As per a bombshell report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is planning a major redesign for its Mac portfolio this year. The most important one is a design upgrade for iMacs. The report claims that Apple is planning to launch two new iMacs – carrying the internal name J456 and J457 – this year that will replace the existing Intel-powered 21.5-inch and 27-inch models. The upcoming redesigned iMacs will come equipped with Apple’s own silicon, similar to the updated MacBook Pro and Air models that arrived late last year.
Thinner bezels, flat back, in-house silicon, and two sizes
Talking about the aesthetic overhaul coming to the iMacs, Gurman notes the new Apple all-in-one computers will lose the thick bezels in favor of a cleaner design similar to the Pro Display XDR monitor. Additionally, the curved back will also be tweaked to make it flat. “The iMac redesign will be one of the biggest visual updates to any Apple product this year, according to people familiar with the company’s roadmap,” the report adds.
But that’s not all, as Apple is also looking to freshen up the Mac Pro line of desktop computers as well. One of the upcoming Mac Pro updates will continue to use the same design as the 2019 model, jokingly immortalized as ‘cheese grater’ in the world of consumer technology. This one will likely come equipped with an Intel processor, and might well be one of the last Macs to rely on Intel before Apple fully switches to in-house silicon.
Is a cube-shaped Mac Pro in the pipeline?
A Mac Pro refresh with Intel CPU, a smaller model with Apple silicon
However, more interesting will be the second Mac Pro model that will reportedly be half the size of the latest-gen Mac Pro. “The design will feature a mostly aluminum exterior and could invoke nostalgia for the Power Mac G4 Cube, a short-lived smaller version of the Power Mac, an earlier iteration of the Mac Pro,” writes Gurman. Now, that is something worth looking forward to.
Lastly, Apple is also working on a more affordable monitor – unlike the $5000 Pro Display XDR – that will have a more mass-market appeal and will be geared towards the average consumer, rather than the professional-centric approach of the Pro Display XDR. However, the cheaper monitor won’t have the same level of brightness output and high contrast ratio as its pricier sibling.