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As most know by now, the latest Intel Kaby Lake chipsets were formally unveiled at the CES 2017 in Las Vegas. That said, folks got a first-hand glimpse of the next set of processors that Apple may eventually use for its upcoming products -- including the iMac 2017.

Before getting all excited, Intel does have a schedule to keep. There were 40 different chipsets released at CES 2017 and normally it would take some time before these SoCs would be made available. Hence, the release date of the iMac 2017 may be affected too, Mac Rumors reported. As mentioned in a previous post, in the limelight on Apple’s end are the MacBook Pro and the iMac 2017.

The Cupertino company did release a MacBook Pro in 2016 though it still carried the old Intel Skylake chipset. Paired with a 16 GB RAM limit, there were a lot who were disappointed. With the Intel Kaby Lake chips introduced, there is a chance that a batch of MacBook Pros may come out. But the attention, for now, is the iMac 2017 which Apple would need to make big to avoid a freefall behind the Microsoft Surface series.

The Microsoft Surface Studio was the last to come out in the all-in-one desktop segment and the Cupertino has its work cut out for an iMac release. It has been almost two years since Apple refreshed the iMac line where the last memorable upgrade was the 5K Retina display on the 27-inch version. Aside from that, it is a fact that the iMac has been lagging behind in technology, which adds more pressure on the 2017 version.

Apple loyalists have been pleading for new features that include a touch feature which could be backed by a more powerful chipset. Among the Intel Kaby Lake chips compatible with the iMac 2017 are the S-Series desktop chips (7500/7600/7700K). The Y-Series could also be another option, something pegged to improve battery life, 9 to 5 Mac reported. Whichever series Apple opts to use, the more pressing matter is seeing the refreshed iMac 2017. Right now, that may not happen until after mid-2017.