When Apple introduced the colorful, ultra-thin M1 iMac in 2021, many were surprised by one notable omission: the lack of an Apple logo on its prominent chin. Now, a leaked prototype suggests this was indeed something Apple took into consideration during development…
The current-generation iMac features a 24-inch display in an ultra-thin form factor with white bezels around that display. It’s available in a wide range of colors, unlike most Apple products. One of the hallmarks of the iMac design is its “chin” beneath the display. That chin is where the actual computer parts of the iMac are located, a design choice that allowed Apple to make the form factor so stunningly thin.
When the M1 iMac was released, many people commented on not only on the size of the chin but also on the distinct lack of an Apple logo on that chin. After all, many years of previous-generation iMacs featured a chin with an Apple logo front and center.
Well, as it turns out, Apple planned for the M1 iMac to have an Apple logo, according to Apple collector Kosutami on social media. Kosutami even posted an image showing 24-inch iMac prototypes with an Apple logo in the chin:
Kosutami says that Apple planned to put a logo on the iMac until before the EVT (Engineering Validation Test) stage of production. This suggests it was scrapped relatively early in the process, and wasn’t a last-minute design change.
There are generally four stages to the product development process for new Apple products:
EVT (Engineering Validation Test)
DVT (Design Validation Test)
PVT (Product Validation Test)
Mass production
9to5Mac’s Take
The current iMac design has proven to be polarizing. I personally love the colorful design with the white bezels. Others say it looks like a knock-off iMac you’d buy from someone in a McDonald’s parking lot. To each their own.
Do you think an Apple logo would make the iMac’s chin look less out of place? Let us know down in the comments.
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