There are signs that Apple is testing a high-end iMac model internally, and it is widely believed that the device may return to the market in 2026 in the form of an iMac Pro equipped with an M5 Max chip. Relevant clues come from a kernel debugging file used by Apple engineers, which lists a number of unreleased hardware devices. The new iMac is labeled with the code name H17C, which is speculated to be the processor that will be released under the name M5 Max in the future. In addition, similar information began to appear on the Chinese social platform Weibo, further strengthening the credibility of the rumors.
Apple launched the first iMac Pro in 2017, which started at $4,999. It was regarded by many professional users as a high-end representative of all-in-one machines. However, from the perspective of subsequent development, it is more like a transitional product before Apple perfects the Mac Pro. Due to the extremely low frequency of updates, and the fact that the performance of the high-end 27-inch iMac later surpassed the iMac Pro in many tasks, this product was eventually discontinued in 2021 and only exited the stage of history in a "while supplies last" manner. Since then, Apple has only retained the 24-inch iMac in its desktop all-in-one product line for a long time, leaving high-end all-in-one users lacking an official upgrade path.
The H17C codename reported this time appears in Apple’s internal debugging kernel file. This file is usually used to list unreleased hardware and its internal identification, providing support for engineering testing and system compatibility verification. The report pointed out that this code number corresponds to a new iMac that has not yet come out, and the chip it is equipped with is inferred by the industry to be the future M5 Max, which is positioned to inherit the existing high-end Apple Silicon chip route. At the same time, similar hardware logos began to be mentioned by whistleblowers on Weibo and other platforms, causing the statement that "a new generation of high-end iMac is being tested" to gradually ferment in the supply chain and the whistleblower circle.
However, internal testing does not necessarily equate to the final launch of the product. This has many precedents in Apple's past product strategies. The report specifically mentioned that Apple is also testing non-traditional combination models such as iPad mini running tvOS and MacBook equipped with A15 processor. Their existence is more used for system and hardware adaptation experiments and may not become a formal product form for consumers. Therefore, even if the M5 Max iMac has entered the testing stage, it may still stop at internal verification and will not be actually launched to the market.
Rumors of a high-end iMac or iMac Pro have never really gone away over the past few years. Display analyst Ross Young asserted as early as late 2021 that Apple would launch a 27-inch iMac Pro in spring 2022, but this expectation did not ultimately come true. In July 2022, Bloomberg still maintained that Apple was still planning a larger iMac Pro with an M3 chip, just not one that would be released anytime soon. Rumors of multiple "no-shows" not only reflect the market's continued expectations for high-end all-in-one machines, but also highlight Apple's conservatism and vacillation in the planning of its desktop product line.
What appears in the kernel debugging files this time is not only the suspected M5 Max iMac device, but also a number of new products that are generally considered to be closer to the release stage. According to the report, the models mentioned in the document also cover the long-rumored low-price MacBook, new Mac Studio, and new-generation Mac mini, showing that Apple is updating its layout for Mac hardware in the next one or two years. The source of these codes is said to be different from the clues recently unearthed in the iOS 26 test version, indicating that there are multiple parallel development and testing channels within Apple.
In iOS 26 related builds, developers and analysts have recently discovered more clues about the low-priced MacBook. The latest information suggests that this more user-friendly MacBook may be launched in two different models to provide consumers with more segmented price and configuration choices. If corroborated with the rumors of multiple new Mac products in this kernel debugging file, it can be seen that Apple is expected to usher in a new round of large-scale adjustments and expansions to the Mac product line around 2026, including the highly anticipated new generation iMac Pro, which may be equipped with M5 Max.