iMac 2017 Release Date, Specs Rumors: Earliest Reveal Could Be at WWDC
Apple has been quiet, as usual, about its progress on the new iMac, and so far, the only thing that was more or less confirmed is the news that the company is planning to release new iMac models later this year. Could the company make it in time for the annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC)?
Sources from supply chain companies based in Taiwan seem to think so, according to a report by DigiTimes. According to these sources, Apple is preparing the next iMac models for the second half of 2017, but the reveal does not get more precise than that. So far, these rumors have suggested that the company is ready to start production of not one but two new iMac models in May.
These models could be a continuation of the current 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display, and the higher-end 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display and higher specs. Aside from these, speculation has it that Apple is also testing another iMac model with even higher specs, aimed at the high-end sector.
DigiTimes noted that the target for these new iMac models is expected to be Microsoft's new Surface Studio line of PCs. However, other PC vendors are also getting into the act, with Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Asustek aiming to release similar devices. Asustek's versions of high-end integrated PCs are expected to be unveiled at the upcoming Computex 2017.
This May 2017 production schedule makes Mac World's prediction of a WWDC announcement all the more plausible for the iMac 2017. If the new PCs are set to hit the stores by July 2017, the June event could be the most appropriate venue for Apple to unveil the new iMac models.