M1 iMac Configurations and Pricing Breakdown

[Maconplasma]

Those SSD upgrade prices are insulting. I will not buy an Apple computer until they are more fair.

Guess you'll never be buying an Apple computer in the future because FAIR-PRICING isn't a term that connects with Apple. With Apple you're not buying for bargain your buying for quality you won't find better in the same category in the Windows world.

 

[riptidewahoo]

Wish I had desk space for one of these. Currently using a 17" gaming laptop + 27" monitor... sigh

 

[iReality85]

Yeah, considering you can buy a 512GB SSD for $100 these days, $200 for the upgrade from 256-512 really hurts.

Also, if you want to avoid swap files (too many writes for the SSD), 16GB is a must. The top end model should have offered that by default.

At least they ditched the spinning drive finally.

Yeah, I find the SSD capacity and the amount of USB/TB ports to be paltry.

Having just two ports on the entry level desktop machine is borderline insulting at $1299.

As for the SSD upgrades, buyers at this entry level would be better off buying a 512 USB drive for $70-100, and many of the USB 3.2 thumb drive options out there are simply SSDs mounted to the USB interface. They’re really fast.

 

[neilw]

No extended keyboard option, I take it?

It's not included in the article, but the option is there: +$30 to get the extended keyboard. That's a no-brainer for me, although to be honest my 14-year-old wired keyboard is still working great.

 

[cknibbs]

The colors on the backs of the iMac are gorgeous. The white bezel and the watered down color on the chin/stand are so ugly. I would have like to see the vibrant colors across the whole unit, and black bezels. The chin really does need the Apple logo IMHO. Ideally the chin would just be gone.

 

[matrix07]

I like how angry these make people.

That usually means it’s going to be a good product

Steve’s products used to make people throw lamps and kick their dog. The products turned out great. The angrier people get on release, the better the product.

I still remember the outrage the original AirPods got lol.

 

[Otamin]

The chin is needed.

• Behind it are the main processors and cooling system. Putting a screen on top of that would just make it too thick.
• Also look at the new magnetic power plug, the length is so long that a screen would not fit on the other side. In the animation it looks like being about 75% of the thickness of the iMac.
• It would be either a chin or a higher stand, too avoid needing to look down much. A higher stand would get criticism too. IMO this is the best solution.

I personally have no issues with the chin whatsoever, I just think the design looks unfinished without an Apple logo on it.

 

[justperry]

Prices seem quite good for what you are getting. I suspect Apple are going to move away from displaying specs and frankly most people will be able to just buy the iMac in the colour they want and it'll run all their software (including rather demanding tasks) without even worrying about how much RAM and the like they have.

Except when you live in Brasil... ...amongst other places.

Prices in Brazil:

• $3,160 - Apple M1 chip with 8-Core CPU and 7-Core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, and Magic Keyboard.
• $3,608 - Apple M1 chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports and two USB 3 ports, gigabit ethernet, and Magic Keyboard with Touch ID.
• $4,057 - Apple M1 chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports and two USB 3 ports, gigabit ethernet, and Magic Keyboard with Touch ID.

Build-to-order options are not yet available. But, based on the other Mac models, I would say it would be in the following ballpark:

• additional 8 GB RAM: $449
• additional 256 GB SSD (for the 256 GB model): $449
• additional 512 GB SSD (for the 512 GB model): $499
• additional 1.5 TB SSD (for the 512 GB model): $1,346

Prices are converted to US Dollars based on today's exchange rate.

Pretty much out of my budget, especially considering that I would only get 8 GB of RAM for the base price. I guess I would have to stick with a custom-made PC for at least some years.

 

[farkleboy]

Well, there you go. Was waiting for this announcement to make the final call on what to replace my 2009 imac with, and as I thought it will be a mid range mac mini M1. I like the oversized ipad pro look, but the prices just don't make sense. And that many pixels in a 24" screen is overkill.

 

[Martyimac]

You can disagree, but you're still wrong and you're spreading misinformation to potential buyers.

Says the poster that hasn't posted anything other than personal opinion.

 

[justperry]

This is only for the 'base' mac that does not have a physical Ethernet port in the power brick, apple assume causal buyers that go for the entry level system will not need physical network connectionin the power brick so they will try to nikel and dime to save a few bucks..







AGREE. Price gouging like this DISGUSTS me the most about bean counter tim cooks reign at apple!
big drop in share price matches the markets lack of enthusiasm for the new products

$200 for an extra 8gb RAM? is this 2021 or 2011?
If you don't upgrade to the virtually compulsory 16gb you will just end up with the limited 8gb which will be constantly paging out to the SSD , the performance drop might not be noticeable to the average consumer but it will will eventually cause the SSD to prematurely fail due to excessive read/writes.

The Joke $200 'tax' to add an extra 256gb storage isnt a huge deal breaker by apple standards because you can use an external drive or NAS but you cannot work around the RAM limitations.

If the base M1 model was a direct replacement of the ancient intel 1080p model retailing for the same $1099 i wouldn't have an issue with the decontented specs but $1299 for 256gb and 8gb in 2021 is robbery.

What justifies the $300 premium for the imac over the 8gb 256gb M1 macbook air? tim targeting unrealistically high margins? yes it has bigger screen but the air has expensive batteries so the production cost between the two must end up being near identical.
Either the macbook air is amazing value for money or the imac is mac pro wheels level of overpriced ..

The iMac/an aluminium milled casing cost quite a lot more than most people here might think it costs.

 

[satchmo]

I think the chin may be there for the system board, cooling and to compensate the height of the computer, so it doesn't sit too low on there desk; raising the stand wouldn't work as it will make it unstable.

The whole design is a compromise.
As everyone has noted, the guts could have been placed behind and thus eliminating the chin entirely. A thicker iMac wouldn’t impede on anything functionally either.

The chin does raise the display, but why not make it height adjustable? Because they can’t justify putting it into an iMac when the that feature exists on the $1000 XDR stand. They priced themselves out.

Frankly, I think branding and marketing also play a part here. The chin has almost become an iconic feature of the iMac. People instantly recognize it from a distance. Not saying I like it, but it’s like the notch on the iPhone. Or white AirPods and white earphones before that. You know it’s an Apple product from a far.

 

[phillytim]

Those SSD upgrade prices are insulting. I will not buy an Apple computer until they are more fair.

You'll be waiting a longggggg time; trust me. *sigh*

 

[Maconplasma]

How is MR getting access to these upgrade prices? Currently the Apple Store has all the iMacs greyed out so you can't see the upgrade pricing.

 

[skaertus]

Guess you'll never be buying an Apple computer in the future because FAIR-PRICING isn't a term that connects with Apple. With Apple you're not buying for bargain your buying for quality you won't find better in the same category in the Windows world.

Well, this is all relative.

"Better" is relative, and so is "same category".

If you consider all-in-one PCs, you will not be able to find something better for this price or for any price. You have the Microsoft Surface Studio and the Dell XPS 27 AIO, but I guess the iMac beats them all.

Now, for the price of a maxed-out iMac, you may build a custom PC that is better in many aspects. It may not have a faster processor, but it will have far more RAM, storage, perhaps a better video card, a mechanical keyboard, and a monitor that suits you, which can have a larger size, a higher resolution, a higher refresh rate, or other features. It will have different features, some of which are better than the ones found in an iMac.

Price and category go together. If you raise too much of the price, you go to the next higher-end category. It is tricky.

If you are a reasonable person who does not buy into Apple's marketing, you will be able to weigh pros and cons and have an informed buy based on the balance of price and quality.

If you just want the lowest price possible, regardless of quality, then Apple is not even a contender.

If you are a stupid dummy who just wants a colorful and thin computer that looks great in your living room, then Apple is the only contender and ready to rip you off.

 

[TakeshimaIslands]

LOL. Have you been in a coma for the last 30 years?

So you are saying apple products have been overpriced for 3 decades?
meme pricing his only a recent phenomenon under tim cook and his obsession with higher margins.

Most products released under Steve Jobs was reasonably priced and justified the premium if you compared them to the competition.

current M1 macbook air starting from 999 is amazing value for money
same with the mac mini, ipads etc but 1299 starting price for the imac is overpriced and does not justify its overinflated price in any way

 

[neilw]

4.5k on a 24” screen is wasteful, and that’s the bulk of cost of the machine.

As others have mentioned, that's appropriate for a retina screen. Was 4K resolution wasteful on the old 21"? Is 5K resolution wasteful on the 27"?

For me this is a perfect size and resolution, and I couldn't buy a separate monitor with these specs even if I wanted to.

You’re essentially paying for a $600 Mac mini integrated into a $900 24” LCD display.

Not "essentially", that's exactly what this is, with the added bonus of a good audio system, webcam, and appearance that is either a plus or minus depending on your preferences.

 

[velocityg4]

But but but, the chin the chin the chin the bra, the trashcan, the cheesegrater, blah blah blah. it's a good looking computer, you babies have been negative like this since the iPod dropped (&before).

"um no ____ &____? "no thanks""

It's not a good looking computer. While I may have disagreed with some design choices due to upgradeability. Some may have been amusing to poke fun at because of what they resemble. I never thought they looked bad.

This is probably the first Mac I've found repulsive. It's just awful from the stand, to (front) color choices, the hinge and the blank chin. The only design aspect I like are the back colors. The only Mac which is comparably bad looking is the Macintosh TV. Even then. It's a tossup.

 

[Mr.Blacky]

Is there any reason to get anything but the base model? 🤔

 

[jlocker]

Still think a 2020 MacBook Pro 16 with an Intel i9 is a better value for performance, graphics and memory and storage options. Don't forget to get AppleCare with the iMac you are going to needed it. No more running diagnostics finding a bad memory chip or storage drive and replacing it yourself. Still like the idea of a separate main monitor from the CPU.

 

[Remy149]

Nope. Every other mid to high end computer has standard 16gb of ram. If they pull this garbage with the next gen of M1 Macbooks, I am done.

To Apple's credit, enough people will probably order this computer just for the colors. Back in "the day" it was super expensive to get a 24" display in 4k. That was huge toward the value factor of a Mac. Now I can get good 4K display on sale for $200-$400 and pair it to a machine with decent specs.

M1 might not need as much ram as an intel machine

 

[falainber]

It's not included in the article, but the option is there: +$30 to get the extended keyboard. That's a no-brainer for me, although to be honest my 14-year-old wired keyboard is still working great.

Hurry up. I suspect Apple may start charging by the key for keyboard upgrades soon.

 

[Maconplasma]

This iMac makes no sense.

4.5k on a 24” screen is wasteful, and that’s the bulk of cost of the machine. You’re essentially paying for a $600 Mac mini integrated into a $900 24” LCD display.

they missed the chance of giving the iMac an entry level price point of $999 with still a good display. You just don’t need these many pixels in such a tiny display.

LMAO tell that to the people who seem to feel an iPhone needs an 8K display which makes zero sense.

 

[99chickens]

Bummer! I was hoping for at least 32 GB RAM upgrade option available! 😕

Why? You've used an M1 iMac and personally experienced a bottleneck using 16GB?

 

[neilw]

So you are saying apple products have been overpriced for 3 decades?
meme pricing his only a recent phenomenon under tim cook and his obsession with higher margins.

Apple's Flash prices specifically have been exotically high since forever. Some industry wag once characterized Apple's entire business as a vehicle to sell Flash at high markups.

When I can buy a good name-brand 2 TB SSD for $200, and Apple charges $800 to upgrade from 256 GB to 2 TB, that is pretty severe, and will probably keep me (again) with a 1 TB machine. The nice thing is you can add an external storage via USB-C or Thunderbolt and it will be blazing fast.