In this article we answer all your questions, from whether the iMac will be offered in Space Grey like the iMac Pro, and whether it will utilise the new cooling system found in that model. We also assess rumours, such as a claim from a Foxconn insider that the iMac will be redesigned in 2018 – could the new iMac have slimmer bezels and a narrower chin, for example? We also question whether Touch ID could be added to the keyboard, or if FaceID might make its way on to the iMac, and we look at the chances that there could be a 6-core iMac in the wings. Read on to find out more.

Since 2018 marks 20 years of the iMac – yes it’s been 20 years since Apple introduced the Bondi Blue iMac on 15 August 1998 – could we see an all new design to mark the occasion?

2018 iMac Release Date

In 2017 Apple updated the iMac on 5 June during WWDC. Will the next update to the iMac happen at WWDC 2018? Read about what we expect to see at WWDC when it kicks of on 4 June 2018 here.

It’s certainly possible that the iMac could be updated in the early summer of 2018. There has been an update to the Kaby Lake range of processors from the 7th generation used in the iMac currently, to 8th generation Kaby Lake R. But more likely, Apple will use Intel’s new Coffee Lake chips – which are also already available, although reports indicate there are likely to be shortages during the first quarter.

However, with the average iMac refresh usually being more than a year, it is also possible that Apple could wait until September or October 2018 to issue an updated iMac. If the company is considering a more substantial redesign (as we dicsuss below), this may well be the case.

iMac Price

While it’s unlikely that the price of the iMac range will change, there could be some price changes if Apple does significantly redesign the model in 2018.

Here are the current iMac prices:

• Entry-level 21.5in iMac, £1,049
• Mid-level 21.5in iMac, £1,249
• Top-level 21.5in iMac, £1,449
• Entry-level 27in iMac, £1,749
• Mid-level 27in iMac, £1,949
• Top-level 27in iMac, £2,249

As we will explain below, part of a redesign could involve removing the hard drive option from the iMac in order to free up space inside the machine – and allowing for a slimmer chassis. If Apple was to do this though it is likely that it would keep on an entry-level iMac in the older design, with a hard drive option. This model could be priced at a lower level than it is currently, especially if it uses the same chips as the 2017 iMac. This could bring the starting price down to around £949 but it will probably be an older generation iMac than the others in the range.

It’s unlikely that the high-end iMacs will see any decline in price. The iMac Pro starts at £4,899 while currently a standard iMac spec’d up to match the Pro’s 32GB RAM (and with the most beefy processor offered as a build-to-order option in that range) costs £3,509.

That leap of £1,390 to get from a quad-core to an 8-core processor and the advanced graphics offered by the Pro might seem reasonable, but if the iMac gains a 6-core processor (read on to find out more about that) then the golf between the two models will close a tad. In which case, Apple might see fit to raise prices.

iMac Redesign

The iMac has had the same design since 2012 when the sides of the iMac were slimmed down. However, the aluminium look is now over 10 years old – the first aluminium iMac launched in 2007. Some people are calling for a facelift, or at least some internal changes that could allow Apple to slim the unit down even further, and perhaps shave off some of the chin.