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In brief: Apple has opened pre-orders for the 2024 iMac, kicking off the first of several Mac computers to sport the M4 SoC. Customers can expect modest performance improvements compared to the M3 iMac, but the company has positioned Apple Intelligence to be the iMac's primary selling point.
The new iMac is the first desktop computer to sport Apple's M4 processor, having launched the M4 iPad Pro in May. It marks the first of multiple Mac machines the company will introduce this week. It roughly doubles the performance of the M1 iMac, but the hardware enhancements are relatively minor compared to last year's M3 edition. Cupertino is playing up Apple Intelligence as the star of the M4 iMac show and its answer to the generative AI race.
Like the previous Apple Silicon iMacs, the new variant comes in builds with two or four extension ports that support Thunderbolt and USB 4. The two-port M4 iMac's technical specs closely resemble the four-port M3 model, with up to 24GB of RAM, a 16-core neural engine, and an eight-core CPU. Following recent complaints concerning insufficient RAM in Macs, Apple no longer offers an 8GB variant.
Meanwhile, the four-port M4 iMac is configurable with up to 32GB of RAM and features a 10-core CPU with two additional efficiency cores. All four of its ports support Thunderbolt 4, allowing users to connect up to two external 6K displays.
Both M4 iMac configurations have a 12-megapixel front camera that supports Apple's Center Stage and Desk View functions, something the M3 iMac lacked. However, the 24-inch 4.5K retina display remains unchanged from previous models. Apple hasn't announced plans to resurrect the 27-inch monitor last seen on the final Intel iMac four years ago.
The Cupertino giant claims the M4 handles daily productivity tasks like spreadsheets 1.7 times faster than the M1, while image editing and gaming workloads run up to 2.1 times faster. Apple will reveal two more Mac products this week that should see similar hardware boosts from the M4. Previous rumors indicated the MacBook Pro and the Mac mini are getting m4 upgrades. Meanwhile, M4 variants of the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro are expected to emerge in 2025.
Apple rolled out the M4 SoC with a speedy turnaround from its predecessor, likely in response to the intensifying race to release processors capable of running generative AI applications locally. The M4's 38 TOPs neural performance closely competes with Intel Core Ultra 200 and AMD Ryzen AI 300 chips.
Beginning today, customers can pre-order M4 iMacs starting at $1,299. Orders ship on November 8.