Apple Announced the 24-Inch iMac Three Years Ago Today

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.

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

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...

Top Rated Comments

Nermal Avatar
8 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)
Optheduim Avatar
8 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
8 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)
joecomo Avatar
8 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)
Dan From Canada Avatar
8 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)
AlexJaye Avatar
8 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)