Apple's M3 iMac refresh could launch within months

iMac 24-inch on a desk with a man
(Image credit: Apple)

Anyone waiting to pick up a new iMac until it gets a refresh might not have to wait all that much longer, according to a new report.

The current 24-inch iMac has been around for some time now and remains powered by Apple's M1 chip. It now looks increasingly likely that the M2 version of Apple's silicon is going to be skipped entirely, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes that an M3 chip-powered iMac will arrive within months.

There is one question, though — will the new iMac also have other chips on offer?

Apple's best 24-inch iMac yet

The 24-inch iMac is one of the best Macs for people who want a desktop machine right now, despite its now aging M1 chip. Writing in the weekly Power On newsletter, Gurman says that it's about to get an M3-flavored upgrade. But don't expect a huge change in terms of design, we're told. Gurman believes that the updated M3 iMac "won’t be a major update."

However, unlike the M1 iMac, Gurman suggests there might be a chance that the M3 variant will also offer a chip upgrade in the form of the M3 Pro. "The big question for me is if the new iMac will come in an M3 Pro variation — something that I think would be a plus for desktop gamers, developers, and media editors," Gurman notes. It isn't yet clear if that's based on any insider knowledge or just wishful thinking, however.

As for when the new M3 iMac will debut, Gurman says that it is likely to arrive towards the end of 2023 or in the early parts of 2024.

Gurman also believes that Apple is working on a larger 30-inch iMac, but that it won't ship for some time yet.

As for your own buying decision, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a Mac Prime Day deal if you're looking to bag a new iMac bargain.

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

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.