New & colorful 27-inch iMac starts production, reportedly won't have mini LED

A new report says that suppliers have begun producing Apple's updated 27-inch iMac, and that it will not feature a mini LED screen — but will come in many colors.

Previous reports have claimed that mini LED will be used in the 27-inch iMac — or possibly a separate iMac Pro — releasing in early 2022. Now unspecified sources in the supply chain have told Digitimes that the iMac won't have this newer screen technology.

The Digitimes report is sketchy, but does also claim that the new 27-inch iMac has been redesigned in a similar way to the 24-inch iMac. Specifically, the sources say it has a thinner exterior design, and that it is expected to come in multiple colors, possibly the same ones as the 24-inch model.

Although it Wednesday's report says that the new iMac Pro won't feature mini LED, these supply chain sources report that the display will be brighter. "LED chips used in its display are up 30-40% from the previous models," says the publication.

Digitimes has a strong reputation for data from within Apple's supply chain. However it has a substantially poorer one for the conclusions it draws from the information it receives.

If Wednesday's report is accurate, it will be the first one since rumors started about a new iMac Pro with Apple Silicon that adds colors, and takes away the mini LED display for the product. While it is difficult to assess Apple's plans from supply chain rumors, it appears that the publication has conflated multiple products, as it has done in the past.

Ross Young, of Display Supply Chain Consultants, believes that DigiTimes is incorrect in its assumption that the iMac Pro won't have a mini LED backlight.

31 Comments

indieshack 336 comments · 9 Years

About 2 years ago

Really…27”?

shareef777 136 comments · 16 Years

indieshack said:

Really…27”?

This is just a replacement of the 27" Intel iMac. They've had those for over a decade.

tundraboy 1909 comments · 18 Years

shareef777 said:

indieshack said:

Really…27”?

This is just a replacement of the 27" Intel iMac. They've had those for over a decade.

I think the point is that with the screen size unchanged, it is now pretty close to the lower end 24" which increased from 21.5". I myself had hoped that it would have been bumped up to 30".

techconc 275 comments · 7 Years

indieshack said:

Really…27”?

I'm fine with that. I don't need or even want anything bigger. I'll be happy to replace my existing 27" Intel iMac.

tundraboy said:

shareef777 said:

indieshack said:

Really…27”?

This is just a replacement of the 27" Intel iMac. They've had those for over a decade.

I think the point is that with the screen size unchanged, it is now pretty close to the lower end 24" which increased from 21.5". I myself had hoped that it would have been bumped up to 30".

The 21.5" was just grossly undersized and long overdue to be upped to 24" (the minimum size for monitors for the past 5 years). This also better aligns with the 24/27" LG Ultrafine monitors that Apple themselves have sold for the past 5 years. I can see as an opportunity for a 32" iMac (Pro) being offered in the future though.