- A new leak suggests Apple is working on an iMac Pro with M5 Max chip
- This would replace the original iMac Pro that was discontinued in 2021
- The new iMac Pro could launch as soon as early 2026
Rumors started swirling that Apple was working on a new iMac Pro almost as soon as the old model was discontinued back in 2021, and that idea has just received a big boost in the form of a recent leak that suggests Apple is working on a fresh model with an M5 Max chip. Given the M5 Max MacBook Pro is rumored to arrive in early 2026, that suggests we could see a new iMac Pro as soon as next year.
That idea comes from MacRumors, which claims to have accessed “leaked internal software” from Apple that reveals the existence of this high-end all-in-one computer. Specifically, MacRumors says it has seen “kernel debug kit files used by Apple engineers” that contain hardware identifiers for unreleased products. Among all the devices, the outlet states, is an iMac Pro running on an as-yet-unreleased M5 Max chip.
Before we get too excited, MacRumors notes that the debug kit also references devices known to only be used for internal testing, including “iPad minis running tvOS and MacBooks with the A15 chip.” That means there’s a chance that this iMac Pro might simply be for Apple’s own use and may never see the light of day.
However, several past rumors have indicated that Apple is developing a high-end “Pro” version of the iMac. Given that the M5 Max chip is almost guaranteed to make it into future Apple products, the M5 Max iMac Pro could well be heading for launch.
What I want to see
The iMac Pro offered a lot during its heyday, but cast an eye over its specs today and you’ll see numerous areas for improvement. The first and most obvious one is the chip, as the iMac Pro only ever ran on Intel processors. With the giant performance improvements offered by Apple silicon, a new iMac Pro could be significantly more powerful than its predecessor.
As the name suggests, the iMac Pro is a pro-grade machine for people with demanding workloads. Aside from a beefy chip, that also means it needs plenty of storage to hold the movies, photos, artificial intelligence (AI) models and more that people will use it for. The old iMac Pro’s storage topped out at 4TB, but I’d like to see an 8TB option to match the MacBook Pro and give pros plenty of on-board headroom.
Next, the screen could do with a real tune-up. The brightness of the iMac Pro only went up to 500 nits, which is the same as the entry-level MacBook Air. That needs to be raised to 1,600 nits of peak brightness to match the MacBook Pro and live up to the “iMac Pro” moniker.
As well as that, the forthcoming computer needs to be brought up to Apple’s Liquid Retina XDR spec with HDR support and mini-LED backlighting zones. A nano texture coating option and ProMotion 120Hz refresh rates wouldn’t go amiss, either.
And while it’s been a little hit and miss so far, there’s no doubt that Apple Intelligence is going to spread to all of Apple’s devices. It therefore makes sense that the iMac Pro should get support for the company’s AI tools, just like every other modern Mac.
Finally, pro users often need a wide range of connectivity options to hook up their peripherals and external devices. The iMac Pro was no slouch here, but times have moved on. I’d like to see it match what you get with the Mac Studio, which means support for Thunderbolt 5, HDMI, USB-A and USB-C, 10Gb Ethernet, plus an SDXC UHS-II card slot.
That would give you a lot of choice when connecting your favorite peripherals. Do you want to see a new iMac Pro? Let us know in the comments below.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
