All posts

First impressions of the new 24" M1 iMacs announced at the Apple Spring Loaded Event!

6:32 video

The iMac rumors were pretty much true. This is the new 24-inch iMac, and it looks great: a very flat design reminiscent of the Pro Display XDR, in seven colors (yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, green and silver), with a 24-inch 4.5K Retina display.

Colors and design

The front colors are kind of muted, while the backs pop. Tim said the first thing you see of an iMac is the back as you walk into a room, so you want that popping color. I think the colors look really good: I feared the whole iMac would be the muted iPad Air 4 color, so I’m glad they’re bright and bold. My favorite from the photo is blue, but I’m not a fan of the pastel front, and I’m really not a fan of the white bezels: they’re the worst thing for watching content, and Apple wants you to watch video on a big, bright screen with amazing speakers, so why white bezels?

I like the sleek design, the squared-off stand and the hinge. It looks a little lopsided in the photo because the hinge isn’t centered, because there’s still a chin, which holds the speakers.

Display, camera and mics

P3 wide color, up to 500 nits, True Tone and an ultra low-reflection coating. A new 1080p camera with all kinds of processing to make you look good: Apple says it’s the best camera it’s put in a Mac, though there’s no Face ID, which is slightly disappointing. The studio mics are the best Apple’s put in a Mac, with beamforming to capture your voice rather than background noise.

Inside

Apple showed the Intel logic board and the shrunken M1 version, sandwiched between two fans. There’s an updated six-speaker system (tweeters and woofers on both sides). I really like the 27-inch iMac’s sound; hopefully this is better than that, not just the previous 21-inch’s.

Accessories

New color-matched Magic Keyboards, with spotlight, dictation and Do Not Disturb keys (as on the M1 MacBooks) and, instead of the old Eject key, a lock button (quick lock without Command-Control-Q) and Touch ID. I’m still upset we didn’t get Face ID on the iMac (they’re thick and powerful enough), but this is second best, and I’d suggested in a previous video that Apple add Touch ID to an external Magic Keyboard, maybe with a T2 chip syncing with the iMac’s: “you’re welcome, Apple.” There are also new color-matched Magic Mice and Trackpads.

Configurations

  • $1,299: 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU (like the base MacBook Air), 8 GB of memory, a 256 GB SSD and just two limited Thunderbolt ports.
  • $1,499: 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8 GB and 256 GB, two Thunderbolt and two USB ports (four total), and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID.
  • $1,699: I think 16 GB and maybe 512 GB of storage (I’d check Apple’s page).

Ports

Limited: a magnetic power connection with an Ethernet port on the power brick (a configurable option), a 3.5 mm headphone jack on the side, no USB-A, very few USB-C or Thunderbolt ports, no Ethernet on the iMac itself and no SD card slot. You may need a hub or dock to expand ports.

They look cool (a little pasty on the front), with new speakers, cameras and displays, super thin, running the M1. Unfortunately, there’s no 27-inch version yet and the port selection is limited. If you’re picking one up, see my video on docks.

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.

Watch on YouTube

Keep reading

Related posts