Apple redesigns ARM iMac, Face ID may be delayed

It has been reported that Apple is developing a redesigned iMac, which will be the largest design adjustment of the iMac product line since 2012.

However, according to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple's Face ID facial recognition authentication system is likely to appear in the second iteration of the redesign rather than the first version in 2021.

This episode comes at the end of a report about the upcoming M1 MacBook Air redesign, which also highlights that Apple intends to launch a series of updates to its Mac product line to meet the wishes of the Mac's most staunch supporters, including the introduction of new ports, slots, and network cellular connections.

Apple has also developed basic support for cellular connectivity (the ability of a Mac to connect to the internet via a smartphone network) and Face ID (a facial recognition system) for the Mac. But neither feature seems to be coming anytime soon. To this end, Face ID was originally scheduled to arrive in this year's iMac redesign, but now it is unlikely to be included in the first iteration of the new design.

Face ID debuted in 2018's iPhone X and has been a staple of Apple's flagship iPhones ever since, with the iPad Pro also gaining facial recognition. Speculation that Apple will bring Face ID to the Mac isn't new, however rumors are few and far between, which makes Gurman's information worth highlighting.

The redesigned iMac will be powered by Apple Silicon chips, and the revamped look will coincide with Apple's move away from Intel chips, giving the iMac a newer processor and a new design at once.

Apple plans to equip the new iMac with a next-generation version of Apple Silicon that will be faster and have a more powerful GPU. The Apple Silicon chips that Apple is testing have up to 16 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, but higher-end desktop models may have up to 32 high-performance cores. Apple is also working on improving GPU technology and is testing 16-core and 32-core graphics components.

The new Apple iMac is expected to be released in spring to fall 2021, and it is unclear whether the two models will be launched at the same time.