Apple has already announced that it will launch new iMacs later this year, including models aimed at pro users. Today, Digitimes reportedly reveals some details about what the iMac update will bring.
The report says that the consumer iMac models are going into production next month, with a launch in the second half of the year. An update is certainly due; the latest 5K iMac launched in late 2015. The pro iMac will seemingly launch later, with ‘server-grade’ components …
In a rare case, Apple tipped the hat on its future product plans for the iMac as part of a wider roundtable regarding the state of the Mac Pro and professional Mac users. As such, we know that new iMacs are on the way, including models aimed at the pro market, but Apple did not share any further information about specification or availability.
The Digitimes report says that the server-grade iMac will use an Intel Xeon E3-1285 processor, as well as ECC RAM up to 64 GB. ECC RAM automatically protects against data corruption in the memory, increasing reliability of the overall system.
It also claims that Apple will support configurations with NVMe SSD storage up to 2 TB in size as well as a ‘latest discrete graphics card’. Current iMac uses mobile versions of GPU parts, a particular frustration of many high-end professional Mac users. Unfortunately, the wording of the Digitimes report does not make it clear if Apple would use a true desktop card, or merely a modern mobile GPU.
Previously, Bloomberg has claimed that Apple is readying an iMac revision with new AMD GPUs and USB-C ports.
Digitimes says Apple’s new iMacs — in the same 21.5 inch and 27-inch sizes — will be manufactured by Quanta Computer. It seems that the consumer iMac update could launch in the July-August timeframe whilst the pro iMac is destined for very-late 2017.
