iMac (2023): all the latest news and rumors

Does the iMac 2023 actually exist? It's hard to know, with rumors increasingly cropping up that seem to both confirm, and then deny, that Apple is working on a new all-in-one PC for release this year.

In the middle of October, we got wind of a rumor that suggests a new iMac won't be coming in 2023, and instead we'll get a refreshed 24-inch iMac in 2024, with a huge 32-inch iMac with LED display landing in 2025.

However, only a few days ago, renowned Apple leaker Mark Gurman stated that he expects Apple to release an iMac 2023 after all, and it could be revealed on October 30 or 31, just ahead of Apple's earnings announcement on November 2.

Gurman has a pretty good track record when it comes to accurate Apple leaks, and not long after his claims emerged, Apple sent out invitations to an online-only event on October 30 at 5PM PT, or 12AM GMT / 11AM AEDT on October 31, seemingly confirming Gurman's leak.

While Apple has been typically cryptic with its invite, the fact that the timing lines up with Gurman's rumor certainly makes us think this could be the launch of the iMac 2023 lineup. The 'Scary Fast' tag, while an obvious nod to Halloween, could also hint at a performance boost to any product announced. Could we see an iMac with a brand-new M3 chip?

Perhaps. Following iMac 2023 rumors has certainly been a bit of a rollercoaster, but thankfully we may finally have an answer soon.

iMac (2023): Cut to the chase

• What is it? The follow-up to 2021’s Apple chip-powered all-in-one
• When is it available? Possibly the last few months of 2023
• What does it cost? Hopefully the same as the 2021 models or just a tad pricier

iMac (2023): Release date

Earlier this year, Gurman revealed that “While development of the new iMacs — codenamed J433 and J434 — has reached a late stage, it’s not expected to go into mass production for at least three months.” This means that while the other MacBook and Mac updates are coming between Q1 and Q2 2023, and despite the first iteration getting an April 2021 release, we won’t likely see the iMac (2023) hit the shelves until the second half of year.

Obviously, we are now in the final few months of 2023, so if an iMac 2023 is going to appear, it's going to be in the next month or so.

As luck would have it, Apple is hosting a 'Scary Fast' event on October 30 at 5PM PT, or 12AM GMT / 11AM AEDT on October 31, which follows recent rumors from Gurman that suggests we'll see new iMacs at an event on that date.

More evidence is the name of the event, that suggests whatever will be shown will likely sport improved performance. That could mean a 24-inch iMac with the M2 or M2 Pro chip, or even with the as-yet-unannounced M3 chip.

iMac (2023): Price

Sadly, it’s too early to tell how much the next-generation iMac 24-inch is going to cost. Though Apple has been pretty good about limiting price increases on updates to its existing models –  the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023), for example, didn’t get a massive price increase over its M1 predecessor – so we’re hopeful that’s the case for the iMac (2023) as well.

If Apple does keep it to around the same price points, you can expect to pay around $1,299 / £1,249 / AU$1,899 for the base model and about $2,499 / £2,449 / AU$3,699 for the most kitted-out configuration. 

If Apple does give it a price increase – especially if it slaps on that rumored M3 chip, giving it an excuse to do so – it likely won’t be too big of a price jump. Also expect for the Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse to be included in the price, which reminds us… is Apple going to update both peripherals as well? Both are among the best peripherals we’ve had the pleasure of using, but we’d love to see them get a fresh design and perhaps some cool new features.

iMac (2023): What to expect

The iMac (2023) rumor mill has thrown up some conflicting suggestions about what to expect. There are, however, two things we are now convinced of at this point: that the new iMac is going to have the same 24-inch screen as its predecessor, and that it’s going to come with the same fun colors (blue, green, pink, silver, yellow, orange and purple) as well. 

In addition, despite earlier reports that Apple has no plans to release a bigger iMac, Gurman still believes that “Apple is working on a larger-screened iMac aimed at the professional market” and that it may be planning on releasing at least two ‌iMac‌ models. There’s been a lot of speculation that Apple may be reviving the currently defunct 27-inch model, and since there’s a lot of iMac users demanding it, it might happen.

Gurman also states that the iMac (2023) will have “some behind-the-scenes changes,” referring to an internal redesign (ie where the internal components are located) and a different manufacturing process for attaching the stand. What that means exactly, we’ll have to wait.

One thing is for sure – the new iMac (2023) will have a new M-series chip inside - if it does indeed exist. Whether that means it’s going to be powered by the upcoming M3 chip or Apple is going to keep it humble with an M2 is yet to be determined. However, as Gurman himself points out, any Apple machine that launches this year with the M2 chip will “quickly become outdated.” So, an M2-powered iMac is less likely, especially if Apple plans on moving forward with its every-two-year updates.

As for the rest, we’ll just have to wait and see. The next few weeks will be ripe with leaks and rumors about this next-generation iMac, and we’ll make sure to update this page as soon as something big reaches our desks.