With WWDC less than two weeks away, a number of MacRumors readers have noticed that shipping estimates for Apple's stock 27-inch iMac configurations are now listed as after the June 22 WWDC kickoff, leading some to believe that this is evidence of an iMac update coming at the keynote.
While there are indeed rumors of an imminent significant update for the iMac, perhaps at WWDC, the shipping estimates are not a reliable indicator of this. Apple has been quoting extended shipping estimates on both stock and build-to-order configurations of the 27-inch iMac for over a month, so current quotes are nothing new and they slip back roughly day-by-day as time passes.
It's not entirely clear why shipping estimates initially slipped, as it happened while the global health crisis was affecting supply and manufacturing chains around the world. Certain component shortages could easily have slowed Apple's ability to produce machines, but the company may also be intentionally reducing inventories ahead of new models and only building what's necessary to fulfill orders.
Notably, the 21.5-inch iMac is not seeing extended shipping estimates at the present time as its availability has generally held up better than for its larger sibling.
As noted in our Buyer's Guide, the iMac is definitely due for an update, and we've been hearing significant rumors about an imminent update. Previously reliable leaker CoinX said in March that an iMac update was coming "soon," while an April rumor claimed a new low-cost 23-inch iMac is coming in the second half of the year.
Mark Gurman said in late April that a "substantial" iMac update with a possible redesign would be coming later in the year, and just yesterday, Sonny Dickson claimed that a redesigned iMac with "iPad Pro design language" will be coming at WWDC.
