Apple has been expected to announce new higher-end iMacs — specifically, ones with its new M1 chipset — ever since it didn't announce them at the end of last year. (Instead, it just gave the "M1 treatment" to its more entry-level Macs, like the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro.) And there have been a few indicators that suggest that these new higher-end iMacs could be announced soon. Like, real soon.
Earlier this month, Apple announced plans to discontinue the iMac Pro, its super high-end all-in-one desktop. (It's already vanished on its website). And just this week, Apple removed two configurations of the 21.5-inch iMac from its website; while the 256GB SSD and 1TB Fusion drive models are still available, you can't buy the more popular 512GB and 1TB SSD configurations anymore.
Read between the lines and the message is clear: if you were thinking about buying an iMac, now is probably not the best time to do so. Apple isn't selling the configuration that you would most likely want, and it's seemingly clearing out inventory to make room for...something else.
As for what to expect, it's rumored that Apple could give the iMac its biggest design overhaul since 2012. (The design of the iMac has been pretty much unchanged for the last eight-odd years.) In addition to the M1 chipset, it's expected that the new iMac will have a larger, near-bezel-less display. It might even have Face ID, which has been a long time coming. As for the higher-end 13-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that these won't be released until this summer (maybe July 2021).
Of course, that's not all that's expected to be coming down the pike. Apple is also expected to announce a host of other gadgets besides a redesigned iMac soon, including new AirPods, a new iPad Pro and maybe even an iPad mini. (You can read up on all the latest rumors here.)
