Apple may be about to announce new iMacs for the first time in two and a half years. If true, what Apple silicon chip do you think will be inside? M2 is the most likely answer, but is an M2 iMac worth buying at this point?
Apple silicon timeline
First, a timeline:
- April 2021: Apple introduces the redesigned 24-inch iMac with M1
- June 2022: Apple introduces the M2 with 18% faster CPU, up to 24GB RAM, and up to 35% better graphics performance
- January 2023: Apple introduces M2 Pro with up to 12-core CPU, up to 32GB RAM, and up to 19-core GPU
So yes, the M2 chip isn’t exactly brand new, but it hasn’t been replaced yet either. Apple even launched a 15-inch version of the MacBook Air with the same M2 chip as the 13-inch version that predated it by a year. Apple is getting its mileage out of the M2.
The same can be said about the M1. Apple still sells the M1 MacBook Air alongside the M1 iMac line and M1 iPad Air line. When will we see the M3? Apple may be planning upgraded iPad Pro models in March. Will those use the M3?
iMac expectations
For the longest time, the 24-inch iMac was expected to skip the M2 altogether. Instead, the next revision would come with the M3 chip.
Earlier this month, however, Japanese Apple site MacOtakara reported that two flavors of M2 iMacs could be coming soon. Bloomberg corroborated the idea of a pending iMac refresh over the weekend.
Per MacOtakara, Apple plans to refresh the 24-inch iMac with M2 and M2 Pro chips. Both chips offer a higher RAM ceiling for upgraded iMac configurations.
The question, though, is whether or not it’s worth investing in the M2 line with the M3 line likely coming in the first half 2024. I would argue that the M3 launch isn’t as relevant for iMac buyers, however, if Apple prioritizes putting it in other products first. Still, it’s a little…
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