After making its in-house M1 processor, Apple also introduced the new 24-inch iMac. It featured a new processor, funky colors, and a chic design. However, the company didn’t launch an iteration of the larger 27-inch iMac. Now that the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips are out of the box, rumors surrounding the 27-inch iMac are in full swing. The latest one claims that it will borrow display features from the latest MacBook Pro.
According to Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young, the upcoming 27-inch iMac will feature a mini-LED display. For the unaware, mini-LED offers OLED benefits at a lower cost. They offer higher brightness, improved contrast ratio, and increased power efficiency over their LCD counterparts. The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros make use of the mini-LED tech.
OK, tweeted too early. The 27" MiniLED screen is going in an iMac in Q1'22, not an external monitor. May see a monitor later. Still 24Hz – 120Hz variable refresh…Sorry for the confusion!
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) October 20, 2021
Alongside the new screen, the 27-inch iMac is also tipped to have support for ProMotion, which is Apple’s terminology for a 120Hz refresh rate display. It is already found on the iPad Pro, iPhone 13 Pro series, and the latest MacBook Pro lineup. The 120Hz refresh rate offers a smoother experience for the user. ProMotion on the upcoming iMac is claimed to offer an adaptive refresh rate between 24Hz and 120Hz. The current 27-inch iMac has a 5K resolution, while the upcoming iMac’s resolution is still unknown.
Ross Young has 25 years of experience in the display industry. He seems to be well connected with sources within the supply chain, so there are chances of the rumored information being correct. The upcoming 27-inch iMac is tipped to be launched in Q1 2022, which would line up with when the 24-inch iMac was updated this year.
The only odd thing about the rumor is the size of this proposed iMac. Many of the early reports were that the size of the 27-inch iMac would be replaced by a larger 30-inch model. If it matches the changes made to the 24-inch iMac, a larger screen size with smaller bezels would make a lot of sense. The larger size also put more of a difference between the two available sizes and allow Apple to offer a larger display option for serious pro users.
