The iPhone 12 isn't the only big product launch Apple has planned for the end of 2020. A new report out of China says that new versions of both the iMac and the iPad Air are in the works for later this year.
Citing information gleaned from Apple's supply chain, the China Times predicts that Apple is going to start mass producing a 23-inch iMac as well as an 11-inch iPad Air during the third quarter of this year. That would allow both products to reach retail outlets in time for the holiday shopping season. Japanese blog Mac Okatara was the first to spot the China Times story.
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A new iMac is the bigger deal among the two potential product releases disclosed in the report. Apple last updated its iMac lineup more than a year ago, adding 8-core Intel 9th generation processors to the all-in-one desktop as well as a graphics boost. But the look of the iMac remained unchanged; in fact, Apple has essentially stuck with the same design since 2012.
Mention of a 23-inch iMac has sparked hopes that a redesign could be in the offing. After all, the iMac is currently available in 21.5- and 27-inch versions. While Apple could simply copy the design of those two models only with a 23-inch screen, there's also a scenario where Apple shrinks the bezels around the iMac's display so that it can squeeze a larger panel into the current iMac footprint.
While the China Times doesn't say much about potential specs for this 23-inch Mac, it has even less to say about the 11-inch iPad Air that will apparently join Apple's tablet lineup later this year. That would mean a larger screen for the Air, which is currently available as a 10.5-inch tablet. Apple's iPad Pro — the next step-up from the Air — is available in three sizes, though the first-generation of the Pro tablet featured an 11-inch model.
The China Times puts these rumored products in the same class as the iPhone SE — comparatively less expensive versions of mainstay Apple products aimed at broadening the respective appeal of the iMac and iPad Air.
With rumored ships dates in the latter part of 2020, it will be some time before we see how accurate this report is or if the coronavirus pandemic disrupting Apple's smartphone plans will have any impact on desktops and tablets, too.
