Apple today announced the redesigned iMac with an all-new design. The new iMac is available in a bunch of colors and features a notably slimmer design than the outgoing Intel-based iMacs.
Apple will be offering the new iMac in seven different colors: green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. It features a single sheet of glass at the front with a light color tone, while the rear features a bold color tone. The front of the new iMac features a 4.5K 24-inch Retina display with slimmer bezels, which makes the overall machine just about slightly bigger than the 21.5-inch iMac. Overall though, Apple says the new iMac is 50% smaller in volume than the outgoing model. The new 24-inch display has an anti-reflective coating to reduce glares.
The redesigned iMac is powered by Apple’s M1 chip, the same one found inside the M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Thanks to the more efficient M1 chip, Apple has redesigned the new iMac internally as well. The new iMac features a smaller logic board with two small fans to keep the machine cool. Apple claims the CPU on the new iMac is 85% faster than the previous 21.5-inch iMac. The GPU performance is also up to 2x faster than the outgoing model.
The new iMac features an upgraded 1080p FaceTime HD camera at the front with a bigger sensor that helps improve the overall image quality. This is further boosted by the enhanced ISP of the M1 chip, which brings features like enhanced HDR, face recognition, and more.
Apple has also improved the microphone system, which now comprises of 3-mics. Apple says this is the “best mic system ever in a Mac.” The speaker system has also been upgraded and now features force-canceling woofers. There’s now a six-speaker system that allows the new iMac to support spatial audio with Dolby Atmos. Apple claims this is the “best sound system in a Mac.”
The new iMac features four USB-C ports, with two of them featuring Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. The iMac also supports one external monitor with up to 6K resolution. The new power cord attaches magnetically to the rear of the machine. The power cord itself has a power brick similar to the MacBooks, though Apple has also added an Ethernet port to it.
Apple is also bundling a new Apple Keyboard with the 24-inch iMac. It features a dedicated button for Spotlight and Touch ID. Apple is also bringing the Magic Mouse in more new colors to match the iMac’s new colors.
The base model 24-inch iMac will be available for $1,299. There’s also another model for $1,499. The base model features a 7-core GPU, while the $1,499 model features an 8-core GPU. Only the latter features four USB-C ports and the power adapter with Ethernet connectivity. Both models ship with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage as standard. The 24-inch 4.5K iMac will be available for pre-order on April 30 and hit the retail stores in the second half of May.
