The 27-inch M1 iMac might be a lot more expensive than the one it replaces

Amidst a sea of new Macs due in 2022, the most anticipated is probably the larger-screen iMac. With nearly a year having passed since the stunning 24-inch iMac redesign, all eyes are on the replacement for the 27-inch Intel iMac, one of Apple’s most popular desktops.

According to reports, the new iMac could arrive as early as next month, but if you’re waiting for one, you might need to save a little more. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports that Apple is only planning to launch a “pro” model of the 27-inch iMac without any “low-end” options available for purchase.

Gurman corroborates previous reports that say the new iMac will use the same M1 Pro and M1 Max processors from the latest high-end MacBook Pros. There are also reports that the display will be similar to the MacBook Pro’s mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display as well.

However, with those higher-end processors might also come a higher price tag. Gurman doesn’t expect there to be a “low-end larger iMac with Apple silicon,” which means the 27-inch iMac will likely have a higher starting price tag than the current model. It’s looking more and more like Apple is planning a true replacement for the iMac Pro, which started at $4,999 before it was retired last year.

Apple’s current 27-inch iMac lineup starts at $1,799 for a 3.1GHz 6-core 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor and goes up to $2,699 for a 3.6GHz 10-core 10th-generation Intel Core i9 processor. The MacBook Pro with a 10-core M1 Pro starts at $2,199 for the 14-inch model and $2,499 for the 16-inch model. A 27-inch display could push the price to over $3,000.

Apple is expected to hold its first event of 2022 on March 8 where it could announce a new iPhone SE and iPad Air along with a new Mac.