Hartley Charlton
Seven years ago today, Apple launched the iMac Pro, a high-end all-in-one desktop computer designed to fill the gap between new Mac Pro models.
In April 2017, Apple uncharacteristically apologized for its approach to the Mac in recent years and pre-announced that it was working on a “completely reimagined” Mac Pro with a modular design, a new pro tier for the iMac, and a new high-end external display. At that year's WWDC, Apple unveiled the iMac Pro, after years of rumors about a “Pro” iMac. The iMac Pro sought to appease many of Apple's disgruntled professional Mac users, arriving roughly four years after the launch of the controversial “garbage” Mac Pro, but two years before the current Mac Pro design, which returned to a modular tower design.
Apple pitched the iMac Pro as “the most powerful Mac ever made.” It featured an 8-, 10-, 14-, or 18-core Intel Xeon processor, a 5K display, AMD Vega graphics, ECC memory, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet, with a starting price of $4,999. It was also the first Mac to contain the custom T2 chip, as well as the first desktop Mac available in Space Gray. While it didn't have a slot for easy memory access like the 27-inch iMac, the processor, memory, and storage weren't soldered in place and could be easily removed by disassembling the display.
In March 2021, Apple announced the discontinuation of the iMac Pro. By then, the machine had been surpassed by the 2019 Mac Pro, a significant final refresh for the 27-inch iMac, and Apple's first silicon Macs. iMac The Pro position in Apple's product lineup is now effectively occupied by the Mac Studio and Studio Display.
However, following the launch of the 24-inch Apple Silicon iMac in April 2021 and the discontinuation of the 27-inch iMac in March 2022, interest in the iMac Pro with a larger display has increased. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes that Apple is still “working on a big-screen iMac aimed at the pro market,” a rumor echoed by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo as of 2022. However, other reports have claimed that Apple has no plans to release a new high-end iMac at all.
Rumor has it that a larger-screen iMac is coming in 2025, which could be marketed as an iMac Pro. In July 2024, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was still exploring the possibility of a larger iMac, but it's unclear when it might launch. For more information, see our full guide.
Tag: 2025 iMac Pro GuideRelated Forum: iMac[ 166 comments ]
