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KGI: 27″ Retina iMac ready to roll, 21″ next year, iPad Air 2 supply constrained, iPad minis to see minimal updates

imac-apple-2014

KGI has published a new research note indicating that the 27″ model of the new “Retina” iMac will begin shipping before the end of this year. However, according to the note, a 21-inch version which is currently in development will not be released until the beginning of 2015, probably alongside other products “early 2015” like the Apple Watch and Photos for Mac.

With regards to the iPad Air 2, KGI says that constrained supplies are likely, with a possible initial shipment of only 7-9 million. Compare that to the original iPad Air, which kicked of sales with 12 million units. The iPad mini will be updated, but the changes will be more conservative than those coming to the Air. A 12.9″ iPad is also said to be in development, though no timeline seems to have been set for its release.

The MacBook line is unlikely to see any major revisions this year, KGI says, due to shipping delays at Intel that have prevented the availability of the latest processors. That means no 12″ MacBook Air or upgraded MacBook Pros until sometime next year.

Of course, Apple is also expected to debut OS X Yosemite on October 16th. You’ll be able to follow all of the action in Cupertino through a live stream on Apple’s website and live coverage right here on 9to5Mac.

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Comments

  1. Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 9 years ago

    More bad news. Apple is really screwing up this year.

    I would bet iPad sales shrink again and not because it’s a bad or un-needed product, just because Apple apparently hasn’t got any ideas left for them (or is too lazy or over-taxed to implement).

    The only difference between the original iPad mini and this year’s is the (non-essential) retina screen. The only difference between this year’s and next is shaping up to be the (even less essential) TouchID button. If not for that silver ring, you couldn’t tell the three models apart without a magnifying glass.

    Boring. Uninspiring, and worst of all … stagnant design.

    Never thought I’d see this from Apple. I hope all the rumours are wrong and that they’ve actually improved the device.

    • Mosha - 9 years ago

      You never thought you would see this from Apple? If I’m not mistaken the unibody MacBook Pro’s have remained relatively unchanged since 2008, merely refined at this point, you could even say that for the iMac. Yet, they are still beautiful products.

      Design isn’t simply a matter of changing the shape/look for the sake of differentiating a product from its predecessors. Unless it has a functional purpose, than why change it? Because it looks the same? There are very minimal complaints about the design itself. Certainly, it may get boring, but people aren’t purchasing the product because it’s visually different. They’re purchasing it because it functions better.

      • Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 9 years ago

        To clarify … I have never seen this from Apple on a 1.0 product. They are basically saying that the design of the iPad mini when it came out was so perfect, that they didn’t really need to change it at all for THREE YEARS (if the rumours turn out to be true).

        Also, I’ve been to design school and know all about design theory and what design is or isn’t.

        I am an iPad mini user and I can think of several design changes, updates, etc. that could be made.

        One could easily argue that the entire iPad line has barely changed since the iPad 2 came out. If you leave out (and we should), the “slightly faster, slightly thinner, slightly better camera” thing that happens each year on every iOS product (because this isn’t really “changing the design”), what have we got? The narrower bezels, and chamfered edge that debuted with the iPad mini, and (maybe,although I wouldn’t include it) the TouchID button. Both of which are marginal, minimal design changes.

        Again, all this says to me is that Apple apparently thinks that there is nothing that can be done to improve the iPad experience.

    • tuvatech - 9 years ago

      I hate to disagree with you, but once they have found a beautiful design, we keep messing around with it? If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.. right? They tried to give new designs for the iPhone, and the last 2 (actually 4) have been a complete disaster. Those ugly lines on 5/5S and now 6 and 6 Plus are hideous. The last good looking phone was 4S. :(

      • saschaeggi - 9 years ago

        I disagree. The 5s was the best looking iPhone of all times.

      • Untitled (@Untitled_007) - 9 years ago

        What are you talking about? The antenna lines on 5 and 5s are the same as 4s. You mean the two tone black? I think the iPhone 5 looks really great, and it looks better than 5s because I like black instead of space grey.

    • Inaba-kun (@Inaba_kun) - 9 years ago

      You are so wildly wrong in your statements about the Mini. The difference between the Mini and the Mini Retina are absolutely night and day. The retina display makes a gigantic difference, absolutely transforming the device from a curio to something genuinely useful to read on. It also has a hugely faster CPU and GPU, and more RAM. The device is generations ahead of the original mini.

    • Klaus Dietrich Lange - 9 years ago

      “I am an iPad mini user and I can think of several design changes, updates, etc. that could be made.”

      So you can do it better than Apple. Great. Please share your thoughts with us.

    • PMZanetti - 9 years ago

      You are quickly becoming the worst poster here. When you write off the Retina display as non-essential, you lose all credibility in anything you say.

  2. rogifan - 9 years ago

    More sticking crap against the wall hoping something sticks.

    • rettun1 - 9 years ago

      What you’re saying would make sense if Apple was releasing a flurry of varying products, with hopes of creating enough things that everybody will be pleased. And that is NOT what apple is about haha

  3. xprmntr - 9 years ago

    Best product line in 25 years? Let’s hope so

  4. WaveMedia (@WaveMedia) - 9 years ago

    I love how the comments take this as though it’s undeniable, verified absolute fact. Right now it’s a rumour and speculation. Nothing more. Until Apple gets up on that stage and says otherwise that’s what it’ll remain to be.

    • PMZanetti - 9 years ago

      You might want to pay a little closer attention to the track record of certain parties citing this information.

      Despite everything being rumor until Apple says otherwise….certain parties are in the know, and have impeccable track records, predicted everything about the September event, and can be counted on to deliver 99% accurate predictions for this month’s event too.

  5. Ka Duroy (@Duroy007) - 9 years ago

    Mac Mini????????

  6. taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

    The mini at most will see a Touch ID and a8 processor. Mo think it will have a major upgrade in the spring along the 12.9″ iPad. Think Apple will try tiered releases ro the iPads to ease canibalism of sales of the 9.7″ airs.

    I think the next iPad mini will be the first widescreen iPad.

    At first they said Apple wouldn’t mkae a 21″ retina IMac, now they say it’s coming next year.

    • Sleaka J (@Sleaka_J) - 9 years ago

      A widescreen iPad mini is a terrible idea. When they released the original iPad mini they gloated that it had 34? 36? percent more screen real estate than any 7″ Android tablet. A widescreen iPad mini is going to either made the screen real estate smaller, removing one of the advantages of it in the first place, or end up making it wider and then it’d be far too close to it’s 9.7″ cousin.

      An awful idea. It’s not going to happen.

    • rafterman11 - 9 years ago

      Also, wireless AC is probably coming. People seem to be forgetting about that when talking about new iPad changes.

  7. Wojtek - 9 years ago

    No new Mac Mini? This will really annoy a LOT of people. Low-power/small form factor Hackintosh components will see a price hike very soon.

    • PMZanetti - 9 years ago

      I was hoping for one too….but I’ve decided to go all out on a Retina iMac instead.

  8. Taste_of_Apple - 9 years ago

    Looking forward to the event tomorrow.

  9. quantummeter - 9 years ago

    Devices go changed and redesigned when it makes sense to do so. For the “always-new” syndrome you have Samsung, deploying the latest irrelevant “news” every three, four, five months. Most of the concerns here are asking Apple to become superfluous and redundant

  10. trilliondollartv - 9 years ago

    A 16:9 iPad Mini (a ‘wide’ Mini) would be very interesting. It could solve the key problem of the display, not retina vs non-retina, but that text size and tapping areas are just too small. I have to zoom in to tap on a Google search result, tap repeatedly to get a menu to open in Safari, etc. A wider screen with the same height would allow a larger system font and a better view of pages.