Update: A recent report has suggested that the iMac 27-inch will in fact not boast a mini-LED display. The next all-in-one Apple desktop will instead stick with an LCD panel.
Ever since the release of the excellent and colorful Apple iMac 2021, hardcore fans and creators have been wondering when Apple may release a more powerful iMac Pro. It seems that 2022 might be the year.
According to Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) by way of 9to5Mac, Apple is set to launch a 27-inch iMac Pro with mini-LED display and ProMotion tech in Spring of 2022. DSCC co-founder and CEO Ross Young claims that the mini-LED panel will sport a 120Hz variable refresh rate with oxide backplanes. Without getting too into the weeds, oxide backplanes will allow for more efficient power consumption, better image uniformity and a longer lifespan.
In DSCC's blog post, the supply chain analysis firm forecasts mini-LED panels with oxide backplanes to arrive in 2022. In an email to Tom's Guide, Young clarified that his firm came to this conclusion after having discussions with members of the display supply chain, which includes panel suppliers, backlight manufacturers, LED manufactures and others.
DSCC is highly respected in the display supply chain world, so the claim is worth taking into consideration.Mini-LED tech is not new to Apple. The company already uses the full array local dimming (FALD) solution in the current 2021 iPad Pro with M1 and the 2021 MacBook Pro with M1 Pro (or M1 Max). In both reviews, we were impressed by the high contrast in each display.
It should be noted that Young had made a similar prediction on Twitter earlier this year. But now he seems to be doubling down on the spring 2022 release window, something he hadn't mentioned before.
Yes I believe we broke the story of the 27” 120Hz iMac Pro with MiniLEDs a couple of months ago. Spring 2022.December 13, 2021
Either way, given how powerful the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips are, we're excited to see what both chips can do in an all-on-one desktop. At the very least, there are now also rumors of three new external displays in development, one being a 32-inch Pro XDR variant with custom Apple silicon.
