What is that? Apple unveiled the 24-inch iMac in April 2021. It’s a new version of the iMac and it was the first update in over a decade, with a cleaner design, Apple silicon and a choice colours.
Who is it for ? The iMac is ideal for novices and demanding users. It can handle both general and heavy duty tasks. It is ideal for someone who needs to purchase a complete computer setup (keyboard, mouse or touchpad and monitor) and wants to maximize workspace efficiency. The 24-inch iMac is a design icon that will look great in any office.
How much does the iMac cost? Unfortunately, iMac prices outside the United States increased in January 2023, making what was already an expensive machine even more expensive. There are three standard configurations starting at $1,299/£1,399 (was £1,249) for the 24-inch iMac M1 with 7-core GPU and 256GB SSD, $1,499/£1,599 (at instead of £1,449) for the 24-inch iMac M1 with 8-core GPU and 256GB SSD, and $1,699 / £1,799 (was £1,649) for the 24-inch iMac M1 with 8-core GPU and 256GB SSD. 8 cores and 512 GB SSD.
What are the specs? The 24-inch iMac uses Apple’s M1 chip rather than Intel’s processors, and several configurations are available as well as the build-to-order option:
- Apple M1 SoC with an 8-core processor (4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), a 16-core neural engine, and a 7-core graphics processing unit (GPU); 8 GB of memory; 256 GB SSD
- Apple M1 SoC with an 8-core processor (4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), a 16-core neural engine, and an 8-core graphics processing unit (GPU); 8 GB of memory; 256 GB SSD
- Apple M1 SoC with an 8-core processor (4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), a 16-core neural engine, and an 8-core graphics processing unit (GPU); 8 GB of memory; 512 GB SSD
- Additional options: 16 GB of unified memory and up to 2 TB of SSD.
What are the display specs?
The 24-inch 4.5K Retina display has 11.3 million pixels and supports P3 wide color gamut, over a billion colors, 500 nits of brightness, and True Tone. Apple treats the screen with an anti-reflective coating to improve readability.
Why is it different from other iMacs? The 24-inch iMac has a very different design than the discontinued 21.5-inch and 27-inch models. The bezels around the display are much smaller than on older iMacs, but it still has a “chin,” a section below the display that houses the iMac’s internal components. The chin does not have the Apple logo on the front. Instead, it’s on the back. Most notably, the 24-inch iMac comes in multiple colors: the $1,299 model comes in blue, green, pink, and silver, while the $1,499 and $1,699 models come in the same colors as well. only in orange, purple and yellow.
How do you plug in stuff? The $1,299 24-inch iMac has two Thunderbolt 3 ports that also work with USB-C peripherals. The $1,499 and $1,699 iMacs have two additional USB-C ports. If you have a USB-A device, you need to purchase an adapter, such as Apple’s USB-C to USB Adapter ($19). If you have multiple USB-A devices and other items, consider a Thunderbolt hub. The 24-inch iMac also has a headphone jack on the side.
The 24-inch iMac, unlike older iMacs, does not have an SDXC slot. Again, you’ll need an adapter, such as the Anker SD Card Reader ($17). However, it has a super cool magnetic power cord.
Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 are integrated. Apple does not put a gigabit Ethernet port on the 24-inch iMac, but rather on the power adapter. But that Ethernet-equipped power adapter comes standard with the $1,499 and $1,699 models. It is not included with the $1,299 model, but you can select it as an option at the time of purchase – and yes, that means you’ll have to pay extra for it.
How fast is it? : Since the 24-inch iMac has the same M1 as the Mac mini, its speed is very similar. That means it’s fast and much faster than the 21.5-inch models it replaces. It has all the speed that general consumers need and it can handle business applications without issue. However, the $1,299 model has only one fan inside its body, while the $1,499 and $1,699 models have two fans. This means the high-priced models do a better job of keeping the internals cool. The $1,299 model may need to slow down its performance during intensive tasks to maintain an appropriate temperature.
igamesnews Shopping Tips: Everything about the iMac has been vastly improved with the 24-inch model, from design to display to performance. It’s been over two years now and an M2 model is surely in the works at Apple – and hopefully an iMac Pro model to replace the discontinued 27-inch iMac. If you’re buying one, the sweet spot is the $1,499/£1,599 model, which gets you more ports, Touch ID and Ethernet.
