After nearly 10 years since the introduction of the previous generation of iMacs, the last one based on Intel architecture, Apple has taken the plunge and shown the world the new iMac 2021 based on the new "System on Chip" (SoC) M1. The same SoC, therefore, already used on the new 13-inch MacBook Air and Pro and the new Mac Mini.
To be precise, at the moment, Apple has presented only one 24-inch model (the previous generation was sold with a 21.5 or 27-inch screen) but with three hardware variants. In all three cases, however, it is a completely new model: the architecture is new, the screen is new, the keyboard, mouse and trackpad are new and even the power cord is new. But, above all, the design is new and it's incredible: the iMac 2021 looks like a huge iPad docked on a pedestal and has a maximum thickness, fixed for the entire shell, of just 11.5 millimeters. Se vi state chiedendo come sia riuscita Apple a inserire un computer ad alte prestazioni, con il quale si possono fare anche elaborazioni di audio, video e foto, la risposta è solo una: M1.
Nuovo iMac: il design
Il nuovo iMac è disponibile in sette colori (con tastiera, mouse e pad abbinati), ma la scocca del computer è tricolore: la cornice attorno allo schermo è sempre bianca, la parte frontale inferiore è di colore chiaro pastello e quella posteriore è di colore vivo, acceso e molto saturo.
Da qualunque parte lo si guardi, quindi, il nuovo iMac è anche bello e, come si suol dire, “arreda“. The power supply, however, is external and connects to the back of the iMac via a new two-meter-long magnetic cable that, on higher-end models, also conveys the wired Ethernet Internet connection (with the Ethernet jack coming from the router that plugs directly into the power supply).
The keyboard, starting with the middle configuration, integrates the fingerprint sensor and, as an option, can also have a numeric keypad. The basic keyboard, however, has neither keypad nor fingerprint sensor.
New iMac: the hardware
Apple has managed to fit so much power in just 11.5 millimeters because it has used, even for the iMac 2021, the new chip M1 made in house. This is a chip that integrates within it a CPU (8-core), a GPU (7 or 8 cores, depending on the model), RAM memory (8 or 16 GB, not expandable after the initial choice), the controller for the SSD disk and all the electronics needed for artificial intelligence calculations and processing of photos and videos.
All this in a single chip, highly efficient, low power consumption and is cooled on the new iMac by two small fans, which make very little noise.
The display is still in Retina technology, like the previous model, but the diagonal increases to 24 inches and the resolution rises to 4,480×2,520 pixels (ie 4.5K) and the displayable colors to over 1 billion. Thanks to True Tone technology, then, coupling the iMac an iPhone you can use the brightness sensors of the smartphone to automatically adjust the brightness and colors of the iMac display.
New also the camera, finally in Full HD, while the connection ports are two Thunderbolt on the base model and two Thunderbolt plus two USB 3 in the upper models. There is also an input for the audio jack, but it has been moved to the side on the left side of the frame for a very curious reason: the total thickness of the iMac is less than the length of the audio jack, which would not have entered all if it had been positioned at the rear.
New iMac: colors, prices, availability
Except for any additional customizations, the new iMac 2021 will initially go on sale in three variants: a base, an intermediate and a top of the line.
The base iMac has the SoC M1 with 7 GPU cores instead of 8 of the other two, 256 GB of storage, 8 GB of non-expandable RAM, only two Thunderbolt ports and the regular Magic Keyboard. It's available in blue, green, pink and silver and costs 1,499 euros in Italy.
The intermediate iMac has the M1 with 8-core GPU, adds the two USB 3 ports, Ethernet connection directly into the power supply, has the MagicKeyboard with Touch ID. It's available in blue, green, pink, silver, yellow, orange and purple and costs €1,719.
The top-of-the-line iMac differs from the intermediate only in 512 GB of storage. Available in the same colors, it is priced at 1,949 euros.
All models, in all colors and all variants will hit the market in the second half of May 2021 and will be pre-orderable from April 30. They will be on sale both on Apple's official store and on Amazon.