AppleInsider Staff
At its special media event on Thursday, Apple is expected to release a highly-anticipated 27-inch iMac with Retina quality display that will ship before the end of 2014, as well as a next-generation iPad Air that could see limited initial supply, says one well-informed analyst.
According to a research note obtained by AppleInsider, KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple will introduce the long-awaited high-resolution iMac alongside a next-generation iPad Air at a media event scheduled for Oct. 16.
Kuo expects only a 27-inch Retina iMac model to take the stage this week, though a 21-inch version is in the works and could debut in the second half of 2015. The analyst says Apple started on the 27-inch offering prior to the 21-inch because developing two different sized high-resolution panels is a demanding task. Comparatively, the larger-screened iteration draws high-end users who can afford the additional cost, making the model ripe for release.
Reports from September claimed the rumored 27-inch Retina iMac will feature a 5K display, though exact specifications have not been confirmed. Code discovered in an OS X 10.10 Yosemite beta in June pointed to 6,400-by-3,600-pixel screen resolutions, possibly hinting at scaling options for a Retina panel.
Out of the products being announced on Thursday, Kuo sees the new iPad Air generating the most interest, but the analyst notes production issues could stymie a massive launch. Poor yield rates associated with the tablet's anti-reflective screen coating have delayed manufacturing, prompting a downgrade in shipments to between 7 and 9 million units, lower than the 12 million units shipped with the first iPad Air last year.
The iPad mini with Retina display is unlikely to see a major revision this year as Apple is placing focus on a rumored 12.9-inch model to be released in early 2015.
Finally, Kuo does not expect Apple to ship any new MacBook products in 2014 — including a rumored 12-inch MacBook Air with Retina display — citing chip shipment delays from Intel. The analyst believes new MacBook models will start production in the first quarter of 2015, but doubts Apple will announce the products on Oct. 16.
Kuo's predictions line up with a report from Tuesday claiming Apple will launch both a high-resolution iMac and next-gen iPad Air 2 at its upcoming media event, but is not planning to announce new MacBook Air hardware.
The company is also widely expected to announce public availability of OS X Yosemite, the next-generation Mac operating system with enhanced interaction with iOS devices through new Continuity features. Apple may take the opportunity to launch Apple Pay, which was promised to drop in October, suggesting the launch of iOS 8.1.
AppleInsider will be covering the event live on Thursday from 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern. Apple is also offering a live stream accessible through the Web or Apple TV.
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
52 Comments
Rehash of previous rumors with nothing new, but Ming-chi gets his own article every time?
23 Megapixel ??? That is huge. What dpi is that at 27". I think they will go with 30"
Great news about the antireflective coating, which are very much expected, and from what I gather the screen stays separate from the glass, which is the right decision in terms of repairs. This is "THE" update for the iPad.
Delaying shipment and lowering production rates are all fine if you want to get the product just right. That's why no one else has yet to manage to integrate glass as one piece with the lcd at 27".
I still feel we are going to get a really nice surprise with the new mini, which will be very unlike a mini mac pro, and very like a new cube. If they also manage to get dp 1.3 in there two these are going to be some really great computers.
I don't know why Kuo or anyone else has not mentioned this but to me it's almost certain a new acd will be presented too.
Lastly I think Yosemite might have a couple of weeks or so still and if the new iMacs ship in a couple of weeks they'll time it with that.
Looks like it's going to be a great event.
Ming-Chi has a decent track record, but it is far from anything so golden that his reports merit their own article. He originally said the iPhone 6 Plus wouldn't appear at the iPhone event, but that's conveniently forgotten ... along with any of his other predictions that don't turn out to be true or only half-right.
Well, Ming-chi's "report" aside, I'm hoping for a 5K iMac on Thursday.