Apple doesn't like to talk about its upcoming products before they're ready, but sometimes the company's software does the talking. We've had several software leaks this week that have revealed products Apple is currently testing. iOS 26 preview buildand the other – several leaked files from kernel debugging kit (both via MacRumors).
Most of the new devices mentioned in these leaks are simple upgrades to existing products: a new Apple TV, HomePod mini 2, new AirTags and AirPods, iPad Air M4, a 12th-gen iPad that will replace the current A16, next-gen iPhones (including the 17e, 18 and a rumored foldable model), a new Studio Display model, some new smart home products. we've already heard about something elseand M5 updates for MacBook Air, Mac mini, Mac Studio and other MacBook Pros. There is another link to cheaper MacBook that Apple is apparently planning to replace the MacBook Air M1, which is still sold through Walmart for $599.
However, for power users, the most interesting discovery may be that Apple is working on a more advanced Apple Silicon iMac based on the M5 Max chip. The kernel debug kit refers to an iMac with internal ID J833c based on a platform designated as H17C, and the H17C appears to be based on the M5 Max rather than the lower-end M5 chip. (For those who don't remember Apple's branding, “Max” is associated with Apple's second-fastest chips; the M5 Max will be faster than the M5 or M5 Pro, but slower than the rumored M5 Ultra.)
This device could be the long-awaited replacement that is sometimes rumored but never released. Apple's 27-inch iMacwhich was discontinued in 2022 with no direct replacement. The M5 Max chip will also make this machine the closest thing to a direct replacement iMac Proa 27-inch variant of the iMac that was released in late 2017 but has also been discontinued without being updated or replaced.
The current M4 Max chip includes 14 or 16 CPU cores, 32 or 40 GPU cores, and 36 to 128 GB of unified memory – specs we expect to match or exceed the M5 Max. And since Max chips already fit 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, installing one in an all-in-one desktop PC is a breeze.
