In addition to the improvements to the consumer iMac today, Apple has also made some very minor adjustments to the iMac Pro lineup. The base model iMac Pro now includes a 10-core Intel Xeon processor, but unfortunately, the iMac Pro misses out on the new nano-texture glass option.
With today’s changes, Apple has dropped the 8-core iMac Pro from the lineup completely, and instead moved the 10-core iMac Pro down into that spot. This means that the $4,999 base model iMac Pro now features a 10-core Xeon processor, but you can still configure it up to 18 cores.
As Jason Snell at Six Colors explains, the 2019 iMac was already close to the iMac Pro in performance, so these changes are designed to help better separate the two lineups:
For the non-Pro iMac, one of the biggest changes is the introduction of a new nano-texture display option. While the iMac still comes with a glossy display by default, you can upgrade to a nano-texture coating for $500. Apple’s nano-texture glass was first introduced with the Pro Display XDR, where it’s a $1000 upgrade.
Last year’s iMacs already pushed up against the performance of the iMac Pro, and these will undoubtedly beat it—especially that 10-core model. In an acknowledgement of this, Apple has rejiggered the iMac Pro line, dropping the old base eight-core model and moving the 10-core model to the base price. So now the iMac line ends at 10 cores and the iMac Pro line begins there.
But while the iMac Pro buyers would likely be the target market for the $500 matte upgrade option, Apple has not made that choice available. Instead, the nano-texture upgrade is available only for the iMac and the Pro Display XDR; not the iMac Pro.
The iMac also added a new 1080p webcam today, as well as Apple’s T2 security chip and improved microphones and speakers. Apple has also abandoned spinning hard drives in favor of an all-SSD lineup. Read our full coverage of today’s iMac news here.
