Apple is reportedly working on a redesigned version of the iMac that is said to be the biggest overhaul to the lineup since 2012. While the new iMacs had been expected to boast Apple’s Face ID facial recognition system, a new report by Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman says the debut of the feature is likely to make an appearance in the second iteration of the redesign.
Gurman mentioned the iMac near the end of an article about the upcoming MacBook Air redesign:
Apple has also developed underlying Mac support for both cellular connectivity — the ability for Macs to connect to the internet via smartphone networks — and Face ID, the company’s facial recognition system. But neither feature appears to be coming soon. To that end, Face ID had originally been planned to arrive in this year’s iMac redesign, but it’s now unlikely to be included in the first iteration of the new design.
There have been reports previously about Face ID coming to the Mac lineup, but not much has been revealed about the feature. Face ID, which debuted alongside the release of Apple’s iPhone X, allows a device to be unlocked with a facial scan. Code found in the macOS Big Sur betas has suggested that Face ID is on the way to the Mac lineup in the future.
Previous reports have indicated the redesigned iMacs will feature slimmed down display bezels and will have their metal chin removed, winding up with a device that looks similar to Apple’s Pro Display XDR monitor.
The new iMacs will feature a flat back, and prior rumors have described the new iMacs as using an “iPad Pro design language.” At least one of the new models that will replace the 21.5 and 27-inch models is said to measure in at 23 to 24 inches.
The new iMacs will be powered by Apple Silicon in place of the current lineup’s Intel processors. The new iMacs are said to use next-generation versions of the current M1 chip, which will be faster and will offer more powerful GPUs.
The first new iMacs are expected to be released in spring to fall 2021.