April 20th, 2021
Apple released the first Apple Silicon iMac today at their “Spring Loaded” event. This is the first Mac they have shipped that was designed with Apple Silicon’s incredible thermal profile in mind, and it shows. The iMac they introduced today was the smaller, 24-inch configuration which replaces the 21.5-inch iMac. It is the newest Apple Silicon Mac, and offers the same M1 chip Apple introduced in the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini in November. I expect Apple will ship larger versions of the redesigned iMac later in the year with an upgraded processor. Here are the announced configurations:
| iMac Configuration | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $1299 | $1499 | $1699 |
| Display | 24-inch 4.5K Display | 24-inch 4.5K Display | 24-inch 4.5K Display |
| Processor | M1 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU | M1 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU | M1 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU |
| RAM | 8GB or 16GB | 8GB or 16GB | 8GB or 16GB |
| Connectivity | 2x Thunderbolt 3/USB-4 | 2x Thunderbolt 3/USB-4, 2x USB-C | 2x Thunderbolt 3/USB-4, 2x USB-C |
| Camera | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p |
| Keyboard | Magic Keyboard | Magic Keyboard w/ Touch ID | Magic Keyboard w/ Touch ID |
| Colors | Blue, Green, Pink, Silver | Blue, Green, Pink, Silver, Yellow, Orange, Purple | Blue, Green, Pink, Silver, Yellow, Orange, Purple |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB/1TB | 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB | 512GB/1TB/2TB |
The desktop has been completely redesigned, and features beautiful, bright colors and an impressive 11.5mm thin chassis. The display sits at 24 inches of diagonal width, featuring a 4.5K Retina display with P3 color gamut, True Tone, and 500 nits of brightness. It’s a big upgrade over the previous generation, and offers plenty of resolution. Apple’s displays have always been excellent, and this isn’t any exception. The design and color choices of these new iMacs were clearly made to stand out. The front facing camera has been upgraded to include a 1080p camera instead of a 720p camera like the previous iMacs. It will do a good job for most use cases, although vloggers may want to seek an upgrade for the camera.
As for the CPU and GPU, we’ve seen the M1 before. It is an incredibly powerful and capable chip, with an 8 core CPU and 7 or 8 core GPU. Both configurations benchmark with industry-leading single core performance and multicore performance that beats out many of Intel and AMD’s offerings. The GPU is no slouch either, although I will be holding out for a more powerful Apple Silicon graphics offering. It will handle most games, and if you consider yourself a casual gamer or even a more dedicated Mac gamer, the M1 won’t disappoint. It may not be able to push the most demanding games, though, so be sure to check benchmarks and reviews before purchase. If you’re upgrading from nearly any Mac pre-M1, you will not be disappointed.
Because it is the M1 chip, the limitations that existed on the MacBook Pro and Mac mini still exist here. You are limited to 8GB or 16GB of unified memory, one external display (up to 6k), and two Thunderbolt 3/USB-4 ports at the maximum. However, one plus for the iMac is it’s the first M1 Mac to offer 2 additional USB-C ports for more expansion.
Apple made bold claims when it came to audio. They’ve shown how good they are at making audio products like HomePod or the excellent speakers built into the MacBooks. Two force cancelling woofers are on each side to move a lot of air and get deep, rich bass. A high-fidelity tweeter is also on each side to match, giving the iMac 6 speakers total. Apple claims that the iMac will offer spatial audio, a feature that is currently offered on the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. I’m curious to see how Apple will handle directional audio from a stationary device and speakers, with no head tracking to move the audio based on the user’s movement. We’ll leave that one for reviewers to tackle.
Regarding microphones, Apple’s added a studio-quality 3-mic array. We’ve heard what Apple did with the MacBook Pro’s microphones previously, and I don’t doubt that these microphones are going to sound great.
In terms of connectivity, the iMac falls short when compared to previous generations. It offers two Thunderbolt 3/USB-4 ports on the base model, and that’s it. For the $1499 version, two more USB-C ports are available (with 5gbps bandwidth). As is the norm with Apple, they’re banking on Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C accessories, and they aren’t offering any USB-A ports with this system (similar to other M1-powered Macs). If you have USB-A needs like I do, you’ll want to look for a Thunderbolt or USB-C hub. An Ethernet port is placed on the power brick and transfers data and power through a magnetically attached cable. It’s clever engineering, and removes the need to snake an Ethernet cable right up to the back of the system. iMacs don’t traditionally feature a separate power brick, but the thinness of this machine likely necessitated it.
The Magic Keyboard got an upgrade to finally feature Touch ID. A fingerprint reader sits in the top right corner of the keyboard and wirelessly authenticates users and allows for quick user switching. This is perfect for the iMac, as I’m sure desktop users had been wanting something like this for quite a while. However, if you don’t want Apple’s first party keyboard, there unfortunately isn’t yet another bioauthentication option like Face ID for the desktop. The keyboard doesn’t include Touch ID in the base configuration iMac, unfortunately. If you like Apple’s larger wireless keyboard, you can upgrade to the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad before ordering.
All accessories are color-matched to the iMac you pick. The accessories aren’t sold separately, so you’ll need to make the decision on your preferred keyboard and whether to use a trackpad at purchase.
I will be waiting to see what Apple has for CPUs beyond M1 before I consider buying another Mac. I strongly believe the iMac is a great choice for anyone who needs a desktop computer. It’s the perfect desktop for most, because it handles the majority of casual and professional workloads with ease. Unless you have a particular need for high-end hardware, the iMac will be able to handle anything you throw at it. This iMac has an incredible form factor, and the Touch ID in the keyboard is probably my favorite added touch.
The 24” iMac launches on April 30th.