With Apple’s new iMacs expected to launch in the near future, we’ve heard from several sources well-connected to Apple’s third-party retail distribution chain that Apple is preparing to launch updated Thunderbolt Displays this fall as well.
Two sources connected to major third-party online retailers have indicated that they are beginning to see supply constraints for the current Thunderbolt display, and one of the two sources stated that his company is unable to ship new Thunderbolt Display orders until “the end of next week” (just after Apple’s September 12 media event).
In addition to tips from our retail sources, we also did a bit of digging around, and found that supply constraints for the Thunderbolt Display are already beginning to appear at online retailers. Amazon.co.uk, is backordered on the display until September 20, and UK retailers Dixons and PC World are also out of stock.
Most U.S. online retailers, including Best Buy, Buy.com, and Apple’s own online store currently list the Thunderbolt Display as in stock. However, MacMall.com, one of the larger 3rd-party Apple product resellers in the U.S., currently directs users to “call now” for a shipping estimate.
After placing a quick call to MacMall, a representative informed me that they are unable to ship the Thunderbolt Display until September 14th – closely in line with what we had already heard from our retail source.
If Apple is planning to release new iMacs soon, as Fox News reports, then updating the Thunderbolt Display at the same time would make a lot of sense. Even if Apple doesn’t release an updated Thunderbolt Display this month, it’s clear that supplies are already constrained, making a release something this fall extremely likely.
It’s unclear what changes would come to a new Thunderbolt display, but the inclusion of USB 3.0 seems like a given, considering that Apple has begun adding USB 3.0 to their Mac lineup, and the inclusion of an HDMI port (as with the new Retina MacBook Pro) and a dedicated audio jack would both be welcome changes to an updated model.
As always, we’ll keep you updated if and when we hear more.
