Apple's 27-Inch 'iMac Pro' With Mini-LED Display Expected in Spring 2022

Apple's next-generation larger-screened "iMac Pro" is expected to launch next spring, according to a forward looking article on Apple's upcoming devices penned by display analyst Ross Young.

Young says that the new ‌iMac‌ is "expected in the spring," with spring in the Northern Hemisphere starting on March 20 and ending on June 21. Apple often holds an event in the spring, so we could perhaps see the new ‌iMac‌ come out at the annual spring event.

There were rumors of an ‌iMac‌ with a display larger than 27 inches, but more recent information, including details from Young, have pointed toward Apple maintaining the 27-inch display size. The device will use a mini-LED display similar to the MacBook Pro, and it will feature support for 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates.

To simplify its naming strategy, the new ‌iMac‌ could be called the "‌iMac‌ Pro," which would differentiate it from the 24-inch ‌iMac‌ and put it on par with the MacBook Pro machines. The new 27-inch iMacs are expected to use the same M1 Pro and M1 Max chips as the 2021 MacBook Pro models.

There have been rumors about Apple transitioning to OLED displays for some Macs and iPads instead of mini-LED, and Young also touches on that subject in his analysis. Young believes that we shouldn't expect an OLED iPad or MacBook until 2023 at the earliest.

Right now, prices for Apple's mini-LED panels are more expensive than similar OLED panels, but the adoption of OLED vs. the continued adoption of mini-LED will depend on how fast mini-LED prices drop. Young says that pricing differences "will be critical" in the "OLED vs. mini-LED battle."