In March 2022, Apple quietly closed a chapter in personal computing history by discontinuing the 27-inch iMac — one of the last machines in its lineup still tethered to Intel architecture. The announcement arrived alongside the Mac Studio and Studio Display, signaling not merely a product swap but a philosophical reorientation: away from the self-contained all-in-one toward a more modular, silicon-native vision of the desktop. What was once bundled together as a single object is now offered as a relationship between components, each free to evolve on its own terms.
Apple Discontinues 27-Inch Intel iMac Following Mac Studio Launch
Intel is almost completely out of Apple's consumer lineup
Mark
Why did Apple discontinue the 27-inch iMac right now, specifically after announcing the Mac Studio?
Mimi
The Mac Studio gave them a reason to. With the M1 Ultra chip, Apple had a desktop powerhouse that could stand alone. The 27-inch iMac was essentially redundant—it was still using Intel while everything else was moving to Apple Silicon.
Luke
But that's the narrative. The real question is whether customers actually want to buy a separate monitor and computer instead of one integrated machine. We don't have sales data on that yet.
Mark
So the Studio Display is the key piece here?
Mimi
Exactly. It's not just a monitor. It has a 12-megapixel camera with Center Stage, which means any Mac connected to it gets that video call feature. You're getting the same premium experience as the iMac, just modular.
Luke
Though you're paying for a monitor and a computer separately now, rather than one bundle. That's a different buying decision for customers.
Mark
What happens to people who wanted a 27-inch all-in-one from Apple?
Mimi
Right now, they have the 24-inch M1 iMac. That's it. Apple hasn't said what comes next.
Luke
And that's the gap. There's speculation about an iMac Pro, but Apple hasn't confirmed anything—no timeline, no specs, nothing. We're in a holding pattern.
Mark
So this is really about Apple's transition to its own chips?
Mimi
That's the bigger story. The 27-inch iMac was one of the last Intel machines Apple made. Discontinuing it means Intel is almost completely out of Apple's consumer and prosumer lineup.
Luke
Almost. But we should be precise: it's out of the desktop lineup now. MacBook Pro still has Intel options in some markets, depending on when you're reading this.
O Pulso
- Apple pulled the 27-inch iMac from its lineup immediately after unveiling the Mac Studio, leaving one of its last Intel-powered desktops with no successor and no warning.
- The M1 Ultra chip at the heart of the Mac Studio — with a die eight times larger than the standard M1 — renders the older all-in-one architecture not just outdated, but unnecessary.
- The new Studio Display decouples screen from computer, letting any Mac user access a high-end 12MP Center Stage camera setup that was previously locked inside the iMac's chassis.
- Apple's desktop catalog now consolidates around a single all-in-one — the 24-inch M1 iMac — as Intel machines quietly vanish from the company's shelves.
- Speculation about an iMac Pro with top-tier Apple Silicon lingers, but with no confirmed timeline, the future of Apple's larger all-in-one remains an open question.
In March 2022, Apple quietly closed a chapter in personal computing history by discontinuing the 27-inch iMac — one of the last machines in its lineup still tethered to Intel architecture. The announcement arrived alongside the Mac Studio and Studio Display, signaling not merely a product swap but a philosophical reorientation: away from the self-contained all-in-one toward a more modular, silicon-native vision of the desktop. What was once bundled together as a single object is now offered as a relationship between components, each free to evolve on its own terms.
Apple discontinued the 27-inch iMac in March 2022, ending the run of one of its last Intel-powered computers. The decision followed the unveiling of the Mac Studio and Studio Display at the company's Peek Performance event — a pairing that effectively replaced what the larger iMac had offered, but in a fundamentally different form.
The 27-inch model had long occupied an awkward position alongside the already-updated 24-inch M1 iMac. With the Mac Studio now powered by the M1 Ultra — a chip with a die eight times the size of the standard M1 — Apple found it could offer more power through a modular setup rather than an all-in-one design. The Mac Studio handles the computing; the Studio Display handles the screen.
That display is more than a monitor. Its 12-megapixel camera with Center Stage brings automatic video-call framing to any Mac connected to it — a capability once bundled exclusively inside the iMac. The separation gives users flexibility across Apple's entire lineup.
With the 27-inch gone, the 24-inch M1 iMac stands as Apple's sole all-in-one desktop. Intel machines have grown increasingly scarce in Apple's catalog, and this discontinuation removes one of the final holdouts. Whether an iMac Pro eventually fills the void — perhaps drawing on Apple's most powerful chips and a design closer to the Pro Display XDR — remains unconfirmed, leaving the larger all-in-one's future unresolved.
Apple has discontinued the 27-inch iMac, one of the last computers in its lineup still running Intel processors. The move came immediately after the company unveiled the Mac Studio and Studio Display at its Peek Performance event in March 2022, marking another step in Apple's broader shift away from Intel chips toward its own custom silicon.
The 27-inch iMac had occupied an unusual position in Apple's desktop lineup. It sat alongside the newer 24-inch iMac, which already featured Apple's M1 chip, but the larger model clung to Intel architecture. With the introduction of the Mac Studio—powered by Apple's M1 Ultra processor, a chip with a die size eight times larger than the standard M1—Apple no longer needed to maintain the older all-in-one design. The company could offer customers a more modular approach: the Mac Studio as the desktop engine, paired with the new Studio Display as the screen.
The Studio Display itself represents a shift in how Apple thinks about desktop computing. The monitor includes a 12-megapixel camera with Center Stage, a feature that automatically frames the user during video calls. By separating the display from the computer, Apple gives customers flexibility they didn't have before. Anyone with a Mac—whether it's a MacBook, Mac mini, or the new Mac Studio—can now connect to the Studio Display and get the same high-end screen and camera setup that previously came bundled only with the iMac.
With the 27-inch iMac gone, the 24-inch M1 iMac remains Apple's only all-in-one desktop computer. This consolidation reflects the company's strategy of moving its entire product line onto Apple Silicon. Intel-based Macs have become increasingly rare in Apple's catalog, and the discontinuation of the 27-inch model removes one of the last holdouts.
Apple has not announced plans for a successor to the 27-inch iMac, though speculation suggests an iMac Pro could arrive at some point. Such a machine might feature Apple's most powerful processors and potentially adopt a design language similar to the Pro Display XDR, the company's professional reference monitor. No timeline for such a release has been confirmed, leaving the future of Apple's larger all-in-one desktop uncertain.
Citações Notáveis
Apple felt the need to discontinue the 27-inch iMac following the announcement of the Mac Studio and Studio Display— Apple's product strategy
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