The 27-inch iMac is dead for good - Apple confirms no Apple silicon upgrade is coming

M3 iMac
(Image credit: Apple)

The new iMac M3 looks lovely, doesn’t it? With its M3 chip, colorful line of pastel shades, and matching colored accessories, there’s not much to dislike about the new all-in-one desktop from Apple. Unless, however, you like a bigger screen — it only comes in a 24-inch guise, and now there’s not going to be a 27-inch option. Like, ever.

While Intel-based iMacs came in two different size options, with the 27-inch being the bigger, Apple has now confirmed to the Verge that there will never be an Apple Silicon 27-inch iMac. Shame.

Bigger screens? Maybe…

Speaking to the Verge, Apple PR agent Starlayne Meza confirmed that Apple has no plans for a 27-inch desktop. Instead, customers should apparently check out the Studio display and a Mac mini or Mac Studio, which has a larger display size.

Anyone who’s gone from a relatively small 24-inch screen to a larger 27-inch display knows how much of a difference the bigger screen is. There’s more room for work, letting you do more with your desktop.

It also shifts the iMac from the spot it once held in Apple’s Intel lineup — while there were options for every person in the 21-inch model, the 27-inch machine was a super powerful machine for the professional, used in design labs and art classrooms everywhere. The 24-inch machine is apparently supposed to slip directly in the middle, but its RAM limitations, small screen size, and base M3 chips make it feel like an entry-level Mac for those who don’t want to spend the money on a separate mouse and keyboard.

There are rumors that continue to rumble as to a 32-inch iMac, which could well fill that void, but it is yet to materialize — although we did get a MacBook Air 15-inch, so who knows what the future holds.

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Tammy Rogers
Senior Staff Writer

As iMore's Senior Staff writer, Tammy uses her background in audio and Masters in screenwriting to pen engaging product reviews and informative buying guides. The resident audiophile (or audio weirdo), she's got an eye for detail and a love of top-quality sound. Apple is her bread and butter, with attention on HomeKit and Apple iPhone and Mac hardware. You won't find her far away from a keyboard even outside of working at iMore – in her spare time, she spends her free time writing feature-length and TV screenplays. Also known to enjoy driving digital cars around virtual circuits, to varying degrees of success. Just don't ask her about AirPods Max - you probably won't like her answer.