The iMac Pro is soon to be no more. According to TechCrunch, Apple will stop selling the all-in-one once the current stock is depleted.
One configuration of the desktop is still available through Apple’s site, listed as “While Supplies Last” and priced at $5,000. Some other versions can also still be found from third-party retailers, as well, if you’re so inclined.
The space gray version of the popular system was initially introduced in 2017, ahead of the company’s long-awaited revamp of the Mac Pro. Matthew called it a “love letter to developers” at the time, though that particular letter seems to have run its course.
The iMac Pro was introduced in 2017 to offer more powerful all-in-ones to high-end customers wanting workstation Intel Xeon CPUs. The chassis was identical apart from a more efficient cooling system and space gray aluminium finish.
However, it has never been clear if the iMac Pro has sold well. It sits in a niche segment of the market, and much of its place in the limelight for pros has been taken by the 2019 Mac Pro tower. The high-end ‘standard’ iMac models have also encroached on the iMac Pro in terms of performance.
Since then, Apple has revamped the standard iMac, focusing the 27-inch model at those same users. The company notes that the model is currently the most popular iMac among professional users. The system has essentially made the Pro mostly redundant, prefiguring its sunsetting. Of course, there’s also the new Mac Pro at the high end of Apple’s offerings.
And let us not forget that the Apple silicon-powered iMacs should be on the way, as well.
Apple is believed to be introducing an all-new range of iMacs soon, featuring next-generation Apple silicon CPUs and GPUs. The performance and efficiency of the M1X chip (or whatever its called) will likely remove the need for Apple to bifurcate the iMac product line and simply offer competitive compute performance for all iMacs, hence eliminating the separate Pro model.
Supply constraints on some 21.5-inch iMacs are also a signal that a new iMac is imminent. The rumour mill expects Apple to launch a radically redesigned iMac with thin bezels and a boxy design, similar in style to the Apple Pro Display XDR. However, the exact launch date for the new iMacs is still unclear.
Most reports point to a summer release around the time of WWDC, but perhaps the sudden discontinuation of the iMac Pro means that the new generation machines are coming several months sooner than that.
Thus far the company has revamped the MacBook, MacBook Air and Mac Mini with its proprietary chips. New versions of the 21.5-inch and 27-inch desktop are rumoured for arrival later this year, sporting a long-awaited redesign to boot.