All-new iMac unveiled with faster M4 chipset, improved webcam, seven colours, and cheaper UK price tag
The first of many rumoured upgrades coming to the Mac lineup this week has arrived — a brand-new iMac.
The refreshed all-in-one desktop PC is powered by the new M4 chip, which made its debut in the latest iPad Pro — the thinnest Apple product ever released. Apple promises significant improvements, with 1.7x faster performance for everyday tasks and 2.1x boost for the most demanding workflows compared to the M1 iMac.
As standard, the new iMac comes with 16GB of RAM, which can be configured up to 32GB. Coupled with the supercharged Neural Engine built into the M4 system, which is now over 3x faster than on iMac with M1, this new machine has been designed with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mind.
It comes as Apple prepares to roll-out its hotly-anticipated Apple Intelligence features in the United States in the coming days, with a UK release date planned for December.
Apple iMac is still only available in a single screen size: a 24-inch 4.5K Retina Display. However, the Californian company has refreshed the colours available in the 2024 lineup, with new Green, Yellow, Orange, Pink, Purple, Blue, and Silver colourways available.
Aside from the new colours and faster internals, the all-new all-in-one desktop PCs arrive with a nano-texture display option designed to eliminate glare on the screen, an improved 12MP Centre Stage camera for video calls, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.
Speaking about the launch, Apple Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, John Ternus said: “iMac is beloved by millions of users, from families at home to entrepreneurs hard at work. With the incredible features of Apple Intelligence and the powerful performance of Apple silicon, the new iMac changes the game once again.
“With M4 and Apple Intelligence, gorgeous new colours that pop in any space, an advanced 12MP Centre Stage camera, and a new nano-texture glass display option, it’s a whole new era for iMac.”
Apple Intelligence features are set to launch in the United States in the coming days with the introduction of macOS Sequoia 15.1, bringing a host of new capabilities to compatible devices.
These include Writing Tools for rewriting and proofreading, a redesigned Siri, and updates to the Photos app such as the “Clean Up” feature, which removes unwanted people and objects from the background.
Apple Intelligence works differently from other AI systems, processing tasks on-device using the Neural Engine in recent A- and M-series chips. This approach ensures privacy and allows for offline functionality.
Additional capabilities previewed at WWDC earlier this year, including Image Playground and Genmoji, will roll out in the coming months. ChatGPT integration with Siri and Writing Tools is also slated for December, when Apple Intelligence will be available in December for those in the UK.
The new iMac ships in a choice of seven colourways, with more vibrant shades on the back of the case, and subtle pastel shades on the front of the all-in-one PC. There is a white border around the screen on each iMac model, which chips with colour-matched accessories.
Not only that, but Apple has updated the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and optional Magic Trackpad with USB-C ports. This means you’ll be able to charge your favourite accessories using a single USB-C cable — the same used to recharge the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, refreshed iPad mini, or any recent MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, newer Kindle e-readers, Nintendo Switch, and a slew of other gadgets.
EU lawmakers forced Apple to ditch its proprietary Lightning port in favour of USB-C, a move that Sir Keir Starmer is looking to adopt in the UK too.
Elsewhere, the new iMac features a 12MP Centre Stage camera that supports Desk View — a clever feature that leverages the wide-angle lens to simultaneously you and a top-down view of your desk, which is useful for educators presenting a lesson to students, or creators showing off their latest DIY project.
As the name suggests, the improved webcam also supports Centre Stage, a feature that made its debut on the iPad range and keeps you centred in the frame at all times — even as you move around.
The refreshed iMac sports up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports for fast data transfers and connectivity to external displays. There’s also an optional nano-texture glass option, which is designed to significantly reduce reflections and glare whilst keeping the same image quality — handy for those who keep their iMac somewhere likely to be hit by direct sunlight. It costs an extra £200 at checkout.
The new iMac with M4 is available for pre-order in the UK starting today, October 28, 2024. It will begin arriving to customers and be available in Apple Store locations from Friday November 8, 2024.
Pricing for the base model starts at £1,299, featuring an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, and 16GB of unified memory. The higher-end model with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU begins at £1,499.
That’s more affordable than its predecessor, released last year with the M3 system-on-a-chip under the bonnet. Those models started from £1,399 — £100 more than the new M4-equipped iMac from Apple.