Unlike the previous iMacs, the new M1 version comes in one screen size only: 24-inches. This puts it in the middle of the 21.5-inch and 27-inch models Apple made previously. It is reminiscent of Apple’s decision with the first M1 MacBook Pro, which is only available in a 13-inch model at present.
Presumably, this could change in the future, with additional models added. The new iMac screen is a 4.5K Retina display, boasting a massive 11.3 million pixels, 500 nits of brightness, and more than a billion colors.
The iMac Redesign You’ve Waited On
The monitor comes in a housing that’s just 11.5 millimeters in thickness, and offers vastly slimmed-down bezels—although the trademark chin remains. The most striking part of the visual redesign is the choice of colors. For the first time in a couple of decades, the iMac is available in a choice of colors. There are seven colors to pick from, including green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver.
Other improvements include enhanced microphones, a six-speaker sound system, and 1080p FaceTime HD camera. Also freshly arrived on the iMac is a Touch ID fingerprint scanner, which can be used for switching user profiles, secure logins, and buying goods using Apple Pay. Finally—for fans of the MagSafe connector, rumored to be returning to the MacBook after a few years in the wilderness—there’s a “beautifully woven” power connector that attaches magnetically to the back of the iMac.
“M1 is a gigantic leap forward for the Mac, and today we’re excited to introduce the all-new iMac, the first Mac designed around the breakthrough M1 chip,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, in a statement. “With its striking design in seven stunning colors, its immersive 4.5K Retina display, the best camera, mics, and speakers ever in a Mac, and Touch ID, combined with the amazing performance of M1 and the power of macOS Big Sur, the new iMac takes everything people love about iMac to an entirely new level.”
Coming Soon to a Desktop Near You
While details like the design and color options had been leaked ahead of time, the iMac was nonetheless one of the highlights of Apple’s first special event of 2021. Timed precisely at one hour, this event was every bit as loaded with new products as its Spring Loaded name implied.
The new iMac is available to preorder on Friday, April 30. The computers will then ship out to customers in the second half of May.
