Apple rumoured to have experimented with three 27-inch iMac prototypes based on Apple M1 and Apple M1 Max SoCs

Apple has all but completed its transition from Intel to ARM-based and in-house chipsets. With the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13, the company has even released laptops with second-generation Apple silicon. However, Apple is yet to replace the 27-inch iMac, let alone the Mac Pro. Incidentally, the Studio Display features an A13 Bionic SoC for features like Centre Stage, Spatial Audio and 'Hey Siri', which may actually run a custom version of iOS 15.

According to MacRumors and forum member Amethyst, Apple prototyped three 27-inch iMac models last year. Supposedly, Apple took the chassis from the old Intel-based 27-inch iMac and repurposed it with an Apple M1 chipset. Similarly, Apple is rumoured to have created a 27-inch iMac prototype also with the Apple M1, but with the design of the current 24-inch iMac. Reputedly, Apple subsequently created a third prototype that took the second's design but included an Apple M1 Max chipset and an XDR display.

For reference, an XDR panel could give the 27-inch iMac up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. MacRumors alleges that Apple has not created any new prototypes since November 2021, though. Hence, it remains to be seen whether Apple will bring any of these to market. Based on the timelines from Amethyst and MacRumors, it seems that Apple could have something else up its sleeve instead. In the meantime, Apple is expected to release new MacBook Pro 14 and MacBook Pro 16 machines, but perhaps not until early 2023.

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