Apple iMac 2017 Specs, Release Date Update: New ‘Server-Grade’ iMac Variant In The Making

It is already confirmed that Apple is planning to release the next generation Apple iMac 2017 in the second half of 2017. Although nothing about iMac 2017 specs, release date or price has been officially announced, a new report suggests that the Cupertino-based company will roll out a server-grade iMac model that will be specially designed for the high-end sector.

According to The Christian Post, Apple's supply-chain sources based in Taiwan have reported that the company will start the production of two new iMac all-in-one (AIO) PCs sometime in May this year. The upcoming iMac 2017 variants will get an official launch in the second half of the year to catch up with the year-end holiday season.

The two Apple iMac 2017 variants will reportedly be manufactured by Taiwan-based Quanta Computer. Quanta is expected to remain the largest AIO PC maker in 2017, thanks to its long list of customers that includes big names such as Lenovo, Dell, HP, Alienware, Toshiba, LG, Sony and Apple, Ubergizmo reported. The PC maker has not confirmed the reports yet.

Talking about Apple iMac 2017 specs, the server-grade variant is expected to feature the yet-to-be released Intel server chip Xeon E3-1285 v6, 64GB ECC RAM, up to 2TB NVMe SSD and a latest discrete graphics card. The Apple iMac 2017 is expected to compete with Microsoft's recently released Surface Studio line.

Currently, there are two Apple iMac models available in the market -- a 21.5-inch variant and a 27-inch variant. The next-gen 2017 devices are likely to be upgrades of the two current models. Among other rumored specs, the Apple iMac 2017 is expected to feature a keyboard with the Touch Bar, an AMD Polaris 10 or Polaris 11 GPU, Thunderbolt 3 ports and integrated virtual reality support.

Apple is yet to confirm reports about iMac 2017 specs, release date and price details. So, it is advised that readers should take the information with a hefty pinch of salt.