Apple updates the iMac with new colors and an M4 chip

Apple is updating the iMac with an M4 chip. The new iMac, announced this morning, includes an M4 chip with an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU. The entry-level model costs $1,299 with two Thunderbolt USB-C 4 ports, while the higher-end models start at $1,499 and have four ports.

It’s also bundled with accessories that now use USB-C charging ports instead of Lightning. Like the prior model, the new iMac has a 24-inch, 4.5K display. However, Apple is offering a new “nano-texture glass option” for $200 extra, which is supposed to help reduce reflections and glare.

Additionally, the iMac’s base RAM has been doubled to 16GB over the prior model, with the ability to configure the higher-end option with up to 32GB. Apple’s new iMac comes with a 12MP webcam, along with new Apple Intelligence features that are starting to roll out today, such as AI-powered writing and editing features and a redesigned Siri. The more expensive model also supports up to two external 6K displays at 60Hz (or one external 8K display at 60Hz).

The updated iMac is available to preorder today, with availability starting on November 8th. It’s available in seven colors: green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. There notably isn’t a larger model available, as Apple previously confirmed it had no plans to replace the now-discontinued 27-inch model powered by Intel.

The new desktop computer from Apple arrives just about a year after the announcement of an M3-powered iMac. The M3 chip was the primary change with that computer; otherwise, it looked just like the M1 iMac from 2021, which arrived with a major redesign. Apple said the M3 model was more than two times faster than the M1 version.

Apple first announced the M4 chip alongside new iPad Pros in May, but the chip hadn’t made the leap to the Mac lineup until now. The M4 chip in the iPad Pro is built with what Apple calls “second-generation” 3nm technology, and the company says the chip has a CPU with up to 10 cores and a 10-core GPU.

The new M4 iMac follows a surprise announcement earlier this month of a new iPad Mini, which was last revised in 2021.

Update, October 28th: Added external display options.

Update, October 29th: Apple originally stated the iMac supported an 8K external monitor at 120Hz; it now says 60Hz.