Apple is in the process of transitioning its Mac lineup to Apple Silicon processors, and a variety of reports have indicated that the iMac is likely to be next on the schedule. Now, an unreleased iMac with an ARM processor has made an appearance through Xcode’s Crash Reporter feature, adding more fuel to the fire…
What this screenshot shows is that this developer’s application crashed while being used on an iMac powered by an ARM processor. Apple does not currently sell an iMac powered by an ARM processor, so this signals that the app was being used on an unreleased iMac with Apple Silicon processor.
9to5Mac was able to take a look at the crash report file and confirm that the crash did occur on ARM64 (the architecture used by Apple Silicon), and the device family matches iMac, so it’s unlikely to be an indication error. The screenshot was shared with 9to5Mac by developer Dennis Oberhoff, developer of the DaftCloud application for Mac.
Apple has become quite good at cleaning up these reports to omit any potentially revealing details, so unfortunately we can’t decipher much else at this moment. Nonetheless, it joins a growing amount of evidence to suggest that a redesigned iMac with Apple Silicon is coming sooner rather than later.
It’s not at all uncommon for analytics tools such as Xcode to reveal unreleased products. These tools often pick up new device models before they are released, especially when Apple engineers use third-party apps on these devices for testing.
Apple Silicon iMac rumors
Currently, a variety of 21.5-inch iMac models are unavailable to purchase, which could signal changes to the supply chain as Apple prepares to debut new models. Apple also recently discontinued the iMac Pro without a clear replacement. Again, this could mean that Apple is making room in the iMac lineup for new models with Apple Silicon inside that eclipses the iMac Pro in performance.
But in addition to Apple Silicon, the new iMac models are also expected to be completely redesigned. This would represent the first redesign of Apple’s all-in-one desktop in over a decade, and it’s expected to be a big one.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in January that the redesigned iMac will feature a design that is inspired by the Pro Display XDR. In fact, Gurman wrote that the new iMac “will be one of the biggest visual updates to any Apple product this year.”
With its similarities to the Pro Display XDR, the redesigned iMac is expected to feature a flat back that replaces the current curved design. The chin at the bottom will also be removed, while the bezels around the display will also be slimmed down. The iMac might also be available in new colors, including space gray, silver, rose gold, green, and sky blue.
Past reports have indicated that Apple is developing a 24-inch iMac, which would theoretically serve as a replacement to the 21.5-inch model. This could also mean that the 27-inch iMac gets a bump in screen size to something like 30 inches, but details here are still unclear.
It’s also still unclear when Apple plans to release its Apple Silicon iMac, but again, the evidence is growing that it will happen sooner rather than later. You can find our full roundup of what to expect from the Mac lineup in 2021 right here.
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