Shipping Estimates for 21.5-Inch and 27-Inch iMac Drop to 1-3 Days in US and Canada

Shipping estimates for new orders of the 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac dramatically improved today, with both models now shipping in 1–3 days from the online Apple Stores in Canada and the United States.

imacshiptimes
In January, shipping times for the 21.5-inch iMac slipped to 2–3 weeks, and the 27-inch iMac has been in short supply since its November release. The supply shortage has been attributed to issues with display production resulting from a new lamination process.

During Apple's first quarter financial call, Tim Cook noted that iMac supply constraints in the fourth quarter had impacted sales results. He expected supplies to increase during Q1 2013, which was confirmed in late January with a report that assembly rates for the iMac had been improved.

Apple's redesigned iMac is considerably thinner than its predecessor, with 40 percent less volume and a 5mm edge. The newly implemented lamination process provides improved optical quality and an anti-reflective coating.

Update: As noted by MacRumors forum members, changing the base configuration of the iMac results in a shipping time of 2-3 weeks.

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

Popular Stories

m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...
iphone pocket%402x

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
homepod mini colors

New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 7:30 am PST by
Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting. The second-generation HomePod mini is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely ...
Apple fitness plus feature

Future of Apple Fitness+ 'Under Review'

Sunday November 9, 2025 5:30 am PST by
The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue. Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Early Black Friday iPhone Deals

Monday November 10, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...

Top Rated Comments

komodrone Avatar
166 months ago
I'm already waiting for the next generation to come out. Because the iMacs are still too fat and I believe my life will be vastly improved when the iMac is paper thin. The iMac should float too, I'm sick of the stand.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smiddlehurst Avatar
166 months ago
I'll be amazed if these versions sell more than the previous ones... what with the previous ones being worlds more upgradeable (just like the retina macbook pros vs previous macbook pros.
Then, without wishing to be rude, you haven't been paying attention. The vast majority of customers don't care about upgrading their PC's and haven't done for some time. The PC has become a device and that's the way it should be for the vast majority of users. If an iMac breaks you take it to the Apple store and either get it fixed under warranty, pay for a repair or buy a new one. It's time for people like us to realise that the... oh, call it 15 year spell from around 1995 to 2010 where the PC became essential but still relied on technical knowledge to work and maintain it was a blip. Computers should, dare I say, just work and require no more specialist knowledge to own than a car. Very very basic maintenance tasks are done by the owner but for anything more that dedicated service centres are used. How things work isn't really important, what it lets you do is.

Sure there will always be a small number of users who want to open their PC's up and either change or repair them on their own terms. But that's a tiny percentage of the total user base, heck even a lot of 'pro' (i.e. business) users don't do that any more with 3 or 5 year warranties being taken up instead. When it breaks outside of that it's on a replacement schedule with funds set aside in the budget for that very purpose.

On a related note I've never been able to figure out the dismissive attitude to attractive looking desktops. Sure, when I'm sitting in front of my iMac (2011 model with a new 27" on order) I can't see the sides, fair enough. But every time I stand up, every time I walk past the home office or do anything in that room that doesn't involve sitting in front of the screen the design is clearly visible. Am I buying an iMac to show off to my friends? Nope, not at all. But I am buying it (at least in part) because I like having things in my home that are well designed and in a very small way are enjoyable to look at. I've had self-built tower PC's since, yikes, 1998 and while they may give the most bang for the buck my priorities have shifted. Nowadays I'd much rather pay a little more for a great looking near-silent computer that doesn't clutter up the room. Of course I understand that others have different priorities and that's fine but I do wish that sentiment was shared a bit more than it is.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Santabean2000 Avatar
166 months ago
This is good news; I'm waiting for the new Thinderbolt Display - which I don't think will come anytime before the iMacs are under control. And it seems that, now, perhaps they are!#
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
6749974 Avatar
166 months ago
I'm surprised at how short sighted some macrumors readers are. In 20-30 years every computer will in essence be a smart display. That is the direction of innovation. Like it or not. So Apple starts moving towards that and some people can't grasp it. Form is function. If you can't comprehend that, that's not Apple's fault. Get over yourselves.

----------

Yeah, Apple is so stupid to waste their time and energy making iMacs thinner and lighter, it's not useful for a desktop computer! :rolleyes:

Image (http://www.patentlyapple.com/.a/6a0120a5580826970c0133f34442aa970b-800wi)

Thank you! I don't think some readers think past tomorrow.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DCJ001 Avatar
166 months ago
No way. That chin is way to fat to be a desktop. What's the point of having a desktop if it's some 2 pound monstrosity? Steve would never have allowed that.

The 2015 iMac will be worn and projected from your wrist. Why else would they be working on curved glass?

Also, priced at 79.99. You heard it here first.

And last!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
camnchar Avatar
166 months ago
I'm already waiting for the next generation to come out. Because the iMacs are still too fat and I believe my life will be vastly improved when the iMac is paper thin. The iMac should float too, I'm sick of the stand.

Steve Jobs would never have allowed the iMac to get fatter in the middle than it is on the edges.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)