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Apple has announced the new M4 iMac which will be released on the 8th November 2024.
We’ve seen what the new M4 chip can do in the latest iPad Pro. It’s efficient, AI-optimised, fast, and more powerful than most people will ever be able to utilise. So imagine how much potential it has in the M4 iMac!
But is there anything else that’s genuinely new barring the M4 chip? Or is this just another Apple Intelligence compatibility update?
Let’s dive deep into the specs and design changes to see what the M4 iMac is all about.
Mark’s full M4 iPad Pro review is here!
M4 Chip: What’s New?
The M4 chip is a significant upgrade over its predecessor, the M3 chip. Built on a refined 3-nanometer architecture, the M4 is designed to enhance performance and efficiency.
The M4 chip made its first appearance in the M4 iPad Pro, released earlier in 2024, giving us a glimpse of its capabilities. It’s fast, powerful and efficient and has an optimised Neural Engine to harness Apple Intelligence.
The M4 chip in the iMac comes with:
- 8-core CPU and GPU at the base level: This will be configured as four performance cores and four efficiency cores.
- Maximum of a 10-core CPU and GPU
- Enhanced AI Capabilities: The M4 chip is optimised for Apple Intelligence with a more powerful Neural Engine, making it adept at handling AI-driven tasks.
- Performance Boost: The M4 in the iPad Pro is up to 25% faster than the M3, with notable improvements in both single-core and multi-core performance. We can expect the same leaps in the iMac, although this is also dependent on unified memory.
We’re also expecting to see Apple release the new M4 MacBook Pro, M4 MacBook Air and M4 Mac Mini before the 1st November to complete the chip updates.
Key Features of the M4 Chip
| Feature | M3 Chip | M4 Chip |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Cores (base) | 8 | 8 |
| GPU Cores | 8 | 8 |
| Neural Engine | Standard | AI-optimised |
| Process Technology | 3nm | 3nm |
| Performance Improvement | 15% faster than M2 | Up to 25% faster than M3 |
What can we expect from the new M4 Mac Mini?
Unified Memory (RAM) and Storage Upgrades
It’s happened. Apple has finally ditched having 8GB of unified memory as the base-level for its iMacs (and hopefully for all the other M4 Macs too!).
The lowest amount of unified memory (also known as RAM in Windows PCs) you can buy in the M4 iMac is 16GB. That means the base-level M4 iMac is now significantly more powerful than the base-level M3 iMac. And all for the same amount of money, or less if you’re from the UK.
We explain the difference between unified memory and storage
Unified Memory Options
- Base Model: 16GB
- +$200/£200: 24GB
- +$400/£400: 36GB (only available if you choose the 10-core CPU configuration)
SSD Storage
Storage options for the M4 iMac start at 256GB. This rises to 512GB for an extra $200/£200, 1TB for $400/£400 and 2TB for $800/800.
You cannot customise an iMac with more memory or storage after you have bought it unless you buy an external hard drive.
Pricing
In a turn-up for the books, Apple has actually reduced the price of the iMac for UK customers. All M4 models are £100 less than the M3 version in the UK. For the USA, the prices are the same as the previous generation, apart from the 10-core GPU base model (no extra memory or SSD) which is $100 less than the same M3 model.
| Configuration | Price (USD) | Price (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD | $1,299 | £1,299 |
| 10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD | $1,399 | £1,499 |
Because the lowest memory configuration is now 16GB instead of 8GB, you now get a lot more power and efficiency for your money than you did in 2023. Buying an iMac has never made more sense than it does now.
Release Date
The M4 iMac is available for pre-order now after being announced by Apple on 28th October via a press release. Deliveries of orders will then begin on the 8th November.
Apple Intelligence
Whisper it quietly, but Apple is only releasing these new devices with M4 chips so they can shout about Apple Intelligence.
As with other M4 releases like the iPad Mini 7, there haven’t been any huge upgrades beyond the chip itself. Apple says this is to optimise all its devices for the debut of Apple Intelligence; Apple’s bespoke, predominantly on-device AI system.
Full iPad Mini 7 review
Like ChatGPT, Apple Intelligence can write copy for you, summarise notes or webpages, send messages or assist with editing photos. It will also be used to vastly improve the accuracy and responsiveness of Siri.
With the new M4 chip, the iMac will be more tuned for AI. But it isn’t exclusive. Both the M1 and M3 iMacs have access to Apple Intelligence too. It just might be the case that they are slightly less capable of dealing with its demands.
Design Changes
The design of the iMac changed significantly with the release of the M1 version. The iMac got slimmer, squarer and more colourful. This trend has remained with the M4 iMac. There haven’t been any drastic alterations to the physical design, but it has been made even slimmer.
Here are the main new design features;
- Seven New Colour Options: Green, yellow, orange, pink, purple and blue, alongside the standard silver.
- New Ultra-thin design
Display
One of the biggest things Apple is touting about the new iMac is the nano-texture display. The nano-texture display is only available as an optional extra upgrade on the 10-core CPU and GPU models.
What even is a nano-texture I hear you ask? Well, it is a particular type of glass that reduces glare and reflections in troublesome conditions like direct sunlight. It was first made available on the M4 iPad Pro earlier in 2024.
It is especially handy for those who work on visual projects and may need to always be able to see the clarity of colours and image definition. It costs an extra $200/£200.
In terms of display size, the M4 iMac hasn’t changed at all. The display remains the same; a 24-inch 4.5k Retina display, with the same bezel sizes so overall real estate hasn’t increased.
Connectivity and Ports
The new iMac supports the following network technology:
- Wi-Fi 6E: The fastest Wi-Fi technology currently available on Apple products.
- Bluetooth 5.3: The latest Bluetooth technology with larger connection spheres.
All four USB-C ports on the rear of the M4 iMac now support Thunderbolt 4 for faster data transfers with support for up to two external 6K displays.
Touch ID has also been slightly upgraded in order to support Fast User Switching, meaning you can now choose a different user with just a single finger.
M3 vs M4 iMac
| Feature | M3 iMac | M4 iMac (Expected) |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | M3 | M4 |
| CPU Cores | 8 | 10 |
| RAM | 8GB | 16GB (Base Model) |
| Storage Options | 256GB SSD (Base) | 256GB SSD (Base) |
| AI Capabilities | Standard | AI enhanced |
| Price | $1,299 (Base) | TBD |
Interested in the M3 iMac?
Read our M3 iMac buying guide
No Big iMac
There has been speculation for a while now that Apple was working on a new big iMac with a 32-inch display, as opposed to the standard 24-inch size. It hasn’t materialised with this release of the M4 iMacs.
The lack of anything firm from Apple on a larger iMac display means the uncertainty around its future can only grow. It seems that 2025 is the make-or-break year for now for any big iMac. It could still come if Apple wants to make a splash when the M5 chip rolls around, but it is looking less likely than ever now.
1 Comment
Nic e hardware. I was hoping for a 27″ or 32″ display. Since that didn’t happen this is a no go for me. I’m going to have to look at the new Mac MINI instead.