Is Apple making new iMac Pro with M5 Max chip?

Apple’s last release of the iMac Pro was all the way back in 2017, a full three years before Apple started using its own silicon in its computers.

The Intel Xeon-powered iMac was discontinued in 2021, and fans of the form factor have wondered if Apple would ever release another. Now, according to the rumor mill, that’s precisely what Apple is doing. 

As first noted by MacRumors, the rumor stems from kernel debug kit files often used by Apple engineers. The files, which have been circulating on Chinese websites like Weibo and BiliBili, sometimes reference unreleased Apple products.

And the list on these particular debug files list suggest a new iMac Pro is in the works — one with an M5 Max chip.

The software references an iMac with the “J833c” identifier running on the “H17C” platform. The H17C is associated with the “Sotra C” codename, which is related to the Apple M5 Max chip.

Of course, there are caveats. Internal testing files does not guarantee a public release. Apple often tests various configurations that do not make it to market. But this one seems more solid than most. Longtime Apple watchers including Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believe Apple has been working on a new iMac for quite some time — and that it would use Apple's own silicon. 

The debug files also show MacBook Pros coming with M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, MacBook Airs with the M5 chip, Mac Mini models with the M5 and M5 Pro chip, and a new Mac Studio with the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips.

There was also mention of a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. Rumors of that particular budget machine already circulated over the summer. 

Should the M5 iMac Pro be announced, it would be placed above the existing M4 iMac in the Apple product hierarchy. The M4 is quite good, but lacks pro-level configurations.

An iMac Pro with the M5 Max would shore up that pro level desktop experience that Apple currently lacks, and fans of the form factor would certainly enjoy having a refreshed model after all these years.