
Apple's M4 iMac: What to expect
Apple plans to update the 24-inch iMac as early as 2024, so we could see a new model with the M4 chip before the end of the year. Apple is working to overhaul the entire Mac line with AI-focused M4 chips, including the iMac.
This guide contains everything we know about Apple's plans for an M4 iMac.
M4 Chip
The next-generation 24-inch iMac is expected to get the M4 chip, the same chip Apple used for the latest model. iPad Pro models. iMacs currently have the M3 chip, so the M4 will be a direct update.
The M4 is based on the same 3-nanometer technology as the M3, but is a second-generation chip with some speed and efficiency improvements. Geekbench benchmark testThe M4 proved to be up to 25 percent faster than the M3 chip, which represents a remarkable leap in performance.
The M3 had a single-core score of 3,087 and a multi-core score of 11,702, while the M4 had a single-core score of 3,695 and a multi-core score of 14,550.
Apple's M4 chip features a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU with six efficiency cores and four performance cores. There is a variant of the M4 with a 9-core CPU that Apple used in the iPad Pro, but it is unlikely that this chip will be offered in the iMac.
Other Macs are upgraded with the M4 Pro, M4 Max and M4 Ultra chips, but the 24-inch iMac is an entry-level product on par with devices like the MacBookAirSo it is only offered with the M4 chip.
design
Apple last redesigned the iMac in 2021, and there's no sign of a new look on the horizon. It's likely that the 2024 refresh of the iMac will focus on the inside rather than on outside design changes.
The iMac is an all-in-one device that combines a computer and display. It's just 11.5mm thick, with a slim profile that fits easily on a desk. It's available in a range of bright colors, with a matching pastel chin.
So far, we are not aware of any updates for the iMac other than the M4 chip.
Bigger iMac?
There are persistent rumors about a iMac with larger screen The device has a display measuring around 30 inches, but was still in early development as of mid-2023 and there is no information on when a larger “iMac” might come out.
It is possible that we see it sometime in 2025but it won't be released in 2024. Apple will stick with the 24-inch iMac this year, as it has done since discontinuing the 27-inch model in 2022.
Release date
In April, Bloomberg'S Mark Gurman said the 24-inch iMac would likely get an M4 chip update “towards the end of the year.” Apple sometimes holds events in October or November when new Macs are expected, so we could see the iMac around that time.
Apple is also expected to update the MacBook Pro models and the Mac mini before the end of the year. The iMac was last updated in October 2023, so a launch in October 2024 would come right on the year mark.