An M3-powered iMac could see the light of day this year

Apple is preparing to release new iMacs on the second half of this year, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.

In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman says that the next-gen iMacs, codenamed J433 and J434, are at an "advanced stage" of engineering validation testing and Apple is currently conducting production tests of the desktop. He also expects the new iMacs to be one of Apple's first machines powered by the new M3 system-on-a-chip (SoC), which will offer the devices significant performance and power efficiency improvements.

What's more, the new iMacs will have a 24-inch display, similar to the current model which was announced in April 2021. It will also come in the same colours as 2021's iMacs: blue, silver, pink and orange. Other changes expected include relocated and redesigned internal components, and a different manufacturing process for attaching the iMac’s stand.

Aside from the new iMacs, Gurman says that Apple is scheduled to launch the first 15-inch Macbook Air, the first Mac Pro powered by Apple's SoC, and a refresh of its 13-inch Macbook Air. He expects Apple to launch these devices sometime between the late spring and summer.

However, it is not yet known which SoC Apple will install on the MacBook Air models. "If those machines launch in a few months with the M2 chip, they’ll quickly become outdated," Gurman says. "A 15-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip may still excite consumers, but a new M2 13-inch MacBook Air is unlikely to be compelling."

Source: Bloomberg

An M3-powered iMac could see the light of day this year