New iMac Deliveries to Be Delayed Until Early Next Year?

Apple may not begin shipping the new iMac until early 2013, according to the French site MacBidouille [Google Translate]. When the new lighter, thinner iMac was introduced three weeks ago, Apple said the 21.5" model would ship by the end of November, with the 27" model shipping by year-end.

Newimac
The new iMac uses some advanced welding techniques as well as a new manufacturing process for the LCD screen that was rumored to delay the introduction of the iMac. Apple has run into difficulties ramping up production on its more recent product launches as the company pushes the envelope on what is physically possible.

During Apple's most recent earnings call, Tim Cook talked briefly about the constraints the company faces during the all-important holiday quarter:

In terms of general shortages on the iMac, we’ll be constrained for the full quarter in a significant way, part of that is that we’re beginning shipping the 21.5-inch iMac in November and the 27-inch in December. And so there will be a short amount of time during the quarter to manufacture and ramp those and I expect the demand to be robust. So we will have a significant shortage there.

Related Roundup: iMac
Buyer's Guide: iMac (Caution)
Related Forum: iMac

Popular Stories

iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iphone 17 cyber

iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records

Tuesday December 2, 2025 9:44 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC. Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple. Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Here Are the Four MacBooks Apple Is Expected to Launch Next Year

Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
chatgpt logo

Sam Altman Declares 'Code Red' for ChatGPT, Delays OpenAI Advertising Plans

Tuesday December 2, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
OpenAI is deprioritizing work on advertising as it focuses on improving the quality of ChatGPT, reports The Information. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a "code red" on Monday, and told employees that the company needs to improve ChatGPT so it doesn't fall behind competitors like Google and Anthropic. Altman said that OpenAI needs to work on personalization for each user, image generation,...

Top Rated Comments

realeric Avatar
170 months ago
I don't understand why desktop Macs should be thinner? :confused:
Score: 129 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hbt15 Avatar
170 months ago
So it's going to be 6 months out of spec before it even hits shelves.

Awesome.

Win for Tim.
Score: 73 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iVoid Avatar
170 months ago
I don't understand why desktop Macs should be thinner? :confused:

Because thinner is better!

Or something like that.

I still chuckle at how careful the photos of the new iMac are to avoid that it's only thin at the edge. There's a ugly bulge on the back that kind of makes the idea that this is a thin computer silly.

If they really wanted the display to be thin, then put the computer into the stand and just let the thin screen float in air. Like the old swing arm lamp iMac. :)
Score: 54 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jashic Avatar
170 months ago
well, maybe they should put the older imacs back in the store. It's a better design anyways. Never understood why you need a superthin imac. In reality, isn't even that thin. It's just thin at the edges. In the middle, it has a huge bulge like its pregnant. It's thin if you place it on your desk and stare at it at exactly a 78 degree angle.

lol.

What a complete disaster.

Apple maps that can't map properly, Siri that makes mistakes 50% of the time, iPhone 5 that has limited production, iPad mini that has lower resolution than SMALLER Android tablets, An iMac that's kinda "fake" thin and an iMac that isn't available before the holidays....and of course a Mac Pro lineup that's slower than a Mac mini. Oh, don't forget iOS 6 that basically providing nothing new. We all should re-install iLife 2011 as we enter into 2013. Maybe that'll make us feel better.
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smulji Avatar
170 months ago
If this is the case then I think Tim Cook should be fired.

Yes let's fire him and hire you as the next CEO of Apple.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deanbo Avatar
170 months ago
For Real?

If this is the case then I think Tim Cook should be fired.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)