Apple Launches New Cheaper 21.5-Inch iMac Starting at $1,099

While rumors last week indicated that Apple would be launching minor updates to its iMac line, Apple today unveiled a new lower-cost 21.5-inch iMac starting at $1,099. Previously, the entry level iMac started at $1299.

cheaper_imac_2014_2
The new entry-level 21.5-inch iMac comes with a 1.4GHz dual-core Intel i5 processor, a 500GB hard drive, 8GB of memory, and an Intel HD 5000 Graphics chip for $1,099. Customers can also choose to include a 1TB hard drive, a 1TB Fusion Drive, or 256GB of flash storage on build to order options. All of Apple's other 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs are still available as well.

KGI Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted last year and earlier this year that Apple would be launching a lower-cost iMac in 2014 to bolster sales in critical foreign markets.

Apple is also rumored to be working on Retina Display-equipped iMacs, as recent evidence in the OS X Yosemite developer preview suggested such models were in the works. While there is no specific release date for a Retina iMac, Apple could launch the new desktop computer later this year.

Apple's new entry-level iMac is available today through Apple's various retail locations and online store, and shows an availability of "within 24 hours."

Update 5:41 AM: Apple has issued a press release announcing the lower-cost iMac.

Related Roundup: iMac
Buyer's Guide: iMac (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iMac

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

tomhumphrey Avatar
137 months ago
The fact that none of the iMacs come standard with a SSD at this point is shocking. I would never buy or use a computer without one now.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
137 months ago
1.4 GHz in a desktop computer at this price?

Surely that's a typo...

Just checked Apple's store and it says the same thing.

1.4 GHz for $1099 or 2.7 GHz for $1299. They're the same line of CPU, so it's an apples to apples comparison. For an 18% increase in price, you double the CPU and the storage capacity. The GPU also changes, but it changes lines entirely so there's no easy way to say how much better one is than the other.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BJonson Avatar
137 months ago
For that price you could get a 11" macbook air and a monitor and get a PCIe SSD for free and have the portability if you need it. This new option makes no sense at all.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thekeyring Avatar
137 months ago
When will Apple release touchscreen iMacs?

Never.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reason077 Avatar
137 months ago
To me it doesn't seem all that "low-cost" at $1099.

$999 would have been the price point to go for, but I guess it'll be available for that after retailer/educational discounts.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Naimfan Avatar
137 months ago
Slow, overpriced, and dumb

I'm very surprised - this strikes me as nothing short of a terrible move. A dual core ULV iMac that is still on the wrong side of $1000?

Absurd.

And far too expensive for what it is.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)