Apple's annual launch cycle consists of three big dates: the first in March, for new iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and watches, and the second one sometime in June, for the WWDC where OS updates and new hardware are launched. A third event is normally scheduled in September, again for the iPhones and iPads. When, then, will the iMac 2016 launch happen?

Considering that the last iMac update happened in October 2015, it is highly unlikely that Apple will release the next one before the customary 12-month period has elapsed. Does this mean we'll have to wait until 2017 for the new iMac, because the last big Apple event is normally scheduled for September?

Mobile & Apps offers some consolation in its report stating that rumours point to an October 2016 release. Perhaps, as the speculations suggest, Apple may host a separate event in October exclusively for the iMac 2016. Interestingly, the release is also dependent upon the processor that the PC is designed to run on.

Conjectures, as consolidated by Macworld, indicate that the AMD Polaris 10 GPU is a likely candidate for the new iMac's graphics processing unit. This could mean that the all-in-one desktop computer could be VR ready. The Polaris 11 is also on the speculation cards. According to other guessing games, the iMac 2016 may also sport the newly launched Kaby Lake processor. With the latest news reports suggesting that Intel has begun shipping the Kaby Lake chips to manufacturers, Apple may try and equip the new PC with this super-chip.

While that would result in a huge leap in possible specs, it could also mean a delay in the iMac's launch to early next year, giving the manufacturer time to test the newly equipped devices. Anyhow, currently, with no official statement from Apple, all of this is best taken in with a grain of salt.