Oh, sure—a purple iPhone is cool and all. But how about a whole new rainbow army of iMacs? The just-unveiled 2021 iMacs stole the show among Apple’s multiple announcements on April 20, which also included updates to its iPad Pro tablet, its Apple TV streaming device, and much more. With a perky, fresh array of color options and one giant internal-component update, there’s a lot to look forward to in the latest iteration of Apple’s classic, beloved all-in-one desktop.
In order to show exactly what’s new in the 2021 model, we’re comparing it with the 2020 27-Inch iMac across categories such as size, feature set, and components. (The 21.5-inch model will continue to be sold, at least for now, but its placement has been deprecated on Apple’s site.) Find out if it’s worth upgrading when the new iMacs launch in May starting at $1,299.
A Splash of Color: The iMac Rainbow
You don’t need to look any further than Apple’s announcement photos to see that the physical design is the most obvious change with these new iMacs. In addition to a slim and striking barely-there silhouette, the 2021 models will come in an array of colors way beyond just the standard silver.
This harkens back to the old, squat CRT-based iMac design with its translucent tinted-plastic cases, but it definitively modernizes the look. You can choose among green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and, if you want to stick with the old reliable, silver. This is reflective of Apple’s usual offerings with its iPhones, which come in several colors (now including purple) each year. To complete the look, Apple will be offering color-matched accessories. Also, the power cable is now a woven six-foot-long cord that connects magnetically.
It’s not just the colors, though, but a super-slim design that’s merely 0.45 inch thick, wafer-thin from the side. Nobody would have described the previous models as thick, but this is a whole other level of slim, largely enabled by the new M1 chip onboard. (More on that below.) The new iMac’s volume has been reduced by 50%, total, versus the previous.
The display features several changes to discuss as part of the new design, so let’s see what’s different there.
Display Changes: For Starters, a Whole New Size
The new iMac features a 24.5-inch display, which puts it in between the sizes of the last two models, and we’re comparing the new system with the chassis of the 27-inch 2020 iMac here as the closest point of comparison in terms of features. The new, smaller screen boasts a 4.5K Retina display (4,480 by 2,520 pixels), in contrast to the 2020 model’s 5K Retina display (5,120 by 2,880 pixels). Both have peak brightness ratings of 500 nits, so things are pretty equal here, as far as the display technology is concerned.
Crucial to the look, and for fitting a bigger screen into a smaller chassis, the bezels are thinner than before. The iMacs of the past have maintained relatively thick, bold black borders, and not only will the 2021 iMac’s bezels be thinner, but they’re white on every color option. This is a stylish new look, and it minimizes their visual presence further.
One key upgrade is not exactly part of the screen, but it’s located right on the top bezel: a 1080p webcam, with a larger sensor and FaceTime support. The 2020 iMac does have a 1080p webcam, as well, but the 2021 model’s cam supposedly delivers much superior picture quality, which is important in our quarantined world of day-in, day-out video calls. A built-in software suite will work to improve picture quality in concert with the Apple M1 chip…which leads us to the next crucial difference.
Core Components: Bringing Apple’s M1 to the iMac
After Apple launched its first homegrown desktop and laptop CPU, the M1 chip, in MacBooks and the Mac mini last year, it was a matter of time before it arrived in the next iMacs. That time has come: The 2021 24-inch iMac will boast the whip-fast ARM-based processor. In addition to the greater speed, it produces less heat and requires less cooling than the Intel solutions used in the past, which is part of how this model’s chassis could be designed so thin. Two small fans have replaced the bulkier thermal system of the previous iMac. (See my colleague Tom Brant’s ruminations on how the M1 may and may not benefit the iMac.)
That improved speed is really the draw, though, as we saw when we tested the previous M1-based Mac machines. Apple says to expect up to an 85% increase in CPU speeds.
The 2020 iMac we reviewed featured a very capable desktop-grade Intel Core i9 processor, so it was certainly no slouch. But the made-for-Mac M1 adds efficiencies (like the interaction with the camera software) and features not otherwise possible. That said, there are some complications around the M1 processor, chiefly that unlocking its full potential requires an M1-native version of the application you’re using.
Many non-native applications will still work just fine via emulation, but they don’t unlock the newly found speed that way. That’s not a problem with the previous Intel chip, though many major applications already have or are working toward compatible versions since the launch of the M1 MacBooks.
The system-on-a-chip layout of the M1 means that it includes graphics acceleration, too, so you can expect boosted GPU power. Apple claims the GPU performance will be potentially 50% to 200% improved over Intel’s integrated graphics, depending on the app. That would be quite a jump, but we’ll put that to the test ourselves once we get our hands on the new iMac. The 2020 iMac configuration we reviewed did include discrete AMD graphics (the Radeon Pro 5700 XT, to be specific), so that would be much, much tougher to improve on than integrated graphics.
Ports and Peripherals: USB-C and Touch ID
Last but not least, we come to the ports and connectivity. There’s a bit of a split in the port offerings between different models of the 2021 iMac. The base model includes two USB Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support, and the step-up $1,499 model adds two additional USB-C ports (these two with no Thunderbolt support), along with an Ethernet-capable power adapter. Unlike recent iPhones, there is a headphone jack on this slim system, but the chassis is, ahem, too thin to put it on the back, so it’s located on the left-hand side of the display.
The 2020 iMac, in contrast, includes two USB-C ports and four traditional USB Type-A ports, an Ethernet jack, and an SD card slot, so there are some connectivity concessions for the new slim model. Apple is probably hoping it’s worth it, and that users have continued to shift toward USB-C peripherals. (A dock is always an option.) The headphone jack on the older model was located around back with the rest of the connections.
Related to the physical ports are the available accessories. As mentioned, Apple will offer color-matched wireless mice and keyboards for the 2021 iMac, an appealing aesthetic addition. The keyboard brings a new feature that the previous iMac peripherals lacked, though, with the inclusion of a Touch ID sensor. iPhone users who rely on this function will love that inclusion for easy sign-ins and security.
The 2020 and 2021 iMacs have their share of core similarities, and the display technology is perhaps the most similar aspect between them. But there are many internal and external changes on the newer model. We look forward to putting the M1 chip to the test in its biggest chassis yet when the 2021 iMac becomes available for review soon.
