At the end of October 2023, Apple announced the release of a new 24-inch iMac powered by the latest Apple’s M3 chip.
Fans have been clamouring a larger iMac featuring a more powerful version of the M3 chip, but that won’t become a reality.
The Verge reports that Apple has decided against developing an Apple Silicon version of the 27-inch iMac as a replacement for the Intel-equipped model discontinued in 2022.
Instead, Apple is concentrating its efforts on the 24-inch model, which was initially launched in early 2021 and recently received an update with the new M3 processor.
According to Apple PR representative, the company urges individuals who have been anticipating a larger iMac to explore the Studio Display, Mac Studio, or Mac Mini, which combine a 27-inch 5K screen with a separate computer, as opposed to the all-in-one design of the iMac.
Apple stated that the 24-inch iMac, featuring a 4.5K display, effectively bridges the gap between the older Intel models, which were available in 21-inch 4K versions and the 27-inch 5K model.
However, the 24-inch iMac doesn’t offer Apple’s most powerful processors; it sticks with its base model chips.
For those seeking more performance than the base M3 chip and a larger screen, they can search for alternatives outside of Apple’s product lineup.
Or they can consider the new Macbook Pros that come with the more powerful M3 Pro and M3 Max chips and just hook them up to an external display.
The larger iMac also provided more advanced features for power users, including a wide range of ports and an SD card slot. In contrast, the current 24-inch iMac offers a maximum of four USB-C ports, and that’s the extent of its port options.
There was a rumour that Apple could be releasing a much larger 32-inch iMac instead in 2025 and positioning it as the “iMac Pro”.
