Development of an Apple silicon iMac Pro is underway, but it “won’t be anytime soon”

Work apparently continues on reviving the discontinued iMac Pro around an Apple silicon M3 chip and a bigger display, but it won’t be launching anytime soon.

A promotional image from Twelve South showcasing its BackPack matte white aluminum shelf attached to the back of an orange 24-inch M1 iMac
Image: Twelve South
  • Apple discontinued the iMac Pro after the first M1 iMacs dropped in 2021 because the $4,999 Intel-based machine couldn’t compete with Apple silicon.
  • Apple could now be developing a larger-screened successor to the discontinued iMac Pro, featuring Apple’s next-generation M3-branded silicon.
  • The company appears open to other iMac display sizes—its online store lists the current 24-inch M1 iMac as “iMac 24” instead of just “iMac.”

When’s Apple silicon M3 iMac Pro launching?

Apple rather unceremoniously discontinued the iMac Pro on March 19, 2021, putting what seemed like the final nail in the coffin of this powerful all-in-one desktop. Launched in 2017, the iMac Pro included an Intel Xeon chip with your choice of eight, ten, fourteen or eighteen processing cores. Its 5K display measured 27 inches diagonally and was powered by AMD Vega graphics. Now an official successor appears to have been in the works but it doesn’t look like it will be coming anytime soon, according to Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter on Bloomberg.

I also still believe that Apple is working on a larger-screened iMac aimed at the professional market. I’d imagine this will use a variation of the M3 chip, likely an M3 Pro and M3 Max. That would match the chips inside of the MacBook Pro. I don’t think the combination of a Mac Studio or Mac mini plus an Apple Studio Display cuts it for many pro users who want more screen real estate.

Gurman isn’t the only one expecting an iMac Pro revival. Reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently expressed his belief that an Apple silicon successor to the iMac Pro would launch in 2023. Not everyone is in agreement with Kuo, of course. Nay-sayers argue that a Mac Studio + Studio Display combo is a viable replacement for the 27-inch iMac Pro (the Studio Display also uses a 27-inch panel with 5K resolution).

An Apple silicon successor to the iMac Pro could be launching sooner were it not for the supply chain—those XDR ProMotion display panels aren’t easily sourced at the moment. Just don’t argue that the Mac Studio fills the void left by the discontinuation of the iMac Pro because, as Mark points out, some people want an even bigger canvas. Read: New to Mac? Learn the basics of Mission Control