A Bloomberg reporter is optimistic that an updated 24-inch iMac powered by an unreleased Apple M3 chip could arrive before the end of 2023.
- What’s happening? Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman speculates Apple will skip an M2 iMac and instead update the all-in-one with an M3 chip late in 2023.
- Why care? Apple re-engineered the 24-inch iMac around the M1 chip nearly two years ago, so a specs-bump refresh would be much appreciated.
- What to do? Take this rumor with a grain of salt. Gurman’s information appears to be an informed guess rather than based on factual sources.
An M3 iMac could drop in 2023
In his Power On newsletter on Bloomberg, Gurman claims that a new 24-inch iMac powered by an unreleased Apple M3 chip could launch late in 2023 or 2024.
Keep in mind that Gurman is simply laying out his expectations for the iMac line rather than basing the claim on confidential information obtained from his Apple sources. As an informed guess, the report is worth your consideration.
I haven’t seen anything to indicate there will be a new iMac until the M3 chip generation, which won’t arrive until the tail end of this year at the earliest or next year. So if you want to stick with the iMac, you’ll just have to sit tight.
Gurman’s prediction contrasts with reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who predicted that an M3-powered iMac would launch in 2024 and not this year.
Our take: Quite plausible
The M2 is not a giant leap over the M1 in terms of CPU performance. The M3 should be a much bigger deal, so it would make sense for Apple to skip an M2 iMac and go straight for an M3 version. If you need more power than the M1 iMac provides, Apple offers its M2-driven Mac mini and Mac Studio models.
An M3 chip should use TSMC’s latest 3nm process. The current Apple silicon products are based on TSMC’s 5nm technology. The 3nm node will further shrink transistor size, resulting in faster performance and better power efficiency.
Apple could debut the M3 in a refreshed MacBook Air this April, claims display analyst Ross Young whose timeframes are often a moving target.
An M3 iMac Pro could be in the works, too
Apple updated the 24-inch iMac in April 2021. The iMac is Apple’s most popular desktop and one of perhaps the best-known all-in-one computers. Apple only updated the 24-inch model, swapping an Intel processor for its own silicon, the M1.
The 24-inch iMac is available in seven vibrant colors coupled with white bezels. The computer features Gigabit Ethernet, a 4.5K Retina display, two Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 ports and a pair of USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 2 ports.
The Intel-based iMac Pro was discontinued a month before the colorful 24-inch iMac arrived. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo doesn’t believe Apple is currently working on a larger-screened iMac. Meanwhile, Gurman speculated in 2022 that the discontinued iMac Pro could be revived around an M3 chip and a more prominent display.