New reports indicate that the newest iMac is getting an upgrade and it's going to be announced soon.
It was noted by MacRumors that the shipping estimates for US online Apple's computer on the Apple Store has slipped from "available to ship" to an approximate timeline of 3-5 business days.
All models of the iMac, except for the entry-level 21.5-inch with 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (with Turbo Boost to 2.7GHz), 8GB memory, 500GB hard drive1 and Intel HD Graphics 5000, now how lengthened shipping periods.
The publication notes that while the adjustment may be due to "regular stock fluctuations," it could also point to an upcoming next-generation launch. iMac devices could be due for an upgrade given that only the 21.9-inch iMac and iMac with Retina 5K display were released in 2014. Other iMac models haven't seen a hardware refresh since September 2013.
Currently some iMac models and the 15-inch MacBook Pro are using the new Intel Haswell processors and it may be that Apple is gearing up the iMac to launch with the same upgraded chips, notes The Motley Fool. However, the publication writes that "Intel has said, though, that Broadwell-based processors aimed at those higher performance devices will launch at some point in 'mid-2015'."
Given Apple's idea of mid-2015, we could see these launch of the upgrades sometime in May with the stock release around July or August of this year. MacRumors does add that it's quite the coincidence that the shipping adjustment is happening as the release of Broadwell desktop chips is nearing release.
"At this point, it remains more likely that refreshed iMacs will be announced at WWDC 2015 at the earliest, but Apple's plans could change based on Intel's release timeline," continued the tech portal.
8K iMac Coming?
The iMac with 8K display is rumored to be under development. As earlier reported, an LG Display Blog "leaked" that Apple will release an iMac 8K display within the year. However, the blog has since been removed.
As usual, Apple has stayed mum about the rumored product but sources surmise that with Apple's 27-inch super-resolution 5K display upgrade released last fall, the move for the Cupertino-based firm to make such a massive upgrade during a short period of time "seems unusual."
Should a new iMac be announced soon, it'll be interesting to see if mention of an 8K display will accompany the reveal.
Stay tuned for more.
