Apple appears to be preparing a revival of its professional-grade all-in-one desktop, with leaked internal files revealing a new iMac powered by the unreleased M5 Max chip. The discovery, found within Apple’s kernel debug kit, references a machine with the identifier "J833c"—a potential successor to the discontinued iMac Pro, suggesting the company is actively validating high-performance silicon for a desktop form factor.
For those of us who track Apple’s hardware closely, this is the smoking gun we’ve been waiting for. Deep inside these files, the new iMac model is listed running on platform H17C, which is directly linked to "Sotra C," the internal designation for the M5 Max silicon. The leak, which has surfaced on enthusiast sites like Weibo, tracks perfectly with the rumours. Since the original iMac Pro vanished in 2021, there has been a massive hole in the lineup for creators who want serious power without a separate tower.
Reliable sources like Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman have hinted at this revival, and now we have the code to back it up. If the current M4 Max is already a beast with 40 GPU cores, an M5 Max iMac would be an absolute dream for 3D rendering and heavy AI workflows. It finally signals that Apple hasn't forgotten about the pro users who prefer the simplicity of an all-in-one.
The roadmap didn't stop there, either. The files teased future 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with M5 and M6 chips, updated Mac Studios, and even a budget MacBook running on the A18 Pro. While we can’t pre-order just yet—internal tests don't always become retail realities—a release window around late 2026 seems likely. For now, all eyes are on the next Apple event. If this pans out, the iMac is about to get very exciting again.
