iMac may arrive in 2022
- But recent rumors have called for a launch this year
- Other Apple silicon Macs are arriving in 2021
Flagship Apple silicon iMac launching in 2022, not 2021?
Apple is widely expected to launch several new Mac models using an enhanced version of the current M1 chip (tentatively named “M1X”) before the end of this year.
But a high-end iMac model powered by the unreleased M2 chip won’t be among them. Instead, the bigger iMac is now scheduled to launch at some point in 2022, not in 2021. A new bigger iMac rocking Apple’s custom chip is now scheduled for 2022, said leaker “Dylandkt” on Twitter.
Apple on April 24, 2021, unveiled its first iMac all-in-one using the M1 chip and featuring a 24-inch 4.5K resolution screen as a replacement for the Intel-based 21.5-inch 4K model.
One way to explain the extended timetable for Mac launches, the leaker says, could be Apple’s desire to avoid having multiple new devices competing for your attention.
Just as an explanation for those who are wondering, the high end iMac is not expected to release in the fourth quarter of 2021 alongside the other M1X Macs. Apple simply does not want their devices to compete for attention and delay’s in product releases have led to this timetable.
Delaying the machine so that the planned Mac refreshes in 2021 have a chance to shine (and maximize press time) certainly sounds like a plausible explanation. Still, it’s unclear from the report whether the upcoming machine might replace the current Intel-based 30-incher in Apple’s lineup or resurrect the company’s phased-out “iMac Pro” brand.
Mac updates in 2021, according to rumors
According to the rumor mill, several Apple silicon iMac refreshes are underway before 2021 ends, including 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros and updates to the MacBook Air and Mac mini.
Prior reporting in terms of the flagship iMac is a bit confusing.
In May 2021, a source said a bigger iMac would have a larger viewable screen area than the current 27-incher. Two months later in July of the same year, a Bloomberg report predicted that the flagship all-in-one desktop would run Apple’s unreleased M2 chip.
But can this leaker be trusted?
So who the heck is this “Dylandkt” guy?
While not as infamous as other serial leaks such as Jon Prosser, “Dylandkt” doe have a track record. He is the guy who accurately predicted that the first Apple silicon-powered iMac would be an entry-level model rather than a replacement for the flagship 30-incher.
He also called for an iPad Pro powered by the Apple M1 chip more than half a year before Apple actually delivered its first M1 iPad Pro model earlier this year. In July 2021, the leaker said Apple would also put the M2 chip in a colorful MacBook Air.