Apple could launch a new iMac in the 2nd half of 2023 along with new MacBook Air
A new iMac is in the works, as are new MacBook models. The last all-in-one machine that Apple announced was in April 2021, and it's high time for a refresh.
(iMac 2021 image used for reference)
Apple is working on a 24-inch iMac 2023
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that the Silicon Valley mogul is prepping a new iMac. The new systems, which are code-named J433 and J433, and are in the final stage of development, engineering validation test (EVT). Once they pass the EVT, they will be given the go ahead for mass production. However, the new iMacs are not expected to enter mass production in the next quarter, so they won't be shipping at least until the 2nd half of the year.
The iMac 2024 is said to be equipped with a 24-inch display, which is similar to the screen size of its predecessor, the iMac 2021. Here's where things get interesting, Gurman points out that the company has been working on its third-generation Apple Silicon, the M3 chip. The M2 was announced in June 2022, at the Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC 2022). So, we could expect Apple to follow a similar schedule, and introduce the M3 chip at WWDC 2023.
It is also possible that the new iMac will be one of the first computer's to use the M3 SoC. The chip in question is built on TSMC's 3nm process, as opposed to the M2's 5nm process, and is expected to come with major performance and battery life improvements. For reference, the iMac 2021 has an Apple M1 chip, which is viewed as one of the main reasons why the lineup is due for an upgrade. He also notes that Apple is testing the same colorways as the current lineup; Blue, Silver, Pink and Orange.
New MacBooks Air with M3 chip
Now, this brings us to another question. What about the next MacBooks? When a new processor is announced by Apple, it is usually accompanied by a fresh lineup of Mac laptops. Gurman speculates that the company could unveil a new MacBook Air M3 13-inch model.
It makes sense, while the new M2 Pro and Max models were launched about2 months ago, Apple's latest MacBook Air is nearly a year old and features the M2 SoC. The company still continues to sell the MacBook Air M1, which was launched in 2020. So an M3 version of the laptop with the improved battery life and processing power will likely encourage more buyers to opt for it.
Ming-Chi Kuo had mentioned that Apple could opt for a 15-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip or an M2 Pro, instead of an M3 chip. This sentiment was also echoed by Gurman earlier, he reiterates saying that the MacBook Air 15-inch model with an M2 chip will still appeal to users.
The report does not go into the tech specs of the iMac, such as whether the new system will additional ports, which is something that many users have requested. Apple is also expected to launch a new Mac Pro powered by the M2 Ultra chip with up to 24 CPU cores, 76 graphic cores, and 192GB of memory.
OLED iPad and MacBooks with touch screen in 2024/2025
According to Gurman, Apple is redesigned the iPad Pro, this time with an OLED screen. The device could be launched in 2024. That's not all, the company also has some plans for its Mac laptops. We may see a MacBook with an OLED display and touch support in 2025.
While that may be impressive, I'm not really sure whether an OLED iPad or a MacBook with a touch screen will appeal to users. Given Apple's pricing patterns, these upgraded devices will almost certainly be out of most people's budgets.
The 3nm M3 chip with a 40-core CPU will definitely deliver more visible power vs M2 generation. I think with the M3 chips Apple will enter the gaming space, and the newer generation Macs will have much better gaming benchmark scores and the overall FPS rates and performance vs prior gen M2 and M1 chips. M3 Macs will close gaming performance gaps vs Windows OS based platforms and RTX series gaming graphics cards. The current M2 has already made substantial progress in this regard, so M3 with 3nm chip infrastructure will again raise the bar very high.
There will be other performance improvements too that the M3 will offer if you are going to perform GPU-demanding tasks such as 3D graphic rendering or modeling, video and audio production, etc. Here too the next-gen M3 3nm process will offer up to 15% higher performance and 30% lower power draw versus N5. By comparison, N5P is a 7% improvement with 15% less power draw vs prior gen.
The best computers in the world. They worth each cent they cost. Thanks @Ashwin for your good reviews about Apple computers. :]
“The best computers in the world” statements dreamed up by the delusional
@basingstoke, MacBooks are really the best computers the money can afford. A couple of hours using one is enough to not want come back to Windows anymore. However it’s a question of tastes probably.
Windows is still the best for playing games, and it has way more applications than macOS. Even Linux would be better for gaming.
But if you want to do everyday tasks like browsing, checking mails, chatting, video calls, or just stream videos, and still have battery left at the end of the day, the only thing that can do it is a MacBook. It’s crazy how they have optimized the hardware and software so well. That alone makes it worth the money. :)
+10