Skip to main content

The iMac will get a design refresh at WWDC, leaker claims

Apple’s iMac computers could be set for their first design refresh in close to a decade.

The update is due to be announced at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, according to leaker Sonny Dickson. The conference will be hosted online-only for the first time in its history.

The event will see Apple announce a new iMac based on the “iPad Pro design language,” with thinner bezels surrounding its display, Dickson said. This will result in a product that resembles Apple’s Pro Display XDR in terms of its bezels.

The iMac’s design has looked dated for several years, especially now that incredibly thin bezels are all the rage in the industry. As we discussed in our 2019 iMac 5K review, you could look at the device and have no idea what year it was made in, such is the inertia its design has experienced.

In addition to taking cues from the iPad Pro and Pro Display XDR, Dickson believes the new iMac will ditch the Apple Fusion Drives it currently uses, potentially resulting in an all-SSD lineup. Currently, no iMac (including both 21.5-inch and 27-inch sizes) offer SSDs by default. Most start with Fusion Drives, which combine a large hard drive with a small SSD cache. The entry-level iMac, meanwhile, does not even have this. Instead, it is being outfitted with a slow hard drive that is increasingly out of place in 2020. It is possible that Apple may keep this as a cheap entry point to the iMac range, although this would certainly be disappointing.

Dickson reports Apple will also incorporate its T2 Security Chip into the new iMac. This carries out numerous security functions and controls the computer’s SSD, its image signal processor, its audio controller, and more. This would be the first time an iMac has had the T2 Security Chip.

Finally, Dickson’s leak claims the iMac will come with AMD Navi graphics cards. There is some evidence to back this up, as in February 2020, leaked MacOS beta code was discovered that contained references to AMD’s Navi GPUs. At the time it was not known whether Apple was planning on including these in future devices or merely testing them out, but Dickson’s information seems to point toward the former.

WWDC is shaping up to be an exciting event for Apple fans. Earlier today it was reported that Apple will announce its widely rumored switch to ARM processors at the event. Because WWDC will be online-only, it also means that far more people will be able to virtually attend than in previous years.

Editors' Recommendations

Alex Blake
In ancient times, people like Alex would have been shunned for their nerdy ways and strange opinions on cheese. Today, he…
Apple may soon eliminate the notch from your Mac and iPhone
An Apple MacBook laptop with the macOS Ventura background wallpaper and the notch seen at the top of the display.

So many Apple devices have the divisive notch cutout these days that the feature has almost become its own brand, yet it continues to stir disapproving glances and attempts to hide it wherever it's seen. Apple could now be on the brink of eliminating it for good.

That’s because the company recently filed a patent in Europe outlining how future Apple devices, from Macs to iPhones, could do away with the notch once and for all, giving you a borderless experience that’s unbroken around the screen. It’s a grand idea, and Apple thinks it knows how to make it work.

Read more
Apple will now let you repair more Macs and iPhones yourself
A person repairing a MacBook using Apple's self-service repair kit.

Apple has been running a self-service repair program that lets you fix up your devices yourself since April 2022, but it’s always been a little bit hobbled. Now, though, Apple has expanded the program to include some of the latest devices available in what could be a boost to the right-to-repair movement.

Starting today, the program will include the M2 13-inch MacBook Air and the M2 13-inch MacBook Pro, as well as the entire iPhone 14 lineup. That means if you want to repair one of these products, Apple will provide you with official parts, tools and instructions to help you do it. Previously, you couldn’t do this yourself with Apple-approved parts, despite the devices being available for many months.

Read more
Will my Mac get macOS 14?
MacOS Sonoma.

MacOS 14 is coming and coming soon, and thanks to Apple's big keynote address at WWDC 2023, we now know what it can do, what it's called, and who can get it. The next generation Mac operating system is codenamed Sonoma, and it's bringing gaming to macOS in a big way, as well as improving video calls, and security. It's going to be available for most modern Mac and MacBook users, but there are some legacy systems that are unfortunately being left out in the cold.

Wondering if your Mac can get macOS 14? Here's everything we know about what Macs are and aren't compatible with Sonoma.

Read more