iMac Discounts and Stock Shortages at Third-Party Retailers Hint at Approaching Haswell Update
Major third-party Mac retailers such as B&H and Amazon have begun offering discounts on various iMac configurations in recent days as Apple may be beginning to slow shipments of the computer in advance of a refresh featuring Intel’s Haswell processors, reports AppleInsider. The company seems to be slowing the flow of iMac units coming into its various sales channels as the next-generation iMac will likely be announced later in the fall after its September iPhone media event to allow Apple, its customers, and the media to focus on its flagship mobile device.
The discounts join sales efforts initiated earlier this month by Best Buy, Amazon, and MacMall -- all of which are similarly offering the four standard iMac retail configurations at discounts between $100 and $150. Given the new inventory management measures Apple adopted after January's MacBook Pro surplus scare, the discounts are likely the start of a multi-week effort to run its iMac channel fairly bare.
Previous reports indicated that the iMac would be updated to include Haswell processors in June or July as shipments sank, but an update to the computer was not announced at or soon after Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference.
Earlier this year, a new Broadcom Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card supporting the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard surfaced, with the card appearing nearly identical in size and shape to the custom card currently used in the iMac. The inclusion of 802.11ac support on the next-generation iMac is all but certain as the standard has already made its way into Apple's latest MacBook Air models and new AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule base stations.
Yesterday, a report surfaced that refreshed MacBook Pro models with Haswell chips would be coming in September, backed by evidence that Apple vendors may be trying to run down existing MacBook Pro stock. Data from U.S. research firm NPD released last month also indicated that U.S. Mac sales were down in June compared to the previous June, despite the introduction of the new MacBook Airs, with the lack of a refreshed MacBook Pro lineup cited as a primary contributing cause.
Popular Stories
Apple plans to release an iPhone 17e and an iPad Air with an M4 chip "in the coming weeks," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple retail employees say that inventory of the iPhone 16e has basically dried out and the iPad Air is seeing shortages as well," said Gurman. "I've been expecting new versions of both (iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air) in the coming weeks."...
Apple plans to launch a rebranded "Sales Coach" app on the iPhone and iPad later this month, according to a source familiar with the matter.
"Sales Coach" will arrive as an update to Apple's existing "SEED" app, and it will continue to provide sales tips and training resources to Apple Store and Apple Authorized Reseller employees around the world. For example, there are articles and videos...
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works.
We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Juli CloverApple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes, ...
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor.
Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap,...
