iMac Update to Haswell Expected in June or July as Shipments Sink

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has released a brief research note today highlighting the status of the iMac, which he says will see shipments fall to roughly 650,000 units this quarter from 1.75 million units in the first calendar quarter. The drop is due in part to seasonality and in part to a natural decline from the pent-up launch demand during the first quarter. Most importantly for potential iMac customers, Kuo believes an iMac update that will bring Intel's new Haswell processors to the line is coming in June or July.

We attribute the shipments decline to the fact that new product shipments have peaked and due to the arrival of the consumer slow season. But we believe iMac shipments troughed in 2Q13. Apple is expected to upgrade iMac processor to Intel’s (US) latest Haswell processor in June or July. Meanwhile, the consumer peak season has arrived. Thus we expect shipments to reach 1.1mn units in 3Q13, up 69% QoQ. Full-year shipments are forecast to be 4.7mn units, up 31% YoY.

Kuo has been relatively accurate with his predictions over the past several years, and thus his information is closely watched. Today's prediction does, however, mark a shift from a roadmap published by Kuo in January in which he estimated that updated iMacs would arrive around the beginning of the fourth quarter.

2012-imac-gallery2_GEO_GB
Despite the arrival of Kuo's note coming just before the keynote of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, there has been no evidence that the company is planning to launch the updated iMacs at the event. Given that Apple just redesigned the iMac late last year, it will very likely maintain that same design for the next generation, making it a relatively standard update that Apple could simply launch without holding a keynote or dedicated media event to announce it.

Just last month, a Wi-Fi card essentially identical in shape and connectivity to the card currently used in the iMac surfaced, with the new card supporting the faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard. Apple has been rumored to be bringing the standard to its Mac lineup this year, perhaps as soon as today with any hardware announcements it may make.

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

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...

Top Rated Comments

omenatarhuri Avatar
157 months ago
Who needs an optical drive? Well.... I do for sure. An all-in-one isn't complete without opitcal drive. As long as there isn't any alternative for files larger than 2 GB this machine is limp.

IMO
Try the internet? Or thumbdrive?

I wish my mbp didnt have one.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jafingi Avatar
157 months ago
I can't remember when I've used a CD/DVD last time.

- Apps are downloaded from the web and the App Store.
- I get my music from iTunes, Spotify or Beatport.
- Movies are streamed through Netflix and other VOD services.
- OSX is downloaded from the App Store.

I don't see anything that justifies an optical drive in a 2013 computer. Maybe it's just me being modern. But I really don't think many uses the optical drive anymore.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPLC Avatar
157 months ago
Who needs an optical drive? Well.... I do for sure. An all-in-one isn't complete without opitcal drive. As long as there isn't any alternative for files larger than 2 GB this machine is limp.

IMO
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spazzcat Avatar
157 months ago
Did you ever uploaded a file bigger than 2GB? Takes ages... And I can't ask my clients to download these kind of files.

For professional usage an optical drive is very much appreciated. For old back-ups, input from outside the "apple cloud", fast and cheap sharing of data and no external hardware and/or cables needed.

I understand the choise to leave teh floppy drive because of the alternatives those days. Right now, nothing beats a DVD for me.

Then you have to buy an external drive. What you don't realize is you are in the minority.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lancer Avatar
157 months ago
Who needs an optical drive? Well.... I do for sure. An all-in-one isn't complete without opitcal drive. As long as there isn't any alternative for files larger than 2 GB this machine is limp.

IMO

Thumb Drive
HDD
External DVD

I wanted to rip a DVD the other day, all I did was share the DVD in a PC on the same network, 15 minutes later the 90 min movie was a 600Mb mp4 on my iMac.

If you really need a DVD all of the time just get an external one, you don't even have to buy it from Apple.

Smell the coffee Apple is NOT going to put DVD back in the 2013 iMac.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
printz Avatar
157 months ago

I don't see anything that justifies an optical drive in a 2013 computer. Maybe it's just me being modern. But I really don't think many uses the optical drive anymore.
Playing old games that require a CD inserted to run. And there's no way to rip the contents of the CD into an ISO, because the game still would refuse to run. And even for the ripping process I need a secondary computer or external optical drive… And finally, just for playing old games, buying a detachable peripheral would be too much.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)