Apple Announced the 24-Inch iMac Three Years Ago Today - MacRumors
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Apple Announced the 24-Inch iMac Three Years Ago Today

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Today marks the three-year anniversary of Apple's announcement of the 24-inch iMac, a transformative redesign featuring the first integration of Apple silicon in the product line.

iMac 24 Apple Newsroom Gray bg
Apple unveiled the new 24-inch ‌iMac‌ on April 20, 2021, almost nine years after the previous ‌iMac‌ redesign debuted. It replaced both the 21.5-inch and the 27-inch Intel iMacs, and represented a recommitment to the long-standing desktop product line.

The highly anticipated redesign offers a much thinner and more compact body compared to its predecessors, available in an array of vibrant colors reminiscent of the original iMacs released in the late 1990s. The 24-inch 4.5K Retina display boasts 11.3 million pixels and support for 1 billion colors.

The new model was not only notable for its updated design but also as the inaugural ‌iMac‌ to incorporate Apple silicon, one of the last Macs to make the transition away from Intel. Apple claimed that the M1 chip delivered up to 85% faster CPU performance and up to two-times faster GPU performance compared to the previous 21.5-inch ‌iMac‌ models. The new ‌iMac‌ also offered a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, studio-quality microphones, and a six-speaker sound system, as well as a color-matched Magic Keyboard with Touch ID.

Apple refreshed the 24-inch ‌iMac‌ with the M3 chip, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3 in November 2023. Rumors suggest that a larger-screened ‌iMac‌ that could be positioned as an ‌iMac‌ Pro will launch in 2025. In June 2023, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the high-end ‌iMac‌ was a year or two away from launching as work on the device was still in the early stages.

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Top Rated Comments

Nermal Avatar
Nermal
25 months ago

represented a recommitment to the long-standing desktop product line
And then they let it languish for 2.5 years.
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
O
Optheduim
25 months ago
Meh. I still dont like the pastel colors in the front. I’d rather the darker color be the entire machine.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Justin Cymbal Avatar
Justin Cymbal
25 months ago
I bought this iMac (in blue) to replace my 27” retina iMac (that I purchased back in 2014) My 27” iMac was the first 5K iMac that Apple ever came out with and at the time, it was $2499 - I used my 27” iMac pretty much every day for 7 years

I love using my 24” M1 iMac - the microphone array works phenomenal for phone calls, etc. and the ability to be able to AirPlay content from my iPhone or iPad is a great feature to have as well

I hope that Apple eventually re-introduces the 27” (or larger) iMac 🖥️ (with the M series processor) as many Apple fans would love to have a much bigger screen than 24”
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D
Dan From Canada
25 months ago

And removed any desire I had to update my old (but still working) 27” iMac. But I’m glad they did, as it ended my “must replace with another Mac” mindset I had.
After years of having a whole Apple ecosystem at our place I am seriously thinking of going back to a Windows machine because I can get more power for less money.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joecomo Avatar
joecomo
25 months ago
lets hope the new iMacPro will be usable as a monitor as well - unlike my 2014 retina iMac 27.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlexJaye Avatar
AlexJaye
25 months ago
And removed any desire I had to update my old (but still working) 27” iMac. But I’m glad they did, as it ended my “must replace with another Mac” mindset I had.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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