An M5 Max iMac Pro reportedly exists–but we may never be able to buy it

Macworld

2026 is expected to be a significant year for the Mac. However, those reports don’t include the iMac, leaving fans to wonder about the status of Apple’s iconic all-in-one. But a glimmer of hope was offered this week.

According to MacRumors, Apple has built an iMac with an M5 Max chip. The files seen by MacRumors refer to an iMac with the identifier J833c, using a chip labelled as H17C, which is associated with the M5 Max codename Sotra C. MacRumors qualifies that this Mac is being used for testing purposes only and isn’t necessarily slated for release to the general public.

Reports of a new iMac Pro or a large iMac have been sporadic in the past few years. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in 2022 that an iMac Pro would be released the following year. In 2023, Kuo predicted that a 32-inch iMac would be released in 2025. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman mentioned the iMac Pro in 2022 and 2023. The iMac Pro seems to exist within Apple Park, but the company is hesitant to release it.

The leaked files also provide a peek at the Macs that are slated for 2026. The files mention the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro, the M5 MacBook Air, the M5 and M5 Pro Mac mini, the M5 Max and the M5 Ultra Mac Studio, and the A18 Pro MacBook, which are all expected in the first half of the year. The files also mention the M6, M6 Pro, and M6 Max MacBook Pro that are expected in the second half of 2026.