Rumor: Apple could launch new 27-inch iMac with 5K Retina display this fall

The next Mac to receive a high-resolution Retina display could be the all-in-one desktop iMac, according to a new report, which alleges that Apple is planning to have a new 27-inch model sporting a 5K display released in the fourth quarter of 2014.

The details come from LCD researcher WitsView, which was cited by Taiwanese tech industry publication DigiTimes, which has a poor track record in Apple-related rumors, but typically with regard to its own sources. In this case, the sources are apparently those of WitsView, which expects to see a 5K Apple iMac launching by the end of the year.

Additional details about Apple's alleged iMac with Retina display were not revealed. The Friday report suggested that Apple's iMac would join a number of other "Ultra HD" panels set to arrive before the end of the year.

If Apple does launch a 5K iMac, it may not be cheap: The report said the average price of a 28-inch Ultra HD monitor was $630 in August. Apple currently uses a slightly smaller panel size of 27 inches for its larger iMac, while the base desktop sports a 21.5-inch display.

Signs of a potential Retina display iMac were first spotted in June in Apple's beta release of OS X 10.10 Yosemite. A string of code in the unreleased operating system pointed to scaled display resolutions reaching up to 6,400-by,3,600 pixels, which could be scaled down for a Retina-caliber panel.

Rumors of an iMac with Retina display have been around for years, but as of yet the only Macs with high-resolution panels are the company's MacBook Pro lineup. The company is also rumored to be working on a redesigned 12-inch MacBook Air with Retina display.

104 Comments

tallest skil 43086 comments · 14 Years

About 10 years ago

Makes sense. 5120x2880 iMac, here we come.

melgross 33607 comments · 20 Years

I read that it may actually be a true 4K monitor, which makes more sense. Unless there's a newer Displayport standard beyond the present 1.2, it can't handle more than 4096. We would need to use two ports for this, which is clumsy, and not what Apple would normally do.

Originally Posted by melgross

I read that it may actually be a true 4K monitor, which makes more sense.

Why does that make sense? Heck, 16:9 doesn’t make sense. A resolution above 4K allows for the UI to be shown on the same screen as a full size video. Great boon for editing.

Unless there's a newer Displayport standard beyond the present 1.2, it can't handle more than 4096. We would need to use two ports for this, which is clumsy, and not what Apple would normally do.

Yeah, but… Thunderbolt.

schlack 727 comments · 11 Years

If anything they will launch a stand alone monitor for use with the Mac Pro and the new, yet unreleased, Mac Mini. Can't see any way they can get that kind of monitor into a $2K iMac without losing money.

theothergeoff 2081 comments · 14 Years

Quote:

Originally Posted by melgross

I read that it may actually be a true 4K monitor, which makes more sense. Unless there's a newer Displayport standard beyond the present 1.2, it can't handle more than 4096. We would need to use two ports for this, which is clumsy, and not what Apple would normally do.

iMac? ports?

I agree that the 'trickledown' of this to the Mac Mini may lead to a problem of dual porting, but an 'all-in-1' solution, with advanced Thunderbolt (3?) or dual TB2 ports for a 2nd monitor is an outlier market.

If you need more than 2 monitors, UHD and size (given the total 'field' of vision) is adequate. If you need 4 4K or multiple 5Ks, you are definitely in a small niche of users that "should" be addressed with future (likely way way in the future) Mac Pros.