Apple plans to introduce a new 23-inch iMac and an affordable 11-inch iPad in the second half of 2020, according to China Times. If this report is correct, these would be new sizes for both devices.
Starting with the iMac, the China Times report claims this will be a low-priced model with a 23-inch display. That is a different size to the iMac models currently available, which come in 21.5-inch and 27-inch versions.
Right now, the cheapest iMac you can get costs $1,099 but is a long way behind the next-cheapest $1,299 model, as it lacks an SSD and a Retina display. As we said in our iMac 2020 roundup, we expect Apple to keep one of the current iMacs as the budget option when it next updates the range, so we believe this 23-inch redesign would likely start at $1,299.
It is possible this new size will replace the 21.5-inch iMac, adopting a similar chassis but with much thinner bezels, thereby allowing for a larger display. This is an approach Apple has taken with both the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro 16 in recent years, so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility. We’ve been crying out for a more modern look for the iMac — just last week we put a design overhaul on our iMac 2020 wishlist — and this would go a long way to improving that.
As for the iPad, Apple only has one 11-inch model at the moment, and that is the smaller iPad Pro. But the China Times report indicates the upcoming iPad will be a low-cost model to follow on from the affordable iPhone SE, thus likely ruling out the “Pro” label.
What is not clear is whether this putative iPad is a new version of the 10.5-inch iPad Air or the 10.2-inch iPad. It is unlikely, however, that it will be an entirely new type of iPad. Apple’s iPad range is already well-stocked, with the iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air and iPad Pro available, most of which come in different sizes, too.
The China Times report also includes a note about Apple’s mini-LED plans. The company has been rumored to be bringing this high-end technology to its top-of-the-line Macs and iPads some time between late 2020 and mid-2021. As recently as early March 2020, respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the mini-LED MacBook Pro had not been delayed by the coronavirus (officially known as COVID-19) pandemic.
However, China Times claims the coronavirus has pushed back Apple’s schedule, meaning mass production of the required panels won’t begin in earnest until 2021, thus delaying the availability of mini-LED products.