Apple iMac 2024: Top features to know before buying it

The iMac 2024 arrived on Monday as likely the first of the many announcements Apple said it has planned for the Diwali week. The iMac 2024 has got a chip bump, among other minor upgrades that Apple said will offer a better desktop experience. Apple has also thrown new colours into the mix. The new iMac starts at Rs 1,34,900 and is now up for pre-order. Before customers start buying it online and offline when the sale officially begins on November 8, here are the top features of iMac 2024 they should know about.

M4 chip

Introduced on the iPad Pro earlier this year, the M4 has made its way to Macs. The iMac is the first to feature the M4 chip, which the company claims offers up to 1.7x faster performance in apps like Microsoft Excel, and up to 1.5x faster browsing performance in Safari compared to iMac with M1. Gamers can see a significant jump of 2x in frame rates in games compared to the M1-powered iMac. Apple says the M4-powered iMac offers up to 2.1x faster photo and video editing performance when applying complex filters and effects in apps like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro compared to iMac with M1.

Bumped-up storage

The entry-level iMac now has 16GB of unified memory compared to 8GB available in previous counterparts. The support for Apple Intelligence on the iMac 2024 could partly be the reason behind the bumped-up storage. The base configuration features an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU with 256GB of storage, but configurable up to 24GB of unified memory and 512GB of SSD storage.

Thunderbolt 4

The M4 chip in the iMac enables support for Thunderbolt 4 technology on all four USB-C ports, allowing users to connect more additional accessories, including up to two 6K external displays. The previous generation supported just one 6K external display.

Nano-texture

Besides the regular model, the M4-powered iMac also comes in a nano-texture display option. Apple claims this optional design upgrade “drastically reduces reflections and glare, while maintaining outstanding image quality.”

Upgraded camera

Apple has equipped the iMac with a new 12MP Center Stage camera that supports Desk View, which uses the wide-angle lens to simultaneously show the user and a top-down view of their desk.