Apple is reportedly experimenting with making larger iMacs, with one version tipped to come with a 32-inch display, though we’re not likely to see such a model until late 2024.
That’s according to Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter, who also noted that he predicts M3-powered iMacs to arrive early next year.
Currently, Apple’s iMac comes with a 24-inch display and the Apple M1 chip. While it’s a perfectly capable desktop, it’s not using the latest or most powerful chips in the Apple Silicon family. And I’d argue its design is starting to look a little dated, especially given it has somewhat prominent display bezels.
But we’re not expecting any major design changes to come with the iMacs forecasted for 2024. There's likely to be an M2 chip option, or even an M3 chip if Apple debuts a next-generation silicon this year or next spring.
However, a more powerful iMac isn’t that exciting, for me at least. But a 32-inch iMac is a different story.
Size does matter
As I write this, I'm looking at a 32-inch Alienware AW3423DWF gaming monitor. While it has a serious suite of features, such as a 165Hz refresh rate and a curved panel, its size and its 21:9 aspect ratio has won me over. With such space I’m able to have at least three windows open side-by-side with plenty of room for me to make out text and images without leaning into the panel. And this bypasses the need to use a second screen.
So I’m now a convert to the big monitor life, and thus the idea of an iMac with a big Retina display is appealing. Apple already has its 32-inch Pro Display XDR monitor, giving it plenty of experience on working with larger screens.
Of course, that Pro display is hugely expensive and has a hefty 6K resolution. But I’d not expect Apple to go that far with a 32-inch iMac, instead perhaps targeting a QHD resolution of 3440 x 1440 and using the same panel tech found on the MacBook Air M2 for example.
And as Macs are starting to look like they could be proper gaming machines, an iMac with a big immersive display would make a lot of sense. Add in the growing list of compelling shows and movies on Apple TV Plus, and a 32-inch iMac could be a serious entertainment machine, alongside an all-in-one PC aimed at general computing.
A bigger display also means more room for components and potential cooling, via heatsinks and vapour chambers, which can then help extract more performance out of M-series chips for longer. In short, a 32-inch iMac could be more powerful more capable, and offer what could be a proper generational shift for the iMac.
The wrinkle here is Gurman said Apple is experimenting meaning a 32-inch iMac might never see the light of day. I really hope it does, as the current iMac is overpriced when you can get a MacBook Air and a decent 24-inch display for the same price or less than the base iMac.
Speaking of which, Amazon Prime Day is here so you can score a good deal on Macs and displays; check out our round up of Prime Day MacBook deals and how you can save $200 on one of the best OLED monitors ever.
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