I could see tweaking colours. I think the same metallic finish of the pedestal and accessories on the back and chin would look better along with an Apple logo on the chin.
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Apple's M4 iMac: What to Expect
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That was always the obvious compromise people faced when buying all-in-ones. The display remains good but the computer no longer meets there needs. For some people that convenience or esthetic outweighed to longer term costs. That fine if you know that.
Perhaps make it thicker again for better cooling, better speakers, space for Ethernet port, space for more ports, no need for a chin, etc? It's not a tablet, and it's only been made worse by this crazy drive for thinness.
Apple is planning to refresh the 24-inch iMac as soon as 2024, so we could see a new model with an M4 chip before the end of the year. Apple is working to overhaul the entire Mac line with AI-focused M4 chips, iMac included.
This guide includes everything we know about Apple's plans for an M4 iMac.
M4 Chip
The next-generation 24-inch iMac is expected to get the M4 chip, which is the same chip that Apple used for the latest iPad Pro models. iMacs right now have the M3 chip, so the M4 will be a direct update.
The M4 is built on the same 3-nanometer technology as the M3, but it is a second-generation chip with some speed and efficiency improvements. In a Geekbench benchmark test, the M4 proved to be up to 25 percent faster than the M3 chip, which is a notable jump in performance.
The M3 had a single-core score of 3,087 and a multi-core score of 11,702, while the M4 had a single-core score of 3,695 and a multi-core score of 14,550.
Apple's M4 chip has a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, featuring six efficiency cores and four performance cores. There is a variant of the M4 with a 9-core CPU that Apple has used in the iPad Pro, but it is unlikely that this chip would be offered in the iMac.
Other Macs will get upgraded M4 Pro, M4 Max, and M4 Ultra chips, but the 24-inch iMac is an entry-level product on par with devices like the MacBook Air, so it will only be offered with the M4 chip.
Design
Apple last redesigned the iMac in 2021, and there are no signs that a new look is on the horizon. It's likely that the 2024 refresh of the iMac will focus on the internals rather than any outward-facing design changes.
The iMac is an all-in-one machine that combines a computer and a display. It measures in at just 11.5mm thick, and has a slim profile that fits easily on a desktop. It comes in a range of bright colors, with a matching chin in a pastel color.
So far, we don't know of any updates coming to the iMac except for the M4 chip.
Larger iMac?
There have been persistent rumors of a larger-screened iMac that has a display that's around 30 inches in size, but that device was still in the early stages of development in mid-2023, and there is no word on when a larger iMac might come out.
There is a possibility that we could see it sometime in 2025, but it won't be coming in 2024. Apple this year will stick to the 24-inch iMac, as it has done since discontinuing the 27-inch model in 2022.
Release Date
Back in April, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the 24-inch iMac would likely see an M4 chip update "around the end of the year." Apple sometimes holds events in October or November when new Macs are expected, so we could see the iMac around that timeframe.
Apple is also expected to update the MacBook Pro models and the Mac mini before the end of the year. The iMac was last updated in October 2023, so an October 2024 launch would come right at the year mark.
Article Link: Apple's M4 iMac: What to Expect
Someone said the new base iPad Pros actually have 12GB RAM inside them, but 4GB is disabled. Presumably because two 6GB sticks purchased at insane quantities cost less than sets of 2 x 4GB. Plus, AI needs all the RAM it can get, so I agree that we can expect the new iMacs to start with 12GB RAM.
Laptops are really compact AIO devices so most times you’re replacing it or disposing of it you’re also throwing away something that still works.
Perhaps the issue for Apple previously is that they couldn’t differentiate without knee capping their offerings? With the IPC of the M4 at 4.4 Ghz outstriipping even the highest clocked Intel offering and Apples cracking the ability for GPU performance to scale - could this lead to an resonably performance iMac?
For many applications - there is an optimal performance when there with 8 x CPU threads.
An M4 version of the M2 Pro (8 x Perf + 4 x Efficiency cores) should be all the compute that is needed for one App working flat out and the OS ticking away in the background.
+) macOS - thread concurrency for optimal performance
http://lucteo.ro/2019/10/28/how-man...ve 8 threads seems,is achieved with 8 threads
With the M4 having 4 x times that GPU performance of the M2 - the M4 Pro is going to be pretty zippy..
Ironically, for years people asked for the headless iMac, and they finally got it as the Mac mini, but by that time the writing was on the wall and desktops were declining while laptops were increasing in popularity. These days only about about 1/5th of all Macs sold are desktops. So, while it's unfortunate that Apple has crippled the iMac line, it's not entirely surprising. There just isn't that much call now for them.
Yup. I had predicted that Macs would go to 12 GB base in ~2025 so the revelation that the iPad Pro likely has 12 GB RAM further adds support to that prediction, as does the 18 GB in the Pros IMO. I mentioned elsewhere that I had considered replacing my wife’s 2017 MacBook Air with an inexpensive 2020 M1 MacBook Air but I decided to hold off for a 12 GB MacBook Air. I just hope that Apple brings it to the MacBook Air at the same time or shortly after they bring it to the MacBook Pro.
Holy hyperbole, batman! You know you can also buy a mac mini/studio/pro and whatever display your heart desires, yeah?
They can make more money selling a mini or studio with a studio display than they could with just a 27” iMac, which is why iMac has been downsized back to just the 24” model.
The 27” has been discontinued to push people to spend more on separate components.
The 27” has been discontinued to push people to spend more on separate components.
This is exactly my opinion. I have the M1 iMac and I think it's a great display, but there are times with work where I could really spread out a little more.
To me it's like the difference between (for a couple) a queen bed and a king: queen size is basically big enough, but you can't quite spread out the way you can with a king size.
that 15-20% improvement is on synthetic benchmarks that means 0.5% in real world use cases.
there is a reason why actually discerning ppl recommend the M1 Max as the best value purchase possible today.
if we actually saw 15-20% improvement over each generation, the m1 would no longer be recommended by anyone.
but it is, because unless you put 100% cpu and 100% gpu load on the chip, 99.999995% of people will never be able to tell the difference between a m1 machine and m4 machine doing 99.9999999% of workloads.
Poor M3, but glad they didn't drag things out longer. The M4's increased neural processing means there are amazing things in the pipeline! Let's hope-hope-hope that the next Apple Vision headset uses that processor!
I tried the dual-monitor setup, but kept reverting to a single screen. I'm more productive with a "deeper" interface instead of a larger landscape. I only look at one thing at a time, so Cmd-Tab with most apps being full-screen, works best for me.
The current iMac, like the current MacBook Airs, are not aimed at the “pro-sumer’ market. The fact that they can indeed still do a measure of pro level work is largely beside the point. Their general target customer usually isn’t much concerned with multiple connectivity of various peripherals.
Yes, being able to connect a USB device directly to an iMac or MacBook Air would be convenient, but fewer people in general are actually doing that given the increase in wireless connectivity. Lots of people, but certainly not all, now connect to their internet and their printers wirelessly—they like the tidiness of fewer cables and versatility of being able to connect and print directly from their mobile devices rather than having to hook up directly/physically. And note most laptops today have long lacked an ethernet port. If you’re taking pictures with an iPhone, or iPad, you can Airdrop directly to your Mac without a cable connection or an SD card. Some cameras also allow wireless connection to your computer without a cable hookup like years gone by.
It’s essentially an extension of why laptops and even desktops have all but eliminated optical drives—it’s not needed anymore. That said there remain some people devoted to CDs and DVDs and for them they can still connect an inexpensive external drive, but they are now such a minority that computer manufacturers are no longer much concerned with.
Speaking for myself I can’t really remember the last time I actually used a USB port on my old iMac for some common everyday task. I did use it a last time for transferring my Time Machine backup from my old 2011 to my new M3, but since then I haven’t used it and don’t foresee using it.
Candidly I don’t see some of the more vocal voices on MacRumors as truly representative of the general broader Apple customer base. They’re more a minority percentage of Apple’s customer base. And people in general tend to see their viewpoint as the “correct” one and everyone else is out to lunch.
I really like my iMac despite all the critics and naysayers around here. I know and understand why laptops are more popular even though I myself don’t like the laptop configuration.
The Mac Mini and Mac Studio exist for those who find the current iMac lacking. They answer the criticisms of lack of multiple port connectivity and being integrated to a “too small” display.
Probably wishing apple could give basic HDR screen on their AIO even in the starting basic 24' Imac.
Off topic-
Got an OLED tv attached to my MBA, mac os does not do proper HDR, even tried out many calibration profiles under the display section in the settings. Anybody know how to enjoy HDR videos such as YT in MAC os in a secondary screen.
Off topic-
Got an OLED tv attached to my MBA, mac os does not do proper HDR, even tried out many calibration profiles under the display section in the settings. Anybody know how to enjoy HDR videos such as YT in MAC os in a secondary screen.
I’m happy with my M3 iMac and will likely keep it for a decade.
I had an iMac long ago, a 27" Intel machine prior to SSDs, when that machine was at EOL I determined that I would never by another all in one desktop machine as it was a huge waste of a great display in the end.
I currently have a great M3 Pro MacBook Pro and want a desktop but am waiting for updated Minis or maybe a Studio. When that time comes I will likely splurge on a Studio display especially if they upgrade them relatively soon.
I love that I had to buy a M1 chip iMac (actually two of em) in the first part of 2023, but now they're ready to update it each time a new chip comes out.Thanks for skipping M2!
You're not missing much unless you're a gamer that needs Ray Tracing.
My two issues are
- Safari is a little too slow
- Private Relay compounds the browsing experience: sluggish
Last edited:
Yes, Private Relay is similar to a VPN. For those you are opting for more privacy but at the expense of connection speed. I’ve kept it turned off for that reason. Usually when you think the browser is being slow, its really your connection speed or the remote server.
Wait a second Y are we even expecting the iMac will be next to get the M4 anyway? Y not the Mac mini or MBA or MBP or even Mac Studio?
Apple is planning to refresh the 24-inch iMac as soon as 2024, so we could see a new model with an M4 chip before the end of the year. Apple is working to overhaul the entire Mac line with AI-focused M4 chips, iMac included.
This guide includes everything we know about Apple's plans for an M4 iMac.
M4 Chip
The next-generation 24-inch iMac is expected to get the M4 chip, which is the same chip that Apple used for the latest iPad Pro models. iMacs right now have the M3 chip, so the M4 will be a direct update.
The M4 is built on the same 3-nanometer technology as the M3, but it is a second-generation chip with some speed and efficiency improvements. In a Geekbench benchmark test, the M4 proved to be up to 25 percent faster than the M3 chip, which is a notable jump in performance.
The M3 had a single-core score of 3,087 and a multi-core score of 11,702, while the M4 had a single-core score of 3,695 and a multi-core score of 14,550.
Apple's M4 chip has a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, featuring six efficiency cores and four performance cores. There is a variant of the M4 with a 9-core CPU that Apple has used in the iPad Pro, but it is unlikely that this chip would be offered in the iMac.
Other Macs will get upgraded M4 Pro, M4 Max, and M4 Ultra chips, but the 24-inch iMac is an entry-level product on par with devices like the MacBook Air, so it will only be offered with the M4 chip.
Design
Apple last redesigned the iMac in 2021, and there are no signs that a new look is on the horizon. It's likely that the 2024 refresh of the iMac will focus on the internals rather than any outward-facing design changes.
The iMac is an all-in-one machine that combines a computer and a display. It measures in at just 11.5mm thick, and has a slim profile that fits easily on a desktop. It comes in a range of bright colors, with a matching chin in a pastel color.
So far, we don't know of any updates coming to the iMac except for the M4 chip.
Larger iMac?
There have been persistent rumors of a larger-screened iMac that has a display that's around 30 inches in size, but that device was still in the early stages of development in mid-2023, and there is no word on when a larger iMac might come out.
There is a possibility that we could see it sometime in 2025, but it won't be coming in 2024. Apple this year will stick to the 24-inch iMac, as it has done since discontinuing the 27-inch model in 2022.
Release Date
Back in April, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the 24-inch iMac would likely see an M4 chip update "around the end of the year." Apple sometimes holds events in October or November when new Macs are expected, so we could see the iMac around that timeframe.
Apple is also expected to update the MacBook Pro models and the Mac mini before the end of the year. The iMac was last updated in October 2023, so an October 2024 launch would come right at the year mark.
Article Link: Apple's M4 iMac: What to Expect