Here’s a run-through of what’s new with Apple’s redesigned iMac
Apple unveiled its long-rumored, long-awaited redesigned iMac on Tuesday at its “Spring Loaded” special event, introducing the first major redesign to the machine since 2012. The machine boasts a forward-thinking design in seven new colors, a new Apple M1 chip, camera, and audio improvements, and more.
Starting off with the design, the iMac is now only 11.5 mm thick with a 24-inch 4.5K display. Launching in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver, the machine has an all-white front without the Apple logo on the “chin” as it has on the previous models.
Apple says the much more compact design reduces the volume of iMac by 50 percent, allowing it to take up less space and fit easily in even more places. Each iMac has a color-matching woven power cable and accessories.
The new iMac features True Tone display technology with upgraded FaceTime camera with a resolution of 1080p, doubling the resolution of the previous entry-level iMac.
Apple has brought its first M-series processor to the iMac after it launched with the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini in November. Apple says the machine now offers up to 85 percent faster CPU performance, up to 2x faster GPU performance for certain apps, the ability to edit up to five streams of 4K footage, or one stream of 8K footage, without dropping a frame in Final Cut Pro, and more, all thanks to the custom silicon.
For the first time ever, Apple is bringing Touch ID to its desktop computers with an all-new Magic Keyboard, accompanied by an improved Magic Trackpad.
Apple says customers can choose from three models of Magic Keyboard with aluminum enclosures that are color-matched to their iMac. Customers can also choose Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad, as well as the color-matched Magic Mouse and the Magic Trackpad.
The new 24-inch iMac will be available to order beginning Friday, April 30, on apple.com and begin arriving to customers in the second half of May. The machine starts at $1,299 in the United States for the 7-core GPU model, available in green, pink, blue, and silver, featuring an 8-core CPU, 8GB of unified memory, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt ports, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Mouse.
The 8-core GPU configuration starts at $1,499 (US) and is available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. It features an 8-core CPU, 8GB of unified memory, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt ports, two additional USB 3 ports, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Magic Mouse, and Ethernet.
The new machines feature 4 USB-C ports, two of which support Thunderbolt and a new power brick that also includes ethernet connectivity on the side.