At yesterday’s keynote, to the surprise of many, Apple introduced new iMac. Some machines with a complete exterior redesign, with seven new colors and with a multitude of details inside. Some machines that Sold together with Intel 21.5 and 27-inch models. Let’s compare them.
Very clear differences with other invisible ones
It is clear that the first difference between these two computers is in design. This is a very personal comparison that we will not touch on in this article. That being said, the first and foremost difference between these iMacs is in the processor. The new computers enjoy M1 chips and leave Intel behind.
A change that improves performance, energy consumption, speed and even security, as the new keyboards offer us Touch ID to identify ourselves. Other differences are found in screen resolutions and connectivity.
In this comparison we will add the 27-inch iMac from 2020. We add it as a frame of referencesince a direct comparison makes little sense. Let us also bear in mind that in iMac with Intel the processor is of the desktop range, a detail that we should not overlook.
Specifications and more specifications
|
iMac 24 “2021 (2 ports) |
iMac 24 “2021 (4 ports) |
iMac 21.5 “2019 (4K retina) |
iMac 27″ 2020 (5K retina) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Processor |
8-core M1 and 16-core Neural Engine |
8-core M1 and 16-core Neural Engine |
Intel 8th generation 3.6Hz Quad Core Core i3 with Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz 3.0Hz 6-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz 3.2Hz 6-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 4.6GHz |
10th Gen Intel Core i5 de 6 núcleos a 3,1 GHz con Turbo Boost hasta 4,5 GHz, Core i5 de 6 núcleos a 3,3 GHz con Turbo Boost hasta 4,8 GHz, Core i7 de 8 núcleos a 3,8 GHz con Turbo Boost hasta 5,0 GHz, Core i9 de 10 núcleos a 3,6 GHz con Turbo Boost hasta 5,0 GHz |
|
GPU |
7-core M1 |
8-core M1 |
Radeon Pro 555X with 2GB GDDR5 memory Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4GB |
Radeon Pro 5300 with 4GB GDDR6 memory Radeon Pro 5700 XT con 16GB |
|
RAM |
8GB of unified memory 16GB of unified memory |
8GB of unified memory 16GB of unified memory |
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB |
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB 64 GB 128 GB |
|
Storage |
SSD de 256 GB SSD de 512 GB 1 TB SSD |
SSD de 256 GB SSD de 512 GB 1 TB SSD 2 TB SSD |
SSD de 256 GB Fusion Drive de 1TB |
SSD de 256 GB SSD de 512 GB 1 TB SSD 2 TB SSD 4 TB SSD 8 TB SSD |
|
IMAC 24 “2021 (2 PORTS) |
IMAC 24 “2021 (4 PORTS) |
IMAC 21.5 “2019 (4K RETINA) |
IMAC 27″ 2020 (5K RETINA) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Screen |
24-inch Retina 4.5K 4,480-by-2,520 resolution at 218 pixels per inch with support for 1 billion colors Brightness of 500 nights Wide color gamut (P3) True Tone Technology |
24-inch Retina 4.5K 4,480-by-2,520 resolution at 218 pixels per inch with support for 1 billion colors Brightness of 500 nights Wide color gamut (P3) True Tone Technology |
21.5-inch LED-backlit display 4,096 x 2,304 pixels 4K Retina Display Brightness of 500 nights Wide color gamut (P3) |
27-inch LED-backlit display 5,120 x 2,880 pixels Configurable with nanotextured glass Retina 5K display Brightness of 500 nights Wide color gamut (P3) True Tone Technology |
|
Connectivity |
Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.0 Ethernet Gigabit (opcional) 2x USB 4 / Thunderbolt 3 3.5mm headphone jack |
Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.0 Ethernet Gigabit 2x USB 4 / Thunderbolt 3 2 USB 3.1 Gen 2 3.5mm headphone jack |
Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth 4.2 Ethernet Gigabit 4x USB-A 2x Thunderbolt 3 SDXC card slot 3.5mm headphone jack |
Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth 5.0 Ethernet 10 Gb (opcional) 4x USB-A 2x Thunderbolt 3 SDXC card slot 3.5mm headphone jack |
|
Cameras |
1080p FaceTime HD camera with M1 chip image signal processor |
1080p FaceTime HD camera with M1 chip image signal processor |
FaceTime HD camera |
Cámara FaceTime HD a 1080p |
|
Sound |
Six-speaker hi-fi system with force-canceling woofers Wide stereo sound Spatial audio support when playing video with Dolby Atmos Studio-quality three-microphone array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming technology |
Six-speaker hi-fi system with force-canceling woofers Wide stereo sound Spatial audio support when playing video with Dolby Atmos Studio-quality three-microphone array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming technology |
Stereo speakers Microphone |
Stereo speakers Studio-quality set of three microphones |
|
External displays |
An external monitor with a resolution of up to 6K at 60 Hz Thunderbolt 3 digital video output Native DisplayPort output via USB-C VGA, HDMI, DVI and Thunderbolt 2 outputs via adapters (sold separately) |
An external monitor with a resolution of up to 6K at 60 Hz Thunderbolt 3 digital video output Native DisplayPort output via USB-C VGA, HDMI, DVI and Thunderbolt 2 outputs via adapters (sold separately) |
A 5K monitor at 60 Hz or two 4K screens at 60 Hz |
Up to two 6K 60Hz, one 5K 60Hz, or two 4K 60Hz displays |
|
Extras |
“Hey Siri” support Compatible con un Magic Keyboard con Touch ID (No incluido) |
“Hey Siri” support Compatible con un Magic Keyboard con Touch ID ( incluido) |
“Hey Siri” support |
|
|
Price |
From 1449 euros |
From 1669 euros |
Discontinued |
From 1999 euros |
It is clear that the renewal of these iMac goes far beyond the design of these new computers. Thanks to the new architecture and the M1 chip we are facing spectacular and spectacularly thin computers. A luxury for those who see it and for those who use it.