A new iMac could launch as soon as next week, but not with Apple silicon

iMac (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

Leaker Jon Prosser claims we can expect a new iMac as soon as next week.
Prosser says that we should "keep an eye out for August" but that no redesign should be expected.
He also went on to say that this won't be the first Mac using Apple silicon, either.

Apple leaker Jon Prosser says that we should "keep an eye out for August" when commenting on previous rumors that a new iMac will launch this week. August begins in less than a week, suggesting we could potentially see a new iMac as soon as next week.

While the iMac is due a refresh, Prosser also says that we shouldn't expect anything to change externally – this is all about what's going on inside the iMac rather than what it looks like on the outside.

If you want the new iMac, keep an eye out for August.

No redesign.If you want the new iMac, keep an eye out for August.

No redesign.— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) July 26, 2020 July 26, 2020

Unfortunately, those internal changes won't include Apple silicon. Instead, Prosser claims, the 13-inch MacBook Pro will be the one to get the new chips first. That means this iMac will be all about new Intel chips which should perhaps not be a huge surprise – Apple did say that new Intel Macs were still in the pipeline.

This does both backs up and contradicts previous claims by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He said last month that a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Apple silicon will arrive this year, but he also said the iMac would follow suit.

The first Macs using an Apple-designed 5-nanometer processor will be a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro and a redesigned iMac, Kuo proposes, with both models anticipated to outperform their Intel equivalents by between 50% and 100%.

However, the iMac Kuo was speaking about was the rumored 24-inch, redesigned model. He later also pointed to an upcoming iMac with Intel chips, too.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.