iMac 2018 release date, UK price, features, specifications

iMac 2018 release date, UK price, features, specifications

iMac 2018 release date, UK price, features, specifications

iMac 2018 release

The has been getting a lot of attention since it arrived in December 2017, but if that machine is overkill for you, you might be wondering whats in store for the standard iMac this year. In this article we answer all your questions, from whether the iMac will be offered in Space Grey like the iMac Pro, and whether it will utilise the new cooling system found in that model.

We also assess rumours, such as a claim from a Foxconn insider that the iMac will be redesigned in 2018 could the new iMac have slimmer bezels and a narrower chin, for example? We also question whether Touch ID could be added to the keyboard, or if FaceID might make its way on to the iMac, and we look at the chances that there could be a 6-core iMac in the wings. Read on to find out more.

Since 2018 marks 20 years of the iMac yes it's been 20 years since Apple introduced the Bondi Blue iMac on 15 August 1998 could we see an all new design to mark the occasion? In 2017 Apple updated the iMac on 5 June during WWDC.

Will the next update to the iMac happen at WWDC 2018? Read about . Its certainly possible that the iMac could be updated in the early summer of 2018. There has been an update to the Kaby Lake range of processors from the 7th generation used in the iMac currently, to 8th generation Kaby Lake R. But more likely, Apple will use Intel's new Coffee Lake chips which are also already available, although reports indicate there are likely to be shortages during the first quarter. However, with the average iMac refresh usually being more than a year, it is also possible that Apple could wait until September or October 2018 to issue an updated iMac.

If the company is considering a more substantial redesign (as we dicsuss below), this may well be the case. While its unlikely that the price of the iMac range will change, there could be some price changes if Apple does significantly redesign the model in 2018. Here are the current iMac prices: As we will explain below, part of a redesign could involve removing the hard drive option from the iMac in order to free up space inside the machine and allowing for a slimmer chassis. If Apple was to do this though it is likely that it would keep on an entry-level iMac in the older design, with a hard drive option. This model could be priced at a lower level than it is currently, especially if it uses the same chips as the 2017 iMac.

iMac 2018 release

This could bring the starting price down to around 949 but it will probably be an older generation iMac than the others in the range. Its unlikely that the high-end iMacs will see any decline in price. The iMac Pro starts at 4,899 while currently a standard iMac specd up to match the Pros 32GB RAM (and with the most beefy processor offered as a build-to-order option in that range) costs 3,509. That leap of 1,390 to get from a quad-core to an 8-core processor and the advanced graphics offered by the Pro might seem reasonable, but if the iMac gains a 6-core processor (read on to find out more about that) then the golf between the two models will close a tad.

In which case, Apple might see fit to raise prices. The iMac has had the same design since 2012 when the sides of the iMac were slimmed down. However, the aluminium look is now over 10 years old the first aluminium iMac launched in 2007. Some people are calling for a facelift, or at least some internal changes that could allow Apple to slim the unit down even further, and perhaps shave off some of the chin. There was a rumour in the summer of 2017 that Apple is planning an iMac redesign in 2018. This was based on claims made by a Foxconn Insider posting on .

Whether the iMac needs such a redesign is a matter of taste. The iMac design is popular and reducing the size of the chin would mean that the screen might have to be thicker in order to house the components, and it might also make the screen less ergonomic if the screen sat lower than it does currently. However, if Apple made some changes to the inside of the iMac, as it did with the iMac Pro, it could save a lot of space and avoid the need to make the unit any thicker. For example, Apple could remove the HD bay. If Apple moved the entire range of iMacs to SSD as standard, removing the hard drive or Fusion Drive options this would free up space.

However, as we mentioned below, it is unlikely that Apple would remove the option of the Fusion Drive as it allows consumers the option of having more storage space. Such a change would likely see the current 1TB hard drive or Fusion Drive option replaced by a 256GB SSD which many would not consider adequate.

Assuming that Apple doesn't remove anything from the inside, could the company still reduce the bezels of the iMac? If it did we think it is likely that the dimensions of the unit itself would change, rather than the size of the screen (although wed love Apple to introduce a 30in display). This could result in the 27in standard iMac being slightly smaller than the iMac Pro (an unlikely scenario). We think its unlikely that Apple would significantly change the design and dimensions of the standard iMac when the iMac Pro has only recently launched.

iMac 2018 release

The fact that the company chose to find a way to fit the iMac Pro components inside the iMac chassis, and ensure adequate cooling, rather than completely change the design, should indicate that Apple doesnt intend to stray too far from a design it likes. Speaking of the iMac Pro, there have been calls for Apple to offer a Space Grey version of the standard iMac.

While the Space Grey colouring of the iMac Pro sets it aside from the standard iMac and that is a distinction that Apple wanted to highlight with the alternative colour there is some hope that a Space Grey standard iMac could arrive now that Apple is selling the Space Grey keyboard and mouse separately.

While we dont expect the dimensions of the screen to change, there is a question of whether Apple could adopt OLED for the iMac display. The likelihood of that is slim right now despite OLED appearing on the iPhone, as a technology it isnt really mature yet, and there are burn in issues and issues with colour shift that it is likely Apple would want to be addressed before it moved to OLED for its screen.

 There is one thing on the horizon as regards Apple and screens. The company has revealed that it is working on a new screen to accompany the Mac Pro when it launches (at some point in 2018 or beyond). This it could offer more than the 5K Retina Apples iMac currently offers. We also have this article on the . Will the iMac get a screen to match? Probably not the Retina display on the 27in iMac is still unsurpassed by any competitor. However, one update to the screen technology on the 2018 iMac that we could see is TrueTone. TrueTone first appeared on the iPad Pro, and then arrived on the iPhone with the iPhone 8 and iPhone X.

Thanks to the technology, ambient light sensors measure the surrounding colour temperature and adjust the white balance of the display accordingly. As a result reading text on a white background is easier on the eye. There had been a rumour that Apple would integrate a Touch Bar (like that found as an option on the MacBook Pro) onto the keyboard when it launched the 2017 iMac. Neither the iMac or the iMac Pro keyboard gained the Touch Bar though. This may indicate that Apples found a lack of interest in the Touch Bar. It may also indicate that it plans to move away from Touch ID another feature that is found on the Touch Bar. Read our round up of .

iMac 2018 release

Touch ID is a handy way of unlocking a MacBook Pro, logging on to sites, and paying for things online using Apple Pay. However, as we saw with the iPhone X, Apple has a new method for identifying its users: Face ID. Could Face ID arrive on the iMac in 2018? Quite possibly the technology for Face ID will be integrated into the FaceTime camera on the iMac screen (and other Macs) in 2018. This would mean that you wouldn't have to enter passwords or prove your identity when using your Mac.

There are a few potential pitfalls here though. If your Mac has multiple users it will need multiple Face IDs to be stored. With the iPhone X it needs to be clear that you are actually looking directly at the screen to unlock it (so that your iPhone doesnt unlock accidentally). With the iMac it would be harder to distinguish between a wish to unlock the Mac, or more crucially pay for something, and just facing the screen.

 One exciting processor-related update on the horizon is the likelihood that the next generation of processors will include 6-core options. Intel's Coffee Lake i5 and i7 offerings have 6-core options and these are very likely to find their way into the new iMac.

The following Coffee Lake processors could be used in the new iMac: If Apple switches to these processors it will narrow the performance gap between the iMac and iMac Pro (which can be configured with 8-, 10-, 14or 18-core Xeon W processors). The big question is whether the company would want to make the top-of-the-range iMac too good as such a move could take market away from the iMac Pro.

There's another possibility, although somewhat unlikely. Apple could simply revamp the iMac range with the newer 8th generation Kaby Lake R chips the current models use 7th generation Kaby Lake. They might have the same name, but there is a significant performance leap. It may also be the case that Apple will introduce its own processors to the iMac range. Currently the MacBook Pro and the iMac Pro use an Apple-designed co-processor. In the case of the iMac Pro, the T2 looks after security (in the form of encrypted storage and secure boot capabilities), as well as system management controller, image signal processor, audio controller, and SSD controller.

In the case of the MacBook Pro the T1 chip looks after the Touch-ID and Apple Pay authentication. It seems likely that an Apple designed chip will make its way into the new iMac probably the company will re-use the T2 chip seen in the iMac Pro, but it could equally create a newer T3 chip, which could add the Face recognition to its capabilities, as mentioned above. As for whether Apple would ditch Intel in favour of its own homemade processors, that's unlikely... for now.

iMac 2018 release

A Bloomberg indicates that Apple does have plans to switch to its own CPUs by 2020. The initiative, which is codenamed Kalamata, could eventually see Apple designed processors appear in Macs. Apple's home-made chips are already used in iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Apple TVs. It could also pave the way for better integration between Macs and iOS devices.

Bloomberg suggests that: By using its own chips, Apple would be able to more tightly integrate new hardware and software, potentially resulting in systems with better battery life -similar to iPads, which use Apple chips. As we mention above, there is a possibility that if Apple is working on a redesign for the iMac in 2018 we could see the end of the hard drive or Fusion Drive offerings. Removing the hard drive bay would allow Apple to better utilise the space inside the iMac.

However, we think it is unlikely that Apple will stop offering the hard drive option as it is the best way to get more storage at the entry level. Although we could see the entry-level iMac keep the older design, with a new shape debuting on the higher-end, SSD-only models (a way to encourage uptake of SSDs, perhaps).

Faster memory is also made possible by Coffee Lake which supportsDDR4 at 2666MHz in dual-channel mode. Currently, the iMac maxes out at 2400MHz while the iMac Pro offers 2666MHz RAM.

Another possibility is that the RAM limitations of some of the lower-end models will be lifted. The 21-inch iMac is limited to 8GB and 16GB currently but could be upgradeable to up 32GB in a future model. The top-of-the-range 21in and the entry-level 27in models currently have a 32GB build-to-order option, but this could raise to 64GB.

Only the mid-range and top-of-the-range 27in has a 64GB option currently. Incidentally, the iMac Pro can be configured to 128GB RAM, could this be an option on the 2018 flag-ship 27in iMac? It seems likely that the new iMac range will adopt graphics cards based around the AMD Vega.

Dont expect to see the Vega GPU options found in the iMac Pro as it is unlikely that they can be used without the thermal upgrades Apple made for the iMac Pro. A more likely option is the rumoured Vega 28 and 32. One interesting idea is that there could be one iMac model geared towards gaming, using a new Vega RX GPU that has been designed for that purpose.

However, there is also the possibility that the new iMac could adopt an nVidia graphics card, although it seems that would require a lot more work to accomplish. One final thing to mention is connectivity. We expect that the 802.11ax will start to make an appearance over the next year or so, so the new Macs could start to offer compatibility with this new standard.

iMac 2018 release