A 32-Inch iMac Could Arrive in Late 2024, But Does Anyone Still Care?

Once a staple of Apple’s desktop Mac lineup, the largest 27-inch iMac has seemingly become a casualty of the company’s move to Apple Silicon. Despite nearly two years’ worth of rumors that another iMac was coming, the plus-sized model ultimately failed to survive the transition.

Instead, Apple shook things up last year with an entirely new entry: the Mac Studio. This was accompanied by a powerful new 27-inch Studio Display, and the two together seemed designed to serve as a replacement for the all-in-one iMac.

That became even more apparent as Apple quietly discontinued the 2020 Intel iMac, the last remaining 27-inch model, following that debut, leaving only the svelte M1-powered 24-inch model in the lineup — a desktop Mac much more clearly targeted at casual business and home users rather than creative professionals.

With an insanely powerful new M1 Ultra chip inside, the Mac Studio even gave Apple’s most powerful Intel Mac Pro a run for its money, to the point where some wondered if there was even a future for Apple’s most expensive professional Mac.

Apple answered that question last month when it launched a new Apple Silicon M2 Mac Pro at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) alongside a similarly-equipped Mac Studio. Performance-wise, the two systems run neck-in-neck, and for now, at least, the Mac Pro is mostly just an acknowledgment by Apple that some folks need more space inside for things like PCI expansion cards.

The Future of the iMac

Nearly three years have elapsed since Apple last released a 27-inch iMac, and there will likely never be another — Apple clearly said as much as last year, telling the media that it had “reached end of life” — but that doesn’t mean the company isn’t still toying with the idea of releasing an even larger iMac.

Rumors of a 30-inch iMac or 32-inch iMac go back to at least 2021; however, many believed those were right around the corner, and things got pretty quiet once the Mac Studio came along, and it was clear that Apple’s priorities weren’t what folks thought they were.

However, reports have recently resurfaced that Apple is still working on something in that range. Last month, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman hinted at “early work” within Apple on an iMac with a “screen over 30 inches.” Now Gurman is providing more insight in his latest Power On newsletter.

Specifically, Gurman’s sources tell him that Apple is “experimenting with iMacs with larger displays, including a model with about a 32-inch screen.” However, not only is this work very preliminary, but it doesn’t even sound like a sure thing at this point — merely an idea that Apple is still exploring.

Gurman adds that even if a 32-inch iMac or iMac Pro comes to fruition — and there’s little information on which of those categories it will fall into — it won’t launch until at least the end of 2024, “if not a little later.”

Is a 32-inch iMac Still Relevant?

One thing that seems clear here is that a larger iMac isn’t a priority for Apple, and it’s certainly possible it could scrap the idea entirely. Many have questioned whether there’s any room in Apple’s lineup for a larger iMac in a market that’s now arguably much better served by the Mac Studio and 27-inch Studio Display.

Further, although the larger screen suggests that it would fill the vacancy of the 2017 iMac Pro, we wouldn’t be so quick to rush to that conclusion. The iMac Pro was an anomaly; it never seemed like Apple’s intention to start a new product line.

After all, Apple has only made one model of iMac Pro, seemingly as a stopgap to fill the six-year void between Mac Pro releases. That model was discontinued in early 2021, so it’s been gone for even longer than the 27-inch iMac.

A 32-inch iMac Pro would blur the lines among Apple’s high-end Macs even further, filling a space that could just as easily be occupied by a larger Studio Display paired with a Mac Studio or Mac Pro on the high end or even just a Mac mini for those with more modest needs. Plus, it’s a modular setup that offers much more flexibility since you can swap out the Mac for a newer or more powerful model without paying for a whole new display as part of the package.

The iMac Pro arguably became redundant when Apple released the last Intel Mac Pro in 2019. With the Mac Studio now on deck, it’s even more so today.

However, a consumer-level 32-inch iMac with a standard M3 chip might have a certain appeal to folks who want a larger screen but aren’t willing to shell out $1,599 for an Apple Studio Display on top of the price of a Mac mini or those who simply want a clean all-in-one configuration — both things that are more important to consumers than they are to most creative professionals.

It’s an open question how much demand there would be for such an iMac, but it would fill a missing space in Apple’s lineup for those who simply want a larger version of the 24-inch iMac.

[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.]