What you need to know
- Code in the macOS Big Sur 11.3 beta 5 references two new Apple silicon iMacs.
- The new iMacs are expected to feature Apple silicon chips and a new design.
The latest beta of macOS Big Sur seems to point to two new Apple silicon iMacs.
As reported by 9to5Mac, Apple released macOS Big Sur 11.3 beta 5 to developers and public beta users today and, within the code, Apple makes reference to new models of the iMac. According to the code, it appears that both the 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac will be updated this year.
The latest beta version of macOS Big Sur comes with codes for two new iMacs, which are identified as "iMac21,1" and "iMac21,2" — it's worth mentioning that these numbers are not related to display size.Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that the codenames of the new iMacs with Apple Silicon chips are J456 and J457, and 9to5Mac was able to confirm that the new models listed in the latest macOS Big Sur beta have the same codename. According to the report, both the 21.5-inch and 27-inch models will be updated sometime this year.
As Apple previously announced, the new versions of the iMac will contain Apple silicon chips, something that seems to have been confirmed by at least one developer last week.
Last week, a developer noticed some crash reports in their app coming from an unknown iMac powered by an ARM processor. At the same time, Apple recently discontinued the iMac Pro and some configurations of the 21.5-inch iMac, which suggests that the updated iMac with M1 (or another Apple Silicon chip) is indeed coming soon.
If you're not planning on or can't wait for the new iMac, check out our list of the Best Mac in 2021.
The new iMac is also expected to experience a major redesign that more closely resembles the Pro Display XDR, the high-end display that is currently sold as the go-to display for Mac Pro users.
