27-Inch iMac With 5K Retina Display Rumored For Fall

Apple is reportedly preparing to launch a 27-inch Retina “5K” iMac with a 5120x2880 pixel resolution, according to unnamed sources speaking to technology blogger Jack March. The 27-inch Retina iMac’s resolution would be double that of the current iMac, which tops out at 2560x1440 pixels. But its form factor is expected to remain largely the same.

With Intel’s next-generation Broadwell processors expected to be delayed due to production issues, the latest rumors indicate Apple plans to include a faster Intel i7 processor which starts at 4GHz. To power the massive Retina “5K" iMac display, Apple may use AMD graphics in place of the Nvidia GPU powering the current 27-inch iMac, March said. The 21.5-inch iMac is not expected to receive the upgrade.

The iMac would be the latest Apple product to get the Retina treatment. Cupertino first offered its Retina display with the iPhone 4 in 2010, followed by the iPad and MacBook Pro two years later. Higher resolution iMacs have been rumored since OS X Yosemite was released as a public beta in June, when users discovered references to the Retina iMac, according to 9to5Mac.

While a specific launch date has yet to be announced for the rumored Retina iMac, one unnamed source told Re/Code, “Expect a fall release.”

Should the Retina iMac launch this fall, it will join a number of new products including an updated iPad Air and Mac Mini.