The last time Apple updated the iMac line was back in May 2011 when it graced its all-in-one desktop computers with Intel’s quad-core Sandy Bridge processors and highspeed Thunderbolt ports.
In the interim, Apple has released a new iPhone, a new iPad, revamped MacBooks, and even a brand new MacBook Pro with a Retina Display. So those of us with a proclivity for desktop computing on a trusty ole’ iMac are all wondering when is the iMac gonna get some upgrade love.
Well as luck would have it, it may just be four months away.
According to a recent report in Digitimes, mass production on next-gen iMacs is set to begin sometime this month with a possible launch being anticipated for October.
“The sources also noted,” Digitimes reports, “that Apple plans to expand Retina Display into all the product lines, meaning that the new iMac will have a high chance of featuring Retina Display; however, the rumors are not confirmed by Apple.”
Releasing an iMac with a Retina Display would certainly place Apple’s desktop offering above the competition, but remember that the iMacs come with 21 and 27 inch screens. Manufacturing a Retina Display at that size is no small feat and would certainly force Apple to raise the price of the machines accordingly. Of course, a more likely scenario is that Apple revamps the iMac line with typical processor/internal enhancements while simultaneously offering a premium iMac model with a Retina Display at a much higher price point, similar to what it did with the Retina Display MacBook. Incidentally, the Retina Display Apple utilizes on the 15.4 inch MacBook Pro is estimated to run Apple about $150.
On the other hand, remember that Instapaper developer Marco Ament a few weeks ago received word that Apple’s 2012 iMac lineup won’t be receiving the Retina Display treatment. This has been echoed by some industry analysts who write that Retina Display iMacs won’t become a reality until 2013 when display costs become more affordable.
via Digitimes
Thu, Jul 5, 2012
News, Rumors