The iMac 2017 will keep its stunning 5K Retina screen introduced in 2015 though previous reports go as much as 8K, which may need a more powerful hardware than Ryzen. The most likely scenario is that Apple may go ultimate with AMD Ryzen CPUs and immersive with AMD Polaris GPUs in the iMac to beat the Surface Studio's innovations.

The MacBook Pro's Touch Bar will also be featured in the new iMac 2017 after Apple has patented the use of OLED touch screen on the standalone keyboards. This may be as far as Apple may go in introducing touch screen capabilities to the desktop keeping to Steve Job's principles that a touch screen display will give Mac users arm aches. The Touch Bar will infuse varying functionalities into the new desktop with apps supporting the Microsoft Office or Photoshop.

The iMac 2017 was expected this month but Apple decided to go for a quiet launch by just updating the Apple store to unveil the new 9.7-in. budget iPad, new red color option for the iPhone 7 and a new iPhone SE. Apple fans are now eagerly awaiting for the iMac updates along with the latest MacBook Pro upgrades during the April event. However, with just a few days left in March, the folks at Cupertino have not yet issued any invitations, which suggest that a WWDC unveiling may be the most logical bet. The iMac may take center stage this June during the WWDC 2017 keynote address.

Microsoft has taken advantage of the absence of new iMacs in the market with the introduction of the stunning Surface Studio, created specifically for the creatives, one of the target markets of the iMac 2017, i4u news reported. Like what its name suggests, the Surface Studio is able to offer the best desktop, experience that can literally turn into a studio by simply pressing the display to lie almost flat on the desk to create wonderful works of art. However, the iMac 2017 still have something to offer the creative professionals with major upgrades in the processor, graphics, and storage expected on the latest iteration.

Intel's Core i7-7700K will give power and speed to the iMac 2017, but AMD Ryzen will give comparable if not better performance, like in multithreaded tasks but at less energy consumption. The performance per watt value of Ryzen conforms to the iMacs ideal thermal settings than Intel, according to MacWorld. Moreover, Apple will also be using the Polaris 11 for its new desktop, which may bring Virtual Reality (VR) functionalities to the iMac for the first time. Though Apple has not raved about VR, only with AR for the iPhone, the folks at Cupertino may quietly integrate the new feature to create not only the "ultimate desktop" but also an immersive one.