A Colorful, Redesigned iMac Is Coming in 2021 (What the Rumors Are Saying)

The next-generation iMac is in the works right now. It’s quite possible that Apple is ready to launch its new computer, even though we don’t know when that might be. Apple’s been upgrading the iMac every couple of years or so, and every time the iMac gets better and more powerful. However, design-wise, the iMac hasn’t seen a lot of changes in the last few upgrades. This year, however, that might change.

If what the rumors are saying is true, we might see a new boxy design, a bunch of new colors to choose from, and of course, the most powerful iMac yet. Here’s everything we know about the 2021 iMac.

Face ID for iMac?

We’ve been waiting for the implementation of Face ID on any Mac computer ever since Face ID was created, and it seems like we’ll have to keep waiting. The saddest part is that Apple was actually thinking about adding Face ID to this year’s iMac.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that Apple was working on Face ID support for the Mac, and it was supposed to be a new feature for the 2021 iMac, along with possible 5G connectivity. Unfortunately, Apple had a change of heart, and it seems highly unlikely that we’ll see this feature in the upcoming iMac. Some other time, maybe.

This Will Be the First iMac With Apple Silicon

Apple made a pretty big deal out of Apple Silicon last year. Apple announced that, instead of producing Intel-based Macs, the company would start creating its own processors. The 2020 MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini were the first Apple computers to feature the M1 chip, and it seems like Apple will continue its mission with the new iMac.

This iMac will be the first to have Apple Silicon – although we don’t know if Apple will continue to use the M1 chip or if it’s going to change to an upgraded, more powerful chip. There have been rumors about a new processor that goes by the name of A14T chip exclusive to Mac desktops. Not only that, but it’s also rumored that this chip would come alongside a new GPU that’s being developed by Apple itself.

Whether we see an A14T chip or the regular M1 chip, it’ll be amazing to see how well the 2021 iMac performs since even the M1 MacBook Air is powerful enough to outperform the current generation iMac.

Other than Apple Silicon, we don’t know much about the upcoming iMac’s technical specifications as of right now.

The iMac Will Get a New Design, Similar to the XDR Monitor

There have been rumors that the new iMac will have a boxier appearance this year, which will be a great change that will make the computer stand out from past generations. The new iMac will supposedly have a similar look to the Apple Pro Display XDR. You know, that amazing and expensive 5,000-dollar monitor that doesn’t come with a stand. The iMac, however, will come with a stand, a square, and a flat design (as shown below in a concept by Ian Zelbo).

Apple will also reduce the bezels on this year’s models to feature a wider display with the same casing size. According to Bloomberg, Apple’s working on two different models, code-named J456 and J457 that will replace the current 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac models. One of the new iMac models is said to have a 23 or 24-inch display, and the well-known Apple leaker L0vetodream said that one of the new iMacs would be larger than 27 inches.

Another possibility is that Apple will implement a Mini-LED display to this year’s iMac. This basically means that a ton of mini LED lights will light the display to create better contrasts and a wider range of colors that you can’t see with regular LED displays. 

Colored iMacs Are Coming Back!

The thing that made the older iMac G3 stand out was the range of different colors it came in. You could choose between five fun colors that made you stand out from regular PCs that came in white, beige, or black. Those were the good times, and it seems that Apple will bring that nostalgia back.

According to famous Apple leaker Jon Prosser, the 2021 iMac will come in five different colors similar to the 2020 iPad Air. If that’s true, we can expect to see Sky Blue, Space Gray, Silver, Rose Gold, and Green iMac models later this year.

Keep in mind that, even though Jon Prosser has been right about a few leaks in the past, this is the same person who literally shaved his eyebrows because Apple’s March event didn’t happen as he promised it would. Although, he claims that was part of a “sting operation.” Still, it’s best to take this and all the other rumors with a grain of salt. 

2021 iMac Price and Release Date

Even though we don’t have specific release dates for the upcoming iMacs, we basically know for a fact they’re coming this year. This is because of a reference spotted in the macOS Big Sur 11.3 beta code.

This code referenced two iMac models with the “iMac21,1” and “iMac21,2” identifiers. But what does it mean? Well, the number “21” refers to the year the iMac models will launch, and the “1” and “2” just refers to each new model coming. How do we know that? Because it’s the same model identifier that Apple uses to identify the current iMac models.

The 2020 iMac is identified as iMac20,1, and the 2019 iMacs have iMac19,1 and iMac 19,2 as their identifiers. Based on this, and the fact that Apple discontinued the iMac Pro recently, we should expect the new iMac to arrive this year. Rumors are saying we should expect new iMac computers during the fall of 2021.

As for the price, we’re expecting Apple to keep the same price as the current generation iMac. This means the new iMac models should start at a price of $1,099 for the 24-inch iMac and around $1,799 for the bigger model. 

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]