The Mac family with M1 processors based on ARM architecture expands: Apple’s proprietary processor, which will replace Intel chips on all Apple computers by 2022, has also arrived on iMacs. Unlike the MacBook Air, Mac Mini and MacBook Pro M1 of late 2020, which maintained a reassuring design continuity with previous Intel models, the implementation of Apple Silicon on the all-in-ones is accompanied by a radical redesign.
The new 24 ”iMacs, in short
– The new iMacs have a very thin body (only 11mm) thanks to the miniaturization of the components made possible by the thermal performance of the M1 chip.
– Width and height of the chassis are more or less the same as the previous 21.5 “models, but the screen reaches 24”, thanks to a significant reduction in the size of the side bezels.
– With a choice that recalls the range of five colors of the first iMac, the G3 model with which Steve Jobs started the new course of Apple after the difficulties of the late 90s, the new all-in-one models are available in one range of seven color options: blue, green, pink, silver, yellow, orange and purple.
– The back of the body has a more lively color tone than the front, to avoid disturbing the display of contents on the screen. The color on the back, on the other hand, is designed to give a chromatic accent to the environment in which the iMac is placed.
– The 2 meter power cord hooks onto the back thanks to a magnet that offers the same strength profile as the traditional cord.
– The transformer is no longer in the case, as in previous models, but at the end of the cable, like a laptop charger.
– The 24 ”iMac integrates a new high definition video camera and directional microphones that isolate the voice of those sitting in front of the computer from background noise.
– The speakers have been redesigned, are much more powerful and offer a virtual surround system called “Spatial Audio”
– The screen is a Retina Display with a resolution of 4.5K, effective diagonal of 23.5 ”, TrueTone technology to adapt colors to ambient light, 500 nits of brightness and a chromatic range of more than a billion colors.
A detail that demonstrates the power of the Cupertino brand: Apple has removed the Apple logo from the body. As on the AirPods Max, the Apple symbol is nowhere to be seen on the new all-in-one.
The accessories are a pendant
The package of the new iMacs includes a Magic Keyboard and a Magic Mouse (both Bluetooth) with a colored shell to match the computer. Apple has entered the Touch ID on the keyboard to securely unlock the Mac, in much the same position as it can be found on the MacBook Air keyboards, in the upper right corner.
From Apple they confirm that the colored keyboards cannot be bought separately, but that they can also be used with all other Macs. The Touch ID, however, only works if the keyboard is paired via Bluetooth to a MacBook Air, Mac mini or MacBook Pro with M1 processor. It does not work on other Intel Macs that use the T1 or T2 chip to manage the fingerprint unlocking system. There is also a Magic Keyboard with numeric keypad and Touch ID, but it is bought separately as an accessory or can be added at the time of setup.
The body of the iMac is so thin that Apple had to reposition the headphone connector (which is now on the side, to the left of the screen) and eliminate the LAN socket, which ended up in the power supply instead. The SD card reader disappears altogether: for that you will need to use a USB-C adapter, like on Apple laptops.
Among other accessories available at the time of purchase there is also a Vesa adapter for hanging the iMac on the wall. It will be a very limited use case, we imagine, but if someone decides for this option, they can always request the standard hinged pedestal later through Apple Care.
How many configurations are there (and what changes)
The 24 ”iMacs are available in 3 standard configurations, which vary in terms of the amount of colors available, the number of GPU cores of the M1 processor and some features of the accessories. On the other hand, the unified RAM does not change, which is 8GB on all models (here we had explained why they are more than enough in most cases).
The basic model, the cheapest one, offers these features:
– M1 chipset with 8-Core CPU, Neural CPU for 16-core AI and a 7-core GPU
– Only four colors available: Blue, Green, Pink and Silver
– 256GB of storage (configurable up to 1TB)
– Only two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports on the back
– Power supply without Ethernet socket (available as an option)
– Magic Keyboard without Touch ID (available as an option)
The two higher-end models of the 24 ”iMac have these characteristics:
– an M1 chipset with 8-core GPU instead of 7
– all seven color options
– two USB 3 sockets in addition to the two Thunderbolt sockets.
The accessories also change: the mid-range and high-end models include the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and the power supply with Gigabit Ethernet socket as standard. The keyboard with numeric pad and Touch ID is instead always provided as an option to be added at the time of purchase. There is also a colored Magic Trackpad, for those who prefer it to the Magic Mouse, which can be chosen in the configuration at the time of purchase for all three versions.
The intermediate and higher-end models are finally distinguished by the capacity of the SSD fitted as standard: 256GB on the first, 512GB on the second. Both can be upgraded with SSDs of up to 2TB at the time of purchase, but the prices in that case go up significantly.
iMac 24 ”, to whom we recommend it
The positioning of the iMac 24 ”is very clear: it is a“ home ”computer for the whole family, which can be placed in the living room or in the children’s room, moved to the kitchen or installed in the bedroom. You can use it for work, but also for watching a movie or TV series. The new HD front FaceTime Camera and microphone system make it perfect for work from home. The M1 chip is still powerful enough for gaming, for editing movies (even 4K with and 8K) or for photo editing. The basic vocation is the same as the old 21.5 ”iMacs, in short, but with a further emphasis on the possibility of family sharing. This is demonstrated by the integrated function to change user space by registering different fingerprints on the Touch ID: just a touch on the biometric sensor of the keyboard, and the iMac automatically switches to the session of the user to which the finger belongs.
For the “family PC” use case, the basic model is more than sufficient (but remember to order the keyboard with Touch ID as an option). The new 24 ”iMacs, especially in higher configurations, however, offer excellent performance even to those looking for a desktop workstation for creative work. Let’s imagine (and we will then have the opportunity to verify) that the mid-range and high-end models, with 8-core CPU and GPU, have a performance profile similar to that of the Mac mini M1, which from our tests had proved perfectly suitable for operations video editing, photo processing, advanced programming with X-Code, and so on.
Professionals who need even more power, on the other hand, would do well to wait a little longer. The absence of a dark color option and a 27 “version suggest that Apple wanted to reserve this configuration for a” Pro “version of the new iMacs, which we hypothesize will arrive later along with the high-end 14-inch MacBook Pros. “And 16”, perhaps with a second generation of the more powerful and performing M series chips.
Prices and availability
Here are the prices of the various configurations of the 24 “iMac:
– Basic model, with GPU a 7 core, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, 2 porte Thunderbolt / USB 4, keyboard senza Touch ID and power supply without Ethernet socket: 1499 €
– Intermediate model: with 8-core GPU, 256GB SSD, 8GB of RAM, 2 Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports and 2 USB 3 ports, keyboard with Touch ID and Ethernet socket in the power supply: 1719€
– Top model, with the same features as the intermediate model, but 512GB SSD as standard: 1949€
All the configurations of the new 24 ”iMacs will be available for pre-order starting from April 30th, with an estimated delivery date of mid-May.
@andreanepori