Apple is expected to give the iMac a major refresh in 2021, and according to a new rumor, that will see the 27-inch model being replaced by an even larger display size. Reports of a major iMac update first started circulating back in January, specifically saying that Apple was developing a new iMac with an in-house chipset and that it would feature a radically new design of some sort.
The idea of an iMac with an Apple-made processor is incredibly exciting, though that part of the rumor doesn't come as any kind of surprise. Apple has already released a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini with its own M1 silicon, and 2021 is shaping up to be the year when the iMac gets similar treatment — resulting in massively better performance compared to the existing Intel models. Along with that upgraded horsepower, it looks like Apple will also pair it with a much-needed aesthetic overhaul.
This latest rumor comes from Apple leaker l0vetodream, who says that Apple is going to be scrapping the 27-inch iMac in favor of one with an even larger display. 27 inches is the largest display Apple has ever used on an iMac, so the idea of having something bigger than that is pretty exciting. While l0vetodream doesn't mention how big the new iMac will be, their private Tweet claims that it's "really big, bigger than the biggest one." Given that the Apple Pro Display XDR features a 32-inch screen size, it's likely the new iMac will copy that (or go even bigger). Furthermore, 9to5Mac notes that it's also heard rumors that Apple will replace the smaller 21.5-inch iMac with a 24-inch variant.
Why So Many People Are Looking Forward To A New iMac Design
Some folks might find it a bit silly to get this interested in a design refresh, but the excitement is there because Apple very rarely has major design changes for the product. The current iMac design was first introduced all the way back in 2012, and while Apple has regularly added new specs and features to the computer in the years since then, its aesthetics have remained virtually identical. Not only has that made the iMac feel boring compared to some of its competition, its large display bezels can only be described as 'archaic.'
In addition to new display sizes for the 2021 iMacs, it's also expected that Apple will flatten out some of its edges and drastically reduce the size of the bezels — not unlike the look of the current iPad Pro. When that all-new hardware is combined with the transition from Intel to Apple silicon, the iMac could be one of the most exciting products Apple releases this year.