The iPhone 16 reveal event, Glowtime, might be tomorrow, but a new report has suggested we won't have to wait long for another Apple event.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman is reporting that the company will reveal M4 versions of its Mac lineup as early as October, including the MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and iMac.

While we've known for a while Mac models with M4 were coming, including a redesigned Mac Mini, it seems we'll hear more about them next month - but that's not all.

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Gurman notes "there are also new iPads in the works, including an upgraded mini."

Mac and iPad event leaked for October

Last year, Apple's "Scary Fast" event revealed the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips, as well as new versions of the iMac and MacBook Pro.

It's a little different this year as the iPad Pro debuted the M4 chip earlier this year, meaning we'll be getting variants of those chips but not a whole new generation being revealed.

The promise of an iPad Mini is an interesting one, however. The iPad Mini sold today is the 2022 model, meaning it's getting a little long in the tooth. If it was to gain the M4 chip (or any M-series chip), it could go some way to becoming the ultimate ultra-portable computer I've been hoping it would in the past.

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While it seems like an open secret that Apple is working on its M4 Mac lineup, a new report suggests it'll include the MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and iMac.

That's perhaps not all that exciting on its own, but Apple may finally be ready to cut loose the 8GB RAM starting configurations of models like the Mac Mini.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the company is ramping up testing of base-level M4 chips of varying specs, while also offering 16GB or 32GB of Unified Memory. Considering one of the biggest gripes around Apple hardware these days is a lack of RAM at the low end, that feels like it's been a long time coming.

This could just be for testing purposes, though, but here's hoping the 8GB RAM option is no more.

The mystery M4 variant

That's not all, though. Gurman notes that four Macs are being tested with base M4 chips, and while three have the 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU we've seen before, a fourth has eight of each instead. That's a new configuration for the M4.

Keep in mind these are all just the base-level chips, so there's no word on the Pro or Max versions as yet. Still, it's interesting Apple would essentially test a chip with fewer cores alongside additional RAM.

Maybe the rumored September 10 event will shed some light, but it's a good chance we'll be waiting until a little later in the year for our first look at M4 Macs.

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There have certainly been plenty of great Mac Prime Day Deals now that Amazon Prime Day is in full swing. One deal that currently stands out is for the iMac M3, currently discounted to $1,149!

This saves you $149 off the usual price of a desktop Mac, which, considering what the iMac M3 offers, is quite a bargain. Not only do you get a fantastic all-in-one Mac, but you also get 256GB of storage, 8GB of memory, and the 10-core M3 Apple silicon chip, as well as some accessories. Included are a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Magic Mouse, and a 143W power adapter. All you need to do is plug the iMac into a power socket, connect the keyboard and mouse, and you’re good to go.

Keep in mind, however, that this deal is only available for the red, purple, and blue colors of one of the best Macs.

The best iMac currently available

Although I’m still content with my MacBook Pro M1 Pro laptop after owning it for three years, I have a soft spot for the iMac. This was the first Mac I ever bought back in 2006, just after Apple announced the processor transition of Power PC to Intel. I’ve always been a fan of its all-in-one design and great display.

Another iMac may be in my future in the coming years. But for now, if you’re thinking about buying your first Mac, I strongly recommend checking out this deal on the iMac M3.

There aren’t many all-in-one desktops that are as instantly recognizable as the iMac, particularly in its current guise. Those colors, that slim chassis, the accessories that match the shade of the computer itself — masterful. They’re not cheap computers, however, and while they’re powerful boxes, they almost always cost you nearly $1,300.

At the moment, however, you’ll find the M3 iMac model with a hefty $100 discount, as well as an additional $49 if you click a coupon button on the Mac’s Amazon store page. That’s a total discount of $149, making for the iMac's lowest price ever.

Save on iMac

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The M3 iMac and its range of pastel colors is a great way of getting an entire Mac setup without having to invest in an expensive monitor and other accessories. You get everything you need in the box — the display is built in, for one, and there’s a Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse included so you don’t have to buy your own. The cables for the accessories are color matched too, which is a nice touch.

The M3 processor that runs the show is the star of the performance here, lending the iMac some very beefy specs. The 8GB of RAM is plenty for most multitasking needs, and the Retina display is clear, colorful, and bright. It might not be portable like one of the best MacBooks, but if you’re after an excellent desktop option, then it’s a great choice.

If you're still using an iPhone 5S, listen up - Apple has marked the device as "obsolete" as part of its regular hardware updates.

As per the company's support site, the iPhone 5S is now considered obsolete, meaning it'll no longer receive repairs from Apple itself, or from Apple Authorized Service Providers. You'll likely still be able to get third-party repairs, however.

The iPhone 5S debuted in September 2013, arriving with a new 8 Megapixel iSight Camera, the A7 chip and the Touch ID Fingerprint sensor.

Apple called it "the most forward-thinking iPhone ever", and considering it made it almost a decade before Apple dubbed it obsolete, that's some going.

More Apple devices become 'Vintage'

Aside from obsolete, Apple also dubs devices older than five years as "vintage", which means you can expect another two years of repair servicing as long as the company or its authorized repair service providers can source the required parts.

New arrivals in this category include the iPod Touch sixth-generation and the 2015 21.5-inch iMac.

The iPod Touch arrived in 2015 with the Apple A8 chip, but even at the time, it felt like the iPhone had somewhat overtaken the product line, while the iMac design persisted right up until the arrival of the first Apple Silicon all-in-one Mac which arrived in 2021.

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While Apple's latest best MacBook, the M3 MacBook Air is barely fresh out of the oven, and Apple's M3 line of chips is but a few months old, all eyes are firmly on what Apple has in store next for its computing lineup. Now, we've just got our clearest look yet at Apple's future plans for Mac. 

In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has revealed that Apple is planning "an accelerated Mac makeover" focused on the new M4 chips that will see every single Mac product moved onto the latest generation chip for the first time. 

The chips, which will include a big focus on on-device artificial intelligence, are dubbed Donan (for the M4), Brava (the M4 Pro and M4 Max), and Hidra, an M4 Ultra chip. 

The next wave of Macs

With the caveat that release dates can shift, Gurman predicts a low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro could debut at the end of this year with the M4 chip, around the same time as a 24-inch M4 iMac.

These could be followed in late 2024 or early 2025 by the release of MacBook Pros with M4 Pro/Max options in 14 and 16-inch variants, alongside M4 and M4 Pro Mac Minis.

Spring 2025 would see the arrival of M4 MacBook Airs in 13 and 15-inch versions, which would mean they debut roughly a year after this year's M3 models, and a Mac Studio with a "high-end M4 chip" would arrive closer to the middle of next year.

As for the Mac Pro? You could be waiting until the second half of next year, but it'll reportedly come packing the M4 Ultra.

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The iMac is the quintessential all-in-one desktop and one of the best Macs, its powerful internals wrapped up in a stunning glass and aluminum shell — and it’s got itself no shortage of pretenders. Samsung is the latest manufacturer to join the iMac hype train; this time, it’s even copied the keyboard.

Not the Magic Mouse though. Because no one would copy the Magic Mouse.

A big, flat, desktop slab

We should get one thing out of the way first: Don’t get your hopes up too early if you want to get one in the US, as it’s currently only slotted in the release calendar for South Korea. Buyers in the country will be able to grab one from the 22nd of April, however, so there’s not too long to wait for potential South Korean users to get one sitting on their desks.

The ‘Samsung All-in-One Pro’, as the firm has named it (I wonder where that name came from?), will cost 1.9 million Won, or around $1,400 US. That sounds about par for the course for a powerful all-in-one computer and actually comes in slightly higher than the base model iMac which retails for $1,299. There are some more powerful internals here to tempt you in, however.

At the heart of the machine is an Intel Core Ultra processor, which provides “more powerful performance” — than what, of course, Samsung doesn’t tell us. There’s a 27-inch 4K display dominating the front, as well as a Dolby Atmos speaker setup for 3D sound for watching movies and playing games. No news on RAM, although that will likely be customizable.

Interestingly, Samsung seems to have designed the ‘All-in-One Pro’ from the ground up for AI. There’s an emphasis on Microsoft’s Co-Pilot program throughout the press release, as well as a dedicated Co-Pilot key on the keyboard.

The keyboard looks suspiciously like the Magic Keyboard that comes packaged with the iMac — and the similarities design-wise don’t stop there. The stand for the all-in-one looks just like Apple's effort, and the large, mostly flat, aluminum chassis has more than a passing resemblance to the all-in-one from Cupertino. Even the ports at the back have an almost identical configuration, although Samsung doesn’t say what’s actually there. Expect USB-C ports, a power connector, and potentially a HDMI port for connecting up another monitor.

The only real difference is the two-button mouse, which looks like the kind of mouse you would expect to come from any big-box computer purchase. The color is reminiscent of the old iMac Pro, a kind of dark space gray.

There is, of course, only so much you can do with the design of an all-in-one desktop computer, although it is curious that Samsung has stepped so close to Apple this time round. If you prefer a Mac on your desk (as nice as this Windows machine looks), then WWDC 2024 is on the way with potentially more news about the latest version of macOS, macOS 15, to keep you faithful.

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Have you been following the last few iMac refreshes and feel they are missing that wow factor Apple is known for? A recent patent suggests our favorite weird iMac redesign is still being researched internally — even if we might not ever see it come to market. 

Way back at the start of 2020, an Apple patent was found, showing off an all-glass iMac with a curved screen, that extends into the keyboard. Said keyboard could have physical buttons or virtual ones like those found on an iPhone keyboard. As pointed out by Patently Apple, this patent has been updated this week by Apple. 

In its report, Patently Apple also pointed out that the glass iMac could display a screen on the back to a different user, suggesting two users could watch the same video from different sides of the machine. As well as this, it could potentially be used in presentations to show off the screen or could also two users to browse at once. 

What does it mean when Apple updates a patent? 

The patent being refreshed doesn’t inherently mean anything, as it could be something as simple as Apple wanting to keep its ideas so others don’t use them. However, for us, it’s not only a refresher of one of the coolest Mac patents but a sign it could still be on the table in the future. 

Updating a patent could help keep it in the mind of engineers and, as pointed out by Patently Apple above, this patent refresh came with 20 new patent claims. The patent update shows renewed investment in the patent, even if it might not ever make it to production. Given Apple released the M3 iMac a few months ago and the M3 MacBook Air just this week, with a few iterations over their respective previous models, it seems unlikely we will get the glass iMac in the near future. One can certainly hope though. 

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Apple's refurbished store is often the place to be if you want to get your hands on one of the company's very best Macs while saving some money in the process. Apple very rarely offers direct discounts and normally just gives free gift cards away, but if you want to be able to pick up the latest M3 iMac for less, refurbished is now an option after Apple added the colorful computer to its collection of as-new products.

The move means that you can now order yourself Apple's latest and greatest iMac at prices that have so far not been seen on apple.com. There are multiple configurations available as well as colors to choose from — including green, the one you definitely should pick — with savings of up to $260 off the usual price you'd pay for a new model. You'll need to choose the better-specced model to get that saving, but even the base model can be had with $200 off, bringing the price down to just $1,099.

It's always important to remember that Apple's refurbished store doesn't always have the same options available and that stocks come and go depending on what is available at the time you happen to load the page. If you see the iMac that you want at a price that's right, we would suggest placing your order while the option is there just in case it's gone the next time you return.

Same Mac, but for less

Currently, buying a refurbished iMac from Apple, as first spotted by MacRumors, will get you an M3 chip with an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU for $1,099 whereas buying a new model costs $1,299. That configuration also comes with a 256GB SSD and 8GB of unified memory while the standard 24-inch 4.5K Retina display, 10080p FaceTime camera, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports are also present and correct.

All of Apple's refurbished Macs go through a process that includes full testing to ensure complete functionality. Any defective components are tested and replaced while everything sold via the refurbished store is also thoroughly cleaned and inspected to make sure that the item you receive looks as good as new. You'll receive all of the same accessories and literature as normal, while every item also goes through a final quality assurance inspection before being made ready for sale.

"Apple Certified Refurbished Products are pre-owned Apple products that undergo Apple's stringent refurbishment process prior to being offered for sale," Apple's website explains. "While only some units are returned due to technical issues, every unit is evaluated to ensure it meets Apple's quality standards."

Notably, Apple will also sell buyers of refurbished products its AppleCare Plus offering. That allows for extended support and subsidized repairs for up to three years on Macs and two years on other items.

Macs bought via the refurbished store are all covered by Apple's one-year limited warranty while the usual 14-day returns policy also applies. The only negative aspect here is that engraving isn't available, although that isn't a factor when choosing your new iMac. Gift wrapping is also not an option for refurbished products.

Each iMac comes with a Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and 143W power adapter. A 2-meter power cable and a USB-C to Lightning cable will also come in the box. However, the box will be a generic white box rather than the Apple retail boxes you may have seen people leave your local Apple Store with.

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Although Apple launched its latest 24-inch M3 iMac, which uses the M3 chip, this past October, the folks at iFixIt hadn’t yet given it their teardown treatment. That is until this past Saturday. 

By and large, the overall design of the M3 iMac is very close to its predecessor. In our review, we wrote, “Seen the M1 iMac? Then you’ve seen the M3 iMac—the computers, externally at least, are essentially identical.” 

In the iFixIt teardown video, the reviewer noted that one of the reasons for the ultra-thin design was due to the external power supply, which houses an ethernet port. But internally, the iFixIt reviewer seemed to likewise see a lot of similarities with the M1 iMac. In fact, she said that the hardware for this all-in-one looked “very familiar.”  

However, iFixIt did point out one change in the internal hardware configuration that was newsworthy, at least in their eyes: The new iMac comes with just one single-cell CMOS battery, instead of two, which is what you’d find in the predecessor. What’s more, is that in the YouTube video, iFixIt found that “the iMac battery is twice as repairable….I like the idea that the iMac’s CMOS battery is probably Apple’s most easily replaced battery.” 

Will all—or any—future Apple products be easier to repair yourself?

It’s important to note, though, that iFixIt did not give the new M3 iMac a rating yet (1-10, with 10 being the easiest to repair). The previous model, however, the M1 iMac, only received a 2 on iFixIt’s repairability scale. And since the new iMac is in many ways nearly identical to the old one, many are expecting that the score would also be a 2, but we’ll have to wait on that.

Over the past few years, iFixIt has been very critical of a number of Apple’s products for being difficult to repair. For instance, in 2022, we published a story on how “iFixit has called out Apple's newly-introduced self-repair program for MacBooks, saying it makes MacBooks seem less repairable.” And in 2021, we published news on how iFixit CEO and founder Kyle Wiens had “blasted companies like Apple for obstructing the right to repair movement” and that he called out Apple for “over using non-standard parts and contractual agreements with suppliers.”

But it will be interesting to see how Apple’s 2024 line of products will score on iFixIt’s repairability scale when they hit the market.

Black Friday is the best time to pick up a deal on a Mac. With huge savings and the best offers you'll see all year, there is plenty to get excited about when choosing your next desktop Mac.

We've gone through hundreds of deals and picked out the best desktop Mac offerings for Black Friday, and the best bit is you don't have to wait until November 24th to pick one up.

The best Mac desktop deals available right now

Laptop deals: Dell | Best Buy | Walmart | Lenovo | HP | Newegg | Amazon

Apple’s iMac line-up has led the pack in the all-in-one computing market since its ground-breaking introduction way back in 1998, a whole 25 years ago. It turned the home computer into a fashion statement as much as a work tool and put Apple back on the map following Steve Jobs’ wilderness years.

2021’s Apple-silicon-packing M1 iMac was a similarly groundbreaking device — svelte, powerful, and with streamlined design principles that made it an attractive centerpiece in an office. 

There’s been a bit of a wait for this 2023 successor then — leapfrogging the M2 chipset series entirely, the M3 iMac for 2023 lands with Apple’s latest and greatest homegrown silicon powering the show. 

It’s a super-charged computing experience as a result and a wonderful machine to use — but Apple hasn’t taken this M3 refresh as a chance to upgrade some lingering issues with the external design of the iMac. For better or worse, it’s essentially identical in every aspect other than its internals to its nearly three-year-old predecessor.

iMac (M3, 2023): Price and availability

The M3 iMac is available now, directly from Apple. All models come with an M3 chipset, but you can configure GPU core count, storage, RAM, and accessories.

Starting at $1,299 for the entry-level model, you can get the 8-core CPU / 8-core GPU variant with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. This model ships with a Magic Keyboard without Touch ID fingerprint scanning, a Magic Mouse, and only two rear Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports. It’s a good machine for the price, but even with Apple’s efficiency claims, I’d argue that 8GB of RAM isn’t future-proofed, and you’re going to struggle with just the two input ports, even in the era of wireless accessories. This model is available in four colors — blue, green, pink, and silver. 

Note that there’s been a price jump in the UK for the iMac, compared to its M1 predecessor’s launch price. Where the older model kicked off at £1,249, a price increase to all models earlier this year sees the UK M3 iMac pricing start at £1,399 instead.

Step up to a $1,499 model, and you get the same RAM and storage (8GB / 256GB), but jump to a 10-core GPU, as well as gaining an additional two USB 3 ports, Gigabit Ethernet in the power adapter, and a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. Leap to $1,699, and the storage increases to $1,699. An additional two colors become available, too — yellow and purple.

You can tweak things further with a custom configuration. In terms of RAM, you can go from 8GB to 16GB for an additional $200, and 24GB for a further $200 on top of that. For storage it’s a similar situation — go from 256GB of storage to 512GB for $200, and a further $200 for 1TB of storage, and another $200 for 2TB of storage. As ever with Mac computers, Apple puts an unfortunately high premium on storage and RAM upgrades, and it’s near impossible to upgrade these internals after purchasing. So make sure you pick up what you need in the first instance, and think about your future needs, too.

Additional accessory upgrades can also be made. Every machine comes with a Magic Mouse by default, but you can swap that for a Magic Trackpad for $50 extra. Get both a Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad thrown in for $129. Finally, entry-level models can jump from the standard Magic Keyboard to one with Touch ID for an extra $50, while those that want Touch ID and a full-scale keyboard with number pad can get that for an extra $80.

There are lots of options to pick from here, and the pricing jumps can be a bit confusing to follow, so take your time and think hard about what you want long-term.

For the purpose of this review, we’re looking at the blue 8-core CPU / 10-core GPU option, with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. That comes with the two extra USB 3 ports, the Gigabit Ethernet power supply, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad, and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, for $2,028.

iMac (M3, 2023): Hardware and design

Seen the M1 iMac? Then you’ve seen the M3 iMac — the computers, externally at least, are essentially identical.

That’s no bad thing! The 2021 iMac was a wonderful re-working of Apple’s all-in-one design, and everything there was to love about that model remains intact and just as attractive here. But if you weren’t sold on the last model, that’s unlikely to change.

Still, there’s lots to love. Apple’s M3 iMac offers a high-resolution (4480 x 2520) 24-inch display. It’s a 16:9 ratio, but the ‘chin’ at the bottom of the display, which hides some of the innards as well as the speakers, gives the illusion of a taller display. 24 inches isn’t very big by desktop display standards of 2023 (it measures 23.5 inches diagonally, actually), but I’d say it works in the iMac’s favor, making it more compact and tidy. It’s a rich display with wonderful color accuracy — though its peak brightness of 500 nits could be higher for HDR content. But drastic changes to the display might start putting this model into ‘iMac Pro’ territory — a device we still expect at some point from Apple.

The iMac can be picked up in any of the above colors of your choosing, with the computer’s foot, chin, and backplate taking on the color palette (the rear of the screen is a darker hue than what’s presented around the front). But all iMacs feature a fairly sizeable white border around the display. I know that divides opinion among the iMac team, but I like how it harkens back to that original two-tone iMac design from way back in 1998.

You’re looking at a height of 18.1 inches and a width of 21.5 inches for the iMac, and while the stand’s foot means the depth extends to 5.8 inches, the screen itself is only 0.47-inches thick. The efficiency of Apple silicon means everything can run without the need for whirring fans, taking up masses of space. You’re able to get it pretty close to a wall, and the iMac never feels imposing in any place you put it — though it could benefit from a height-adjustable stand as well as its tilting hinge.

Another area that could benefit from a refresh is its port selection. While the pricier models have two USB 3 ports (USB-C style) around the back along with the standard USB 4 / Thunderbolt ports, the entry-level model only has the two Thunderbolt ports. These are speedy connections — USB 4 can hit transfer speeds of 40Gb/s under ideal conditions, and the Thunderbolt standard makes daisy-chaining accessories a piece of cake. But even just the four ports on the more expensive iMacs feels a bit stingy, and a more versatile connection selection would be appreciated. 

I’d love to see not only some additional ports, but the inclusion of an SD card reader, and an easy-to-reach port on one — or both! — sides of the display to accompany the 3.5mm headphone jack that’s here. I know cables coming out of the side of the screen may ruin that clean aesthetic, but it’d be a convenient option nonetheless. Heck, why not make more use of that foot too, and put a charging pad in there?

What remains surprisingly good are the built-in speakers. A six-speaker array sits in the iMac, capable of surprising clarity and bass performance given the thin casing they’re housed in. They’re nominally capable of Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support, but it’s not a replacement for a true surround sound system. Regardless, they’re perfect for watching a quick episode of TV, or popping on some tunes while you work, potentially saving your desk the extra clutter of a separate speaker system. Likewise, the 1080p FaceTime camera is sharp and reasonably flattering when making video calls — its built-in nature again saves you a port and desk space.

Finally, there’s been a handy spec bump for the Wi-Fi connection of the iMac. It’s now supporting Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) connectivity, allowing for speedier, more stable connections provided your router supports it. Bluetooth is of the 5.3 variety.

The included accessories are a bit of a mixed bag by today’s standards though. I love the Magic Trackpad — it rips the trackpad straight out of a MacBook and is excellent for accessing the excellent gesture support built into macOS. The Magic Keyboard is fine — the key travel is too low for my taste (I still personally think the best keyboard for Mac is the Logitech MX Keys Mini for Mac), but it looks great and gets the job done. The Magic Mouse though is in great need of a rethink. Being able to make use of gestures on the surface of the mouse is great in theory, but it’s an exercise in form over functionality — it’s just not very ergonomic or comfortable to use long-term. And the much-documented lunacy of putting the charging port on the underside continues to amaze and frustrate. 

These items still make use of a Lightning port connection to charge too, looking ever more out of place now that even iPhones have jumped to USB-C ports. I appreciate though that they come pre-charged out of the box, ready to get to work the moment you unpack them.

All in, the iMac remains a very attractive machine, with well-considered functionality — even if there’s still room for some extras to be squeezed in to perfect the design, and a refresh needed to keep the accessories relevant.

iMac (M3, 2023): Performance and software

This year’s iMac arrives with a whole new generation of Apple silicon in tow, launching the baseline M3 chipset, while the latest MacBook Pro models introduce the new M3 Pro and M3 Max variants.

It’s another significant leap in performance for Apple’s homegrown chipsets, and one that’s a more marked improvement for the iMac line, seeing as it skipped the M2 generation entirely.

The M3 series of chips are the first to make use of the 3-nanometer build process in a computer (piggybacking off what was achieved in the iPhone 15 Pro chips), allowing for greater performance and efficiency by squeezing more transistors into a smaller space. It’s cutting-edge stuff and drives some impressive gains compared to the M1 iMac before it — even if comparisons to the M2 series are more modest.

Apple claims as much as a 65% improvement in speeds with the 10-core GPU option compared to its M1 counterpart, a 35% jump in CPU performance, and a 60% speed increase for machine-learning tasks through the improved efficiency of the Neural Engine. It’s the new capabilities of the GPU that are arguably the most exciting elements here though — particularly for gamers, which Apple seems to be increasingly looking to tempt towards its machines. The M3 now supports full hardware accelerated ray-tracing — the GPU technique to bring more lifelike lighting and reflections to 3D scenes, being the headline feature of top-tier graphics cards and modern games consoles. In addition, there’s also support for Dynamic Caching (improving communication between the GPU and memory to eke more frames per second out of a 3D scene), and mesh shading, which allows for more complex geometry to be rendered at scale without causing the machine to chug. Even on this entry-level M3 chip, away from the even bigger gains of M3 Pro and M3 Max, it makes for the most gaming-ready iMac there’s ever been.

Note that our model is a step up from the baseline iMac, thanks to the inclusion of the 10-core GPU and 16GB RAM, so the following benchmarks may represent an improvement over the entry-level iMac model.

Running the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmarking tool, a synthetic measurement of how capable the CPU’s processing power is, we saw single-core average scores of 3060 and multi-core average scores of 11950. Looking at Geekbench’s Mac scorecard across the generations, that sees the M3 comfortably beat out even the M2 Max chip in single-core performance, and just below the M2 Pro in multi-core scores — an impressive placement given this is effectively an entry-level machine.

It’s a similar story in the Cinebench R23 CPU benchmark, returning scores of 9476 and 1899 in multi-core and single-core tests respectively — representing leaps of close to 20% and 25% over the M1 series. These are admirable gains.

3D performance from the GPU is excellent, too. GFXBench Metal, which tests GPU performance, saw its benchmark tool return average scores of 50.6fps in its 4K test, and 

114.7fps in its 1440p test. As you can see from a comparable test with the M2 Pro Mac Mini, it’s here where the entry-level M3 chipset shows its limitations compared to the higher GPU-core count of the Pro and Max chip variants — but this is still a night-and-day improvement over M1, and a promising sign for gamers looking to have fun with the iMac. Our go-to Tomb Raider benchmark, at 1440p with graphical bells and whistles dialed up to the max, returned a 44fps average, proving that games with modest demands can be very enjoyable played on the Mac. I had good fun running around the Sword Coast of Baldur’s Gate 3 for instance, one of this year’s best Mac games, provided I didn’t go too crazy with every graphical flair option available to it. 

Putting these synthetic benchmarks into practice, it's a joy to use the iMac. Apps open instantly; web browsers can chew through dozens of simultaneous tabs being open; Garageband track merging occurs in the blink of an eye; Apple Arcade titles run with buttery smoothness. Aside from pushing the iMac to its limits with 3D rendering work, something the M3 chipset isn’t really tuned for, you’ll be hard-pressed to tax the system with the day-to-day tasks you’d expect to regularly throw at it.  

It’s helped along by Apple’s excellent pairing of in-house software with homegrown hardware, the two working in harmony to ensure performance efficiency in a way that the myriad potential hardware configurations of a Windows PC can’t account for. And the latest version of macOS, Sonoma, has some lovely new features to take advantage of, too.

macOS Sonoma for instance now supports home screen widgets, letting you get at-a-glance info from select app sources the moment you fire up your desktop. Video call improvements make it a better machine for handling presentations, with Presenter Overlay letting you interact more comprehensively with any screen you’re sharing with viewers. Game Mode takes full advantage of the M3’s gaming capabilities too, prioritizing process importance for game applications when they’re running in full screen, and lowering input latency and audio delivery for gamepads and connected AirPods respectively.

And as ever, Continuity features make the iMac a great partner to your iPhone and iPad too, whether that’s extending the display to an iPad, or taking advantage of the Universal Clipboard to paste images and text between devices.

iMac (M3, 2023): Competition

All-in-one competition is a bit wishy-washy beyond the iMac, and there’s nothing else like it in Apple’s own macOS line-up. On the Windows front, the HP Envy is a good high-end option with its giant 34-inch widescreen display, while the Dell Inspiron 24-inch is a cheap-and-cheerful alternative if you’re platform agnostic. Neither have the power or efficiency of Apple’s M3 chip though, and aren’t really like-for-like alternatives.

Instead, if you can easily and affordably get your hands on a high-resolution monitor, consider one of the higher-end 2023 Mac Mini devices with M2 Pro chipsets. Compact powerhouses, they’ll admirably take on any task you throw at them: the M2 Pro chipset actually offers better GPU performance than the standard M3 chip here, though it isn’t quite as good in single-core scenarios. The Mac Mini is relatively portable in a pinch, should you need to take your work elsewhere with a screen, too.

iMac (M3, 2023): Should you buy it?

Buy the iMac (M3, 2023) if…

You’re after a tidy desktop experience for all the family
This is about as slick as desktop computers get, with a gorgeous exterior and welcoming design that’s great for all the family to share.

You don’t need a super-charged chipset
The M3 in its standard configuration is an incredibly capable chip — unless you’re doing high-end 3D or video editing work, you can probably ignore the M3 Pro and M3 Max laptop options Apple has also launched.

You’re a casual gamer
The M3 chipset has enough power to play games enjoyably — it won’t challenge a dedicated gaming PC, but its GPU will capably run the latest titles at modest graphical settings.

Don't buy the iMac (M3, 2023) if…

You’ve got a great monitor
Save yourself some money and get one of the higher-end Mac mini machines instead, which are excellent, offer similar performance, and can plug into any monitor you choose.

You need something portable
It’s easy to move the iMac around your house, but a 14-inch MacBook Pro or MacBook Air might be a better choice if you need to work on the go.

You’ve got an M1 iMac
The performance leap with M3 is good, and maybe enough to justify an upgrade. But in all other aspects, this is the same machine, and unless your workflow now calls for demanding tasks to be completed, you’re probably fine sticking with what you have.

iMac (M3, 2023): Verdict

The 2023 iMac is a wonderfully-welcoming computer. It’s easy to set up, comes with everything you need right out of the box, and is compact and slim enough to happily slip into almost any corner of your home — it’s so good-looking it doesn’t need to be confined to your office.

Its M3 chipset is stupendously powerful, tearing through the basic computing tasks that this family-oriented machine is designed for, but with enough power in that skinny frame to be considered a legitimate gaming machine for those with an interest in it. 

There’s room for Apple to refresh the exterior, though. Some additional ports wouldn’t go amiss, particularly an SD card slot. And while they’re accessories to the package rather than the computer itself, it’s a shame to see Lightning connections still powering the mouse, trackpad, and keyboard where almost every other element of Apple’s line-up has made the leap to USB-C. The Magic Mouse, charged from a port on its underside, is in real need of a redesign.

These small issues aside, you’re left with a fantastic all-in-one computer that wipes the floor with any Windows alternative. But Apple shouldn’t go another generation of iMac without thinking about the external design improvements that can be made, or without refreshing those accessories.

Apple recently announced and released a new M3 iMac, which offers a significant performance boost over the M1 version. While there are no discernible cosmetic changes, the improved benchmark scores suggest that, for some, the M3 iMac will be a big step forward over whatever their current hardware might be.

But the M3 iMac reviews were, it’s fair to say, like a popular girl band from the 2010s: a little mixed. One of the major concerns was the total lack of changes to the design of the machine.

This includes Apple’s decision to retain all the same ports as before, rather than updating the peripherals such as the Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse. And for me, the Magic Mouse is arguably one of the most poorly designed Apple products I’ve ever used. 

Magic Mouse: a potted history

The Magic Mouse made its debut way back in 2009, back in the days when disposable AA batteries were the norm. Six years later, in 2015, the Magic Mouse 2 was revealed. Out went the disposable batteries, replaced by a built-in rechargeable battery that (thankfully) can last a month or more. This battery charges via a Lightning Cable on the underside of the mouse.

The Magic Mouse 3 retained this design (the current generation) but added new gesture controls to the device.

On one hand, this makes sense from an aesthetic point of view: it means the Magic Mouse is a beautifully sleek device with a lower profile, and no visible ports to disturb its clean lines. On the other hand, if you need to charge your Magic Mouse, you have to flip it over like a stuck turtle, at which point it is unusable until it has enough charge that you can unplug your cable and resume your work.

Has it lost its magic?

Don’t get me wrong; the Magic Mouse is, in many respects, still an excellent device. I’ve used one for years and have very few complaints to make. The trouble is, the one complaint many of us have – that peculiar decision to put the charging port on the underside – is a biggie.

The design has remained unchanged for almost a decade, and surely this isn’t the first time someone has suggested that the charging port needs to move. While, yes, you can get enough charge in just a few minutes to enable you to get on with your work, the fact that you can’t simply plug in your Magic Mouse and carry on with whatever you are doing, is slightly baffling.

For anyone who has had their flow interrupted because their mouse has suddenly died, they’ll understand just how vexing it can be to have to plug it in and walk away for ten or fifteen minutes before you can come back and start back up again. 

Add to this the fact that Apple has decided to retain the Lightning port rather than switching to USB-C, and it feels like a missed opportunity. After all, USB-C is on the new iPhone 15 and AirPods Pro. But for some reason, the Magic Mouse has been ignored.

Is it all about the Magic Trackpad?

Other than cost, it’s unclear why Apple has made this decision. Yes, it would mean redesigning the Magic Mouse. Yes, it might impact the look of the device slightly, but what’s more important, looks or usability?

Most of the best alternatives to the Magic Mouse are also wireless, and many have a port at the front of the mouse, which you can’t see or feel while you’re using it. It’s a glaring problem and one that Apple doesn’t seem minded to fix anytime soon.

There is another reason why Apple might be dragging its heels over this: the Magic Trackpad. As an alternative to the Magic Mouse, the Magic Trackpad provides a larger surface area for more precise gesture control, has added features such as Force Touch and pinch-to-zoom, and for many, is a more comfortable device. Crucially, you can also use it while it’s charging.

While we like to imagine Tim Cook sitting in his office, twirling a fake mustache and laughing maniacally as he imagines everyone coughing up the extra cash to buy a Magic TrackPad instead of a Magic Mouse, he (probably) isn’t doing this. The reality is that instead of redesigning the Magic Mouse, Apple offers an alternative device that costs a bit more, does a bit more, and may persuade users to move away from the Magic Mouse. 

It feels as though because the Magic TrackPad exists, it has reduced the pressure to redesign the Magic Mouse. Whether that’s right or not is speculative. But the net result is the same: an (otherwise excellent) mouse that fails to work as well as it could. And for Apple, it’s a surprisingly big misstep. And we don’t see it changing any time soon.

The extremely fast and pretty M3 iMac just launched last week and with it comes a new chip, capable of handling productivity apps and games easily. If your machine is starting to get a little old or you haven’t yet made the upgrade the Apple’s own Silicon chips, now is the perfect time with a $100 discount over at B&H Photo. 

Given they just launched last week, we can’t imagine Black Friday offering any better deals on them at $1,199 from November 24, and they are only at this reduced price until November 19th so you better get on this deal fast. Unfortunately, this price is only on the Silver version of the home computer so you may be holding out a while to get that pretty pink one.

$100 off already

Laptop deals: Dell | Best Buy | Walmart | Lenovo | HP | Newegg | Amazon

Not only is the M3 iMac excellent when it comes to productivity apps and media watching, due to its nice screen and unified RAM but the M3 chip is also great for gaming. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading help make running games smoother and better.

If you aren’t into gaming, the M3 iMac is up to 2x faster than the M1 version, with Safari and Excel performing 30% faster, and games loading with up to 50% better frame rate. As well as this, you can play back up to 12 streams of 4K video when editing, and Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premier Pro perform up to 2x faster. All of this combines to make one of the very best computers out there right now.

Apple might have just announced a new M3 24-inch iMac a week or so ago, but there are already plenty of rumors swirling around as to what the company is working on beyond that. The latest leak goes way beyond it, supposedly forecasting Apple's OLED product plans all the way out to 2029. That leak includes a monstrous 42-inch iMac plus a whole lot more. But can it be trusted?

No, probably not. Sorry.

We could end things there, and if I'm being honest this post could probably have been a tweet (sorry, post), but let's dig into what's been "leaked" and whether or not it's likely to arrive. 

Starting big — 42 inches big

We have to, of course, kick things off with the iMac. Despite having a foldable OLED iPad on the roadmap, it's the iMac that captures the attention most. And that should probably tell you a lot about its credibility.

We've been hearing things about a foldable iPad for more than a year at this point, and it looks increasingly likely that it will debut long before a foldable iPhone. So with that knowledge, we look at the bottom of the roadmap that was shared by X leaker @Rech_Reve a few days ago. Because beneath the iPads and the MacBooks, it's the iMac that seems most interesting.

Down there, you'll see that Apple reportedly intends to ship three new OLED iMacs towards the end of 2027 or the beginning of 2028 with sizes of 21.5, 27, and 32 inches. That already sounds like a lot of sizes for Apple to ship an iMac in. And then we add the monster at the bottom — a 42-inch behemoth that would likely dwarf even the biggest of desks. But will it ever ship?

I can't imagine it will, but you don't have to take my word for it. While @Tech_Reve does have a relatively solid history in the leaking of hardware plans — especially in the Android world — there's one person whose opinion I'll take above theirs every single time. That person is Ross Young, a display analyst with an exceptional track record. And according to him, something's off.

In an X post asking Young whether any of the roadmap's claims held water, his response was swift and devastating. "Nope."

The display analyst — someone whose job it is to know what display manufacturers are making and for how — says that three OLED devices are missing from the list and that four of those that are there, shouldn't be. Can anyone guess which ones they might be? One recent clue, Apple recently confirmed it has no plans to release a 27-inch Apple silicon iMac. 

The source

It's important to note that @Tech_Reve isn't the first to claim that a 42-inch iMac is on the way, though.

Back in April, analysts at Omdia shared a similar roadmap. And when I say similar, I really mean it.

Is it possible that these two bits of information came from the same source? It is indeed, and it's also possible that the second came from the first. But whatever's going on, I have a feeling that we won't be seeing a 42-inch iMac in 2028/2029.

The wildcard? The Pro Display XDR which already sits at 32 inches. It's possible that some of these iMacs aren't actually iMacs at all. And with Apple settling on the 24-inch size it seems unlikely we'll see anything launch in a 21.5-inch dimension whether that's iMac or Studio Display.

Time will of course, and as ever, tell. And this post might age like milk, But I do doubt it.

Someone will no doubt bookmark this and remind me in a few years if I'm wrong, so we'll all find out eventually.

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The 27-inch iMac is dead. The iMac Pro is dead. Long live the Mac Studio and the Studio Display!

People have been hoping and wishing that Apple might resurrect the 27-inch iMac in the form of a new Apple Silicon-powered version of the iMac Pro. When Apple announced its "Scary Fast" event, people's expectations rose that the company might bring back the big iMac. However, when the event kicked off, the only desktop Mac to get an update was the regular iMac with the new M3 chip.

After the event, some people still held on hope — so much so that Apple had to release a statement that the 27-inch iMac and the iMac Pro were officially dead. In a statement to The Verge, Apple PR representative Starlayne Meza confirmed that the company has no plans to release another 27-inch iMac, whether it be a regular or a Pro one:

"The company encourages those who have been holding out hope for a larger iMac to consider the Studio Display and Mac Studio or Mac Mini, which pair a 27-inch 5K screen with a separate computer, compared to the all-in-one design of the iMac."

While there will be some 27-inch iMac diehards out there losing their minds over this news, I believe Apple made the right call here. In this new Apple silicon world, there isn't a need for this product.

That's why the Mac Studio and Studio Display exist

While it is undeniably fun to imagine what a new iMac Pro might look like, those who have languished dreaming of this thing have been potentially missing out on one of the best desktop setups the company has ever created: the Mac Studio and the Studio Display.

Apple unveiled the Mac Studio as a souped-up version of the Mac mini and its complementary Studio Display back in March of 2022. The company has also been keeping its Mac mini up to date quite quickly in the age of Apple silicon. While none of these computers have been updated to the new M3 lineup just yet, all of them come packed with the still incredibly fast M2 processors.

While some people will still dream of the ultimate all-in-one, Apple's stance with its "pro" desktop computers is the right one to take. While the all-in-one iMac makes total sense for most consumers, those who need more performance also need more options. That's where the iMac Pro makes less sense.

While it's cool to have a super fast all-in-one Mac, most pros need flexibility with their workstations. They might only need the performance of the Mac mini and its M2 or M2 Pro processor if they need a bit of a boost. Or, they might need the power of the Mac Studio and its offerings with the M2 Max or even the M2 Ultra chip.

They may also have different display needs. They could get what they need out of a Studio Display, but they may also need the increased resolution and quality that the Pro Display XDR provides. Or, they might need something more proprietary and need to get a display outside of what Apple offers.

While the iMac Pro could offer some of this flexibility — namely in the area of at least some chip upgrades — it couldn't offer all of them. And, when an iMac Pro user needs to upgrade their setup, they'd of course be stuck upgrading the entire computer — even if the processor was the only thing that was really needed.

The Mac lineup is already great

Apple has done a fantastic job with its Mac lineup lately, both with the desktop and laptop lineup. I don't want an iMac Pro busting its way onto the scene and confusing the lineup like the company has done to its iPad lineup. Don't make everything — just make it simple.

I believe that's exactly what Apple has already done here. The company has essentially distilled its desktop Mac lineup into three camps: 

• iMac: Consumers who need a desktop Mac that "just works"
• Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Studio Display: Prosumers who need more flexibility
• Mac Pro, Pro Display XDR: Pros who need peak performance no matter the cost

It's the long-called good, better, best lineup, and I think it really works here. Consumers and pros both get what they need, despite it not always being exactly what they think they want.

Also, don't forget that the 2017 iMac Pro began at $5000, whereas you can buy a Mac Studio and Studio Display at a starting price of $3600. That's an enormous value and a much more performant setup for an even cheaper price than what Apple would have likely fit into a new iMac Pro. So, I beg of all of you, to put aside that desire and enjoy what you already have right in front of you.

Apple announced the updated 24-inch iMac with a new M3 chip at the end of October 2023 and the early reviews are starting to pop up. And as expected, people are mixed on whether this is the iMac for you.

The M3 update brought with it little other than a new chip which was always going to be a disappointment to a ton of people, but that doesn't mean that the release is a bust — there are still plenty of reasons to buy an iMac in 2023 and rolling into 2024. It really does depend on where you're coming from.

As is the case with so many of Apple's products these days, the M3 iMac is a much better upgrade for some people than others depending on whether they're currently using an Intel machine or something else. In the case of the iMac, that "something else" boils down to the M1 iMac and in some cases, that isn't always as cut and dried as you might think, either.

What the reviewers say

Somewhat predictably, some reviewers chose to focus on one of the big letdowns of the M3 iMac — the retention of Lightning-powered peripherals. The Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse continue to use Lightning at a time when Apple is moving other products to USB-C, like the iPhone 15.

That was one thing that TechRadar took an exception to, noting that the Magic Mouse still has the same old problems that people have been complaining about for years. "Sticking to the same design also brings back some old frustrations, such as the charging port on the bottom of the Magic Mouse, which means you can't use it while it's charging, plus a reliance on the increasingly obsolete Lightning connection for charging all of the peripherals, rather than getting with the times and using USB-C," the review says.

The lack of a USB-C port is undoubtedly a strange position for these iMac accessories to find themselves in and we have to wonder why Apple didn't take this opportunity to put Lightning in its place — in the past.

Another issue is the base configuration which sees the M3 iMac come with just 8GB of RAM as standard. Tom's Hardware points out that "there are quite a few 'gotchas'" in terms of what you get for your $1,299.

"While the $1,299 starting price is enticing, you're saddled with just 8GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD. That's hardly enough to futureproof the iMac," the review reads. "A simple upgrade to 16GB of memory costs a staggering $200, while storage upgrades are equally pricey." Other upgrades also cost money, including upgrading to the $1,499 model just to get a couple of USB 3 ports.

In terms of YouTube reviews, it seems that the majority chose to focus on the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro reviews. That might change in the coming days, however.

A performance upgrade for some

With the new iMac looking just like the old one and the port situation remaining less than ideal, all of the attention is understandably on that M3 chip. Thankfully, it seems that the M3 doesn't disappoint.

"When it comes to our benchmark tests, Apple’s claims about the M3’s impressive performance certainly hold up," TechRadar's review says. "In Geekbench 5, which again puts the CPU part of the chip to the test, the new iMac scored 2,284 in single-core tests, and 10,716 in multi-core tests, compared to the previous iMac’s scores of 1,725 and 7,650."

That's all good news which brings us to the obvious question — should you upgrade?

That'll likely depend on what you're coming from of course. If you're coming from an Intel iMac, it's a no-brainer. This M3 chip will blow your mind. The same might be true if you're using an M1 and hitting its limits, too. But in reality, that probably isn't happening all that often. If it was, you'd be running an M2 Pro or M2 Max by now. And, unfortunately, that means the iMac is a non-starter for you regardless of whether the M3 bests the M1. If you need those extra cores one of Apple's Pro or Max chips affords, you're out of luck.

The new iMac M3 looks lovely, doesn’t it? With its M3 chip, colorful line of pastel shades, and matching colored accessories, there’s not much to dislike about the new all-in-one desktop from Apple. Unless, however, you like a bigger screen — it only comes in a 24-inch guise, and now there’s not going to be a 27-inch option. Like, ever.

While Intel-based iMacs came in two different size options, with the 27-inch being the bigger, Apple has now confirmed to the Verge that there will never be an Apple Silicon 27-inch iMac. Shame.

Bigger screens? Maybe…

Speaking to the Verge, Apple PR agent Starlayne Meza confirmed that Apple has no plans for a 27-inch desktop. Instead, customers should apparently check out the Studio display and a Mac mini or Mac Studio, which has a larger display size.

Anyone who’s gone from a relatively small 24-inch screen to a larger 27-inch display knows how much of a difference the bigger screen is. There’s more room for work, letting you do more with your desktop.

It also shifts the iMac from the spot it once held in Apple’s Intel lineup — while there were options for every person in the 21-inch model, the 27-inch machine was a super powerful machine for the professional, used in design labs and art classrooms everywhere. The 24-inch machine is apparently supposed to slip directly in the middle, but its RAM limitations, small screen size, and base M3 chips make it feel like an entry-level Mac for those who don’t want to spend the money on a separate mouse and keyboard.

There are rumors that continue to rumble as to a 32-inch iMac, which could well fill that void, but it is yet to materialize — although we did get a MacBook Air 15-inch, so who knows what the future holds.

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When the 24-inch iMac launched with the other M1 devices in 2020, it was something of a revelation. A statement of intent, that the new Apple silicon chips were going to be the next biggest thing in computing both on the desktop and in your backpack.

Back then, Apple was completely refreshing its product lineup with not only state-of-the-art chips, but a sharp new design language with fewer curves and more straight edges. It was fresh, it was new, and it was, crucially, exciting.

However, fast forward a few years, and the same computer that felt like it was something that would change the world, and yet held on to a kind of reminiscence of a more colorful Apple from yesteryear in 2020, now feels like a rush job that’s been pumped out as customers demand something with more power in 2023.

The M3 iMac, revealed at Apple’s latest ‘Scary Fast’ event, is a boring, uninspired release that doesn’t manage to give you much of a reason to upgrade from the last model beyond slightly better specs. Beyond even that, there are signs in the box that this was rushed — and you need to look no further than at the accessories that come in the box.

Where’s the USB-C?

While the iMac itself is smothered with USB-C ports (and by smothered we mean ‘four’), the accessories that it comes with are not. They still use the now-discontinued Lightning connector for charging — and that’s not just disappointing, it’s a clear sign that the iMac was rushed.

See, a more thought-through iMac would present Apple with the opportunity to bring USB-C to its accessories, like the Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse. As the company moves all of its products to the new port, such as its iPhones and its AirPods, it feels bizarre that the accessories that come with a Mac with a high pricetag, don’t have USB-C bring the whole product line up to speed.

It’s this decision from Apple that makes the new M3 iMac feel cynical. It’s not due to the reused design — that was expected. Apple has been using the same chassis for incremental updates for years, from the old iMacs of the nineties to years and years' worth of identical aluminum MacBook Pros. The chassis reuse doesn’t sting because:

1. It still looks beautiful

2. Research and development for a brand-new design takes loads of time and money, so this means that Apple can save money and put it into other areas.

Areas you’d hope would go into new USB-C accessories. Alas, while Apple just stuck a new chip into an old iMac and called it a day to save money, where that money went remains a mystery — as does where those USB-C accessories may be.

Where are the USB-C accessories?

Apple has been pivoting to USB-C for some time now. It began with the ports arriving on the MacBook and Mac lines in 2015, then moved to the iPad tablets with the Pro in 2018.

From there, it stalled for a while, before arriving in the iPhone 15 in September. Since then, we’ve seen the AirPods Pro 2 receive the USB-C port in a small update — so it would stand to reason that the accessories you get with your brand-new, M3 iMac would get the same.

Instead, we seem to have stalled again. There were rumors in the run-up to the announcement that Apple would be including USB-C accessories in the box, alongside apparently more realistic rumors that came to pass. The AirPods Pro 2 shows that adding in a new port isn’t all that hard, bringing the AirPods line into the present alongside the iPhone 15.

When we’ll see USB-C accessories remains to be seen. It must be something that is happening. Apple can’t hold on to the lightning port for all that much longer, one would’ve thought, but here we are, with a brand new device with lightning ports.

A boring, rushed release.

The new iMac feels boring because, beyond the new M3 chip, there aren’t all that many new spec bumps. The same 24GB of RAM is on offer, and the storage options remain unchanged. No new colors, no new stands, nothing.

If nothing else, just remember how tacked on the launch of the computer felt during the event. Three minutes or so that in essence said ‘Oh, and the new iMac is going to have the M3 too! Here’s how much it will cost. Same colors by the way. Happy Halloween!’ It’s disappointing that the iMac, a lovely computer, has been treated like this.

The other new releases got plenty of screen time, with the 14-inch M3 being the star of the show. The iMac deserves better — and its accessories deserve USB-C.

After almost three years of no updates, Apple's 24-inch iMac was finally updated in October 2023 with a new M3 chip and better Bluetooth and WiFi features.

When the M1 iMac first arrived in April 2021, it was a big redesign of Apple's all-in-one computer. There were two Intel-based models that more or less had the same aluminum-silver appearance for over five years.

Instead, it was a mix of seven bright colors, a powerful M1 chip, alongside a Touch ID keyboard and mouse peripherals to match the color you picked out.

But what are the big differences between the M1 and M3 models? With this in mind, we've compared both iMacs to see what's new in 2023.

iMac (2023) vs iMac (2021): Specs

The big differences between the two iMac models are what's inside. On the outside, you get the same great design and colors. But when you look further, there are plenty of differences to consider an upgrade.

The jump from M1 to M3 will be the biggest difference between the two models. Apple touted in its 'Scary Fast' event that the CPU cores in M3 are 30% faster than the M1 chip, while its efficiency cores are 50% faster than M1 while using half the power.

The 10-core GPU in the M3 is a massive 65% faster than the M1 chip. So, when it comes to gaming, you could benefit from higher frame rates and the new hardware-accelerated ray tracing that's part of these new chips. Apple also said that the M3 chip is up to 2x faster than the M1 iMac, alongside being up to 2.5x faster than the old 27.5-inch Intel iMac models.

Other improvements also come in the form of WiFi and Bluetooth. It's a slight jump from Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) to Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax). This means that if you have a compatible wireless router and very fast internet, you'll be able to reap the rewards of a faster connection with this new iMac.

These are huge improvements on the 2021 model. So, if you're looking at a desktop iMac that can almost do it all, from video editing to gaming, the M3 iMac is the Mac for you.

iMac (2023) vs iMac (2021): What's new

Most of the new features this year involve the insides of the iMac (2023) model, and it's not just the M3 chip.

M3

There's almost a three-year difference between the M1 chip and the new M3 series. For this new iMac, you get a 30% increase compared to M1, alongside hardware-accelerated ray-tracing for games. This is where light and shadows can reflect off objects in real-time as you explore a huge world for example.

Memory

A new 24GB memory option is available thanks to the M3 chip. So if you do a lot of video editing in Final Cut Pro or photo editing in Adobe Photoshop, the extra memory could help in these workflows.

Wireless

Faster Wi‑Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connections for internet and connecting to wireless devices that also have the same Bluetooth spec.

iMac (2023) vs iMac (2021): Design

The colors remain the same here, which may disappoint some who were hoping for some new shades.

As before, you can choose between:

• Blue
• Green
• Pink
• Silver
• Yellow (Available on the iMac with four ports)
• Orange (Available on the iMac with four ports)
• Purple (Available on the iMac with four ports)

It's still a great selection of colors, but keep in mind that Yellow, Orange and Purple are still exclusive to the iMac models with two USB 3 ports.

iMac (2023) vs iMac (2021): Which should you buy?

When it comes down to this, it's an easy decision. The M3 iMac is far more powerful than the M1 iMac that was released back in 2021.

You get the same great design as before, but you get all the improvements that Apple touted back at its 'Scary Fast' event. From hardware-accelerated ray tracing to a 30% performance increase on the M1, there's a lot to like here.

Granted, it's a shame that the mouse and keyboard peripherals still use a Lightning port, but at least there's a USB-C to Lightning wire included in the new iMacs.

If you were biding your time to upgrade to a brand new iMac, the time is now, thanks to its powerful M3 chip and all-in-one design.

While for some people, the M3 MacBooks are the most exciting releases from the ‘Scary Fast’ Apple event, others loved the announcement of a brand new iMac computer. The iMac with M3 is the first new iMac model since 2021’s M1 iMac, and while it looks very similar to the older models, this one has some big improvements under the hood.

There’s a new stand, for one, and then there’s the piece de resistance — the 3nm created M3 chip. That’s a pretty big upgrade, all things considered, and now you’ll want to know where and when you can get one. At the moment the iMac is up for preorder: And we know just where to look.

What’s new?

The new iMac M3 comes with the new M3 chip for a very potent upgrade, making it 2x as fast as the M1 model. This one has the same 4.5K Retina display as the old one, although the beefier processor will allow for slightly more RAM. There's also increased storage.

Where to look first

• iMac M3 preorder at Amazon
• iMac M3 preorder at B&H Photo
• iMac M3 preorder at Apple
• iMac M3 preorder at Target

Preorder iMac M3

Preorder Q&A

Apple has just unveiled its brand new M3 iMac in the same seven colors as the previous model at its October Scary Fast event. 

The new iMac is the same as the previous model, featuring a 24-inch 4.5k Retina display, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, a six-speaker sound system, studio quality mics, and Touch ID.

The new M3 chip is built on the 3nm process and features hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Its CPU cores are 30% faster than the M1 chip, and its efficiency cores are 50% faster than M1 while using half the power. The 10-core GPU is 65% faster than the M1 chip. Overall, Apple says M3 is up to 2x faster than the M3 iMac, and up to 2.5x faster than its old 27.5-inch Intel models. It's also 4x faster than the old 21.5-inch iMac, so this is a massive iMac upgrade no matter what you're coming from. 

The M3 iMac features Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, up to 24GB of Unified memory, and up to 2TB of storage. 

The new iMac starts at $1,299 in the U.S. for the 8-core CPU or $1,499 for the 10-core version. Both feature 8GB of Unified Memory and a 256GB SSD, as well as two Thunderbolt ports, two USB 3 ports, a Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Gigabit Ethernet. They're available to pre-order from today and will be released on November 7. 

M1 iMac

The M1 iMac first debuted in April 2021 and was the second desktop Mac to benefit from M1 after the Mac mini. While M1's power and efficiency rendered it a great fit for Apple's stylish all-in-one, the desktop has remained an afterthought ever since. It's great to see a new one finally hitting shelves soon. 

Just days before it hold its Mac October event, a top insider has revealed everything that Apple plans to unveil at the event. 

The Scary Fast event will take place on Monday, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Apple’s new Macs come “at a critical moment for Apple” citing the PC market slump ending and burgeoning competition. 

So what will Apple announce on Monday? Gurman says we can expect “fresh MacBook Pro laptops and iMac desktops” with new chips, but that these likely “won’t have a radical new look.” Let’s get into the details.

The event slate 

According to Gurman, Apple is preparing new “high-end MacBook Pros”, likely the M3 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, that “will probably include speedier new M3 Pro and M3 Max processors.” The M3 Pro processor could have 12 cores, six high-performance, and six high-efficiency. The GPU will have 18 cores, so two more of each than the M2 Pro. however, Gurman says there’s also an M3 Pro chip in testing with 14 CPU cores and 30 graphics cores, so who knows which one we might see? M3 Max will reportedly feature 16 main cores and 40 graphics cores. There are also new RAM configurations including 24 and 48GB options. 

The other big story is the M3 iMac, which isn’t getting a “bold new design” and will look “nearly identical to the existing versions.” The new 24-inch iMac will have a slightly changed stand and internals, and new colors are a possibility. According to Gurman, this will feature the M3 iMac with 8 CPU cores and 10 graphics cores.

Apple is also “likely” to unveil new USB-C versions of its trackpad, mouse, and keyboard. 

That all confirms Gurman’s previous assertion that the 13-inch MacBook Pro, 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air, new iPads, and new AirPods are all being saved for 2024. With the event just a few days away we don’t have long to see Apple's next best MacBook come to life. 

More from iMore

• Apple M3 13-inch MacBook Pro: Release date rumors, news, and ...
• Apple M3 chip: release date rumors, news, and more
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Apple’s M1 iMac could finally be replaced by a brand new model at Apple’s Scary Fast event on October 30, and the M3 iMac could come with some welcome improvements.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the stand holding that big display up may be refined. But Gurman also says that the bright colors will remain the same, so don’t expect some new shades next week.

The M1 iMac was released way back in April 2021, and it was one of the first desktop Macs that ran on Apple silicon. While it had the same chip as the MacBook Air at the time, it was still a huge upgrade over the previous Intel iMac.

But it’s been an unusually long wait for an iMac upgrade. We’ve seen the Mac Studio arrive, redesigned MacBook Pros, and more. So this upgrade is a long time coming for those who have been wanting to move on from their older iMacs.

Long overdue —  iMore’s Take

Rumors are mixed on whether this new iMac will have an M2 or a new M3 chip but any upgrade over the M1 chip is good news. We’re fast approaching three years since the M1 iMac appeared, and this beats the previous record of another iMac between upgrades.

The 4K Intel iMac arrived in March 2019 and was discontinued once the M1 iMac arrived in 2021. That’s at 25 months, and if these new iMacs are announced this week, it’ll be 30 months.

So whether Apple has had issues in deciding on the right chip for these new iMacs, or a new design, it makes sense to see a new one now regardless. The present iMacs are looking old in a lineup full of M2 and M2 Max Macs.

With 2023 being the 25th anniversary of the iMac, it only makes sense to see a new model arrive before the year wraps up.

More from iMore

• Apple M3 chip: release date rumors, news, and more
• This touchscreen iMac G3 prototype from 1999 is random but spectacular
• Best iMac to buy in 2023 so far

There has been much ado about new iPads launching in October with an iPad event, but it seems like that isn't going to happen. What is likely to happen, however, according to a new report, is a Mac event at the end of October, which will likely bring in a new iMac and MacBook Pro models.

The information comes from Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter. Gurman says that iMacs and MacBook Pros are in very tight supply online and at retail stores and that we may see new models launch soon. Apple is apparently gearing up for a Mac event at the end of this month.

M3 refresh at the October Mac event?

Gurman notes that iMac and MacBook Pro models are in short supply ahead of a launch event planned at the end of October. This event is likely to refresh the iMac, which hasn't seen an upgrade since its Apple Silicon revival back in 2021. MacBook Pro models will also likely get a refresh at the same event.

Gurman says the iMac refresh has taken this long because of plans for a pro-focused iMac, which fell through.

Gurman wrote, "This was never the plan. Apple had aimed to release a larger, pro-focused iMac soon after the 24-inch iMac launched. Under the original road map, you would have seen the M1 24-inch iMac, then an M2-based iMac Pro and, finally, a 24-inch iMac refresh.

I’m told that the company tabled the iMac Pro plan a while ago due to cost concerns. So Apple has had to adjust."

The MacBook Pro is also seeing a shipping delay currently, with some configurations showing delivery dates that go into mid-November. Gurman says that's a clear sign for a potential refresh.

It's possible both the iMac and MacBook Pro models (13-, 14-, and 16-inch) will all get M3 family chips. Gurman says Apple has made progress on the 14- and 16-inch models with M3 chips, unlike the MacBook Air models which are due for 2024. 

Gurman expects the Mac event to occur on October 30 or 31, so if you're planning on getting the best Mac, you might want to wait for this announcement.

A new report into Apple’s long-awaited M3 iMac upgrade has revealed that the mythical beast could be coming in 2024. However, if you’re serious about all-in-one desktop performance, you might want to consider waiting until 2025 and a rumored 32-inch mini-LED iMac. If you’re patient, of course.

We’ve been waiting on a new iMac ever since the original M1 version came out way back in 2021. The ‘new’ iMac, with its lovely thin, colorful design, was one of the earliest Macs to get Apple silicon but has remained untouched and unloved by Apple ever since. 

Last we heard, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had tipped the iMac to go into mass production in the middle of the year, shipping in the second half of 2023. Now, however, it seems all but confirmed that we’ll be waiting until at least 2024 instead.

M3 iMac when? 

Reporting on X Tuesday, Ming-Chi Kuo has provided a new “prediction update” stating that 1) a new 24-inch iMac is coming in 2024, and 2) a “higher-end 32-inch mini LED display iMac” is coming in 2025. 

Regarding the former, we’re expecting this iMac to maintain the same design and 4,5K Retina display. All of the changes will be internal, and there are even reports that Apple might retain the same color lineup as the current one. The headline change should be a new M3 Apple silicon processor. This is the first Mac chip made on the new 3mn process, packing more transistors into the same space for increased power and efficiency. Apple’s A17 Pro, which powers the new iPhone 15 Pro, also made with the 3nm process, is a good indication of the performance and configuration we can expect. 

Perhaps more excitingly, however, is the second tease, that of a high-end 32-inch iMac. This sounds very much like a reboot of the beloved iMac Pro from back in the day. That had a 27-inch display, so a 32-inch upgrade would be a significant screen real estate increase. It also makes a lot of sense given it’s likely to adopt a similar design as the M1 model with the thinner bezels. 

Mini-LED is the technology that powers Apple’s best iPad, the iPad Pro, along with the potent 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. Not only would that upgrade provide blistering levels of brightness and detail, it might also pave the way for a 120Hz ProMotion display, although you’d have to imagine a 32-inch panel of that magnitude would cost an absolute fortune. 

2025 is a long time to wait, and we might well be talking about M4 Apple silicon chips by then. In the meantime, the M3 iMac now expected next year should be a welcome upgrade for Apple desktop lovers.

More from iMore

• iMac (2021) review: Color me impressed with Apple's M1 desktop ...
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As we get closer to the end of 2023 we're still left wondering what will be announced before 2024 rolls around. There are still question marks over a number of Apple's products and lineups., but the 24-inch iMac is one of the more interesting.

The M1 24-inch iMac has now been around for a good long while — it launched in April 2021 — and is overdue a refresh. That isn't to say that we haven't heard rumors here and there and there's a new one just dropped, but it flies entirely in the face of what we'd been told to expect. On the positive side, everyone seems to agree that a new iMac is coming.

But what will that new iMac be and more to the point, what chip will be inside? That's something that has been thrown into doubt with previous M3 assumptions now potentially wrong. With confusion surrounding the next iMac, what's going on with this computer?

No Apple M3 this time out?

We've been hearing rumors of the 24-inch iMac being one of the first to use a new M3 chip based on TSMC's 3nm fabrication process. But a new report by the Japanese site MacOtakara claims that might not be the case after all.

That report notes that some configurations of the M1 iMac are showing long delivery times at some retailers, suggesting that inventory is being sold through before a new model arrives. That's a possibility to be sure. but delivery estimates for hardware aren't always the best predictor of what Apple has planned. However, the report goes a step further by saying that Apple intends to ship the new iMac with M2 and M2 Pro chips inside — that means no M3 Apple silicon. Not this year, at least.

The move would be interesting in a couple of ways. The most obvious is that we've been expecting an upgrade to the M3 chip that is still yet to be unveiled. But the suggestion the iMac will offer M2 and M2 Pro silicon would be a departure from the current model. The iMac sold today only comes in an M1 configuration, with no M1 Pro option offered in the iMac lineup.

Silicon confusion

With everyone seemingly in agreement that a new iMac is in the cards, the only real question is what chip will power it. Normally we'd expect an M3 iMac to be joined by a new 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro but we've already been told not to expect that to happen until next year.

If that's the case, would Apple launch the iMac as the very first Mac with an M3 chip? it isn't beyond the realms of possibility, but if the M3 is ready for primetime why not launch the laptops as well?

With that context, it makes more sense than ever that the 24-inch iMac could get the M2 refresh we all assumed would never happen. And if that's the case, when will it be upgraded to M3?

Beyond all of that, there's the iMac Pro situation that continues to be less than clear. Apple's pro-level desktops are a mess right now, with the Mac Studio and Mac Pro essentially being the same machine with wildly different price points. I'd love to see a new iMac Pro (or iMac Studio, perhaps?) running an Mx Max or Mx Ultra in the future. But for now, let's wait and see what happens at the bottom of the lineup. Because for once the iMac's colors aren't the biggest question mark surrounding the next refresh — it's what's on the inside that counts.

Apple recently unveiled the next best iPhone series, the iPhone 15. One of the biggest changes with this generation is the USB-C port, which has finally replaced the aging Lightning connector. The immediate follow-up question has been — When will the rest of Apple's Lightning products get the USB-C treatment?

So far, in addition to the iPhone 15, Apple has also upgraded the AirPods Pro 2 to USB-C. However, there are still a bunch of Apple accessories that have the Lightning port, including the Magic accessories for Mac. In his latest Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman revealed that Apple would be updating the Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboard will arrive alongside the next iMac.

AirPods and AirPods Max likely to follow

Gurman has previously talked about the next iMac, which is likely going to be revealed in October. We've heard that it's going to be powered by the next-gen M3 chips, and it looks like the new iMac will also mark the USB-C transition for Mac accessories.

Apple's Magic accessories, the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad, currently come with the Lightning port. With the next iMac set to be the first launch after Apple's iPhone USB-C transition, these accessories are set to get the USB-C treatment next.

Gurman also noted that the standard AirPods are likely to get the USB-C upgrade in 2024. He also confirmed that the AirPods Pro are also due for the USB-C upgrade, although he didn't say when those would arrive.

The USB-C transition for the Magic accessories, especially the Magic Mouse, is going to be interesting. The current version has the Lightning port at the bottom, which has been a subject of ridicule for years. With the transition finally set to change the port, it remains to be seen whether Apple will finally change the location of the port on the Magic Mouse.

Apple has been skirting the idea of foldable MacBooks, iPhones, and even iMacs before, and this latest patent, spotted by Patently Apple, doesn’t use a folding display, but a folding glass panel at the bottom for a super sleek-looking all-in-one desktop.

It is but a patent, however, so it’s unlikely we’ll see something like it anytime soon, but as a proof of concept for Apple it’s a pretty snazzy-looking piece of future tech.

Folding ‘desktops’?

Yes, we’ve already seen folding laptops and phones (and we mean where the screen folds, not the traditional hinge design that’s been around for donkey’s years), but we haven’t yet seen any folding desktops. This patent lays out Apple’s plan for just that — although it seems like there’s going to be a twist on the smoothly folding hinge design.

Rather than folding the screen, the whole of the front of the device will be a glass panel that folds at the bottom for a kind of sweeping desktop look. A keyboard and trackpad can be slid out from behind the device, out of a rear stand that supports the iMac, and then placed on the desk-bound portion of the folding front.

It looks extremely sleek, and the patent goes on to note the uses of the folding portion of the screen. For one, it will take up less desk space when folded, allowing for a smaller footprint. It can also be used to adjust the angle of the screen, so that you could get the iMac at the perfect (almost — we’ll get to that later) angle, and it could even make it easier to cart around the house, or the office.

Not that this is a portable device, however — there’s no mention of batteries in the patent. The future is unlikely to hold a portable iMac.

Folding iMac — iMore’s take

We can all agree that the iMac in the patent looks cool, right? Like a computer from the future, all smooth lines and folding tech. It would have a cool presence on the desk, with that swooping lower portion.

The problem (and we said we’d get back to this) is adjustability. There is a note in the patent for angular adjustment, to make sure that you can see the screen depending on the lighting parameters of your space, but there’s no height adjustment. Now, granted, there’s no height adjust on the stand for a current model M1 iMac, but you can at least stick that one on a book to make it stand a little taller, or mount it on Vesa arm so that you can better change the position of the monitor. 

This one, however, seems too wide to go on a book (unless you’ve got one of those massive coffee table books filled with pictures of mountains), and given the nature of the folding section on the bottom, it seems unlikely that it will support Vesa mounting.

It is a cool idea — one that if a reality will not come for some time. As with all Apple patents, it is more a statement of what the firm might want to do at some, made into an official document so that no one else can do the idea first. The Apple patent list is a list of ‘what-ifs’, and it’s likely that this one will stay just that.

One that’s happening for certain, however, is the Apple event on September 12. There’s unlikely to be a new iMac (unfortunately), but there is definitely going to be a new line of iPhones — the iPhone 15 and its family to be exact.

The iPad has been around for a long time at this point but plenty of people would still rather a touchscreen Mac running macOS than a tablet running iPadOS. And while Apple doesn't seem keen to make that happen, that doesn't mean that a touchscreen Mac has never existed. Because it very much did.

Not only was there a touchscreen iMac, but it was based on perhaps the most iconic iMac ever — the iMac G3. And someone got their hands on one.

YouTuber Michael MJD was able to get hold of a touchscreen iMac G3 and put it through its paces and, surprisingly, this 1999 touchscreen iMac works pretty well.

Getting touchy with an iMac

The story goes that while Apple didn't produce any touchscreen iMacs, some companies did. They were part of the Apple Value Added Reseller program which allowed them to take Apple hardware and then add features to them. In the case of a company called Elo, touchscreen capabilities were added to a standard iMac G3.

It's thought that the modified iMacs were built to be used as kiosk machines with custom software, but this one appears to be running standard Apple fare. And it works surprisingly well given the technology at play back in 1999.

Anyone expecting iPad Pro-levels of touch responsiveness should look elsewhere of course, but there's a case to be made for this being the best Mac you could buy at the turn of the century.

Unlike some competing companies, Elo's iTouch technology didn't layer anything over the iMac's display in order to make the touchscreen magic work. The technology is explained in the video so we won't spoil anything here, but the result is an incredibly clean installation that even Jony Ive himself might have been proud of.

Whether or not we'll see a touchscreen iMac like this in the future is anyone's guess, but if we do, it certainly won't be the first.

Having an old Mac around to do random tasks is often useful. Do some network file storage, run HomeBridge to extend your smart home capabilities, or just have a computer around for focused writing; the possibilities are endless!

To mark its 20th anniversary in 2023, we’re going way back in Mac history to try using what some would call the best-looking Mac ever made, the G4 iMac.

Is it still useful all these years after release, or is it just a beautiful object that looks nice on a shelf but is useless on a desk?

It’s still absolutely gorgeous

Just look at this thing! We’ll get into the specs and what it can actually do shortly, but there are very few computers ever made that are as aesthetically iconic as this iMac. On the one hand, the bezels are pretty big, the screen is very low DPI, and it makes a lot of noise when it’s running. But all that said, this thing still looks *great* on my desk. I’ve got a 27” 4K 144Hz monitor that is certainly better in every technical way, but this all-in-one design still rips and I won’t be hearing arguments to the contrary.

While busting out almost any other PC from 20+ years ago will result in shock at the ugliness of that old yellow-gray box, this iMac genuinely looks better than my current setup.

Performance is pretty abysmal

Let’s run through the nitty-gritty specs on this Mac:

• 700MHz G4 single-core processor
• 256MB RAM
• 40GB hard drive (5,400 RPM)
• 15” 1024x768 display (85ppi)
• NVIDIA GeForce2 MX GPU with 32MB RAM

Computers usually go from being awesome (when new), to slow and then unusable, and I would say 21 years is squarely lands you in the “unusable” part of the spectrum.

This iMac is running Mac OS X Tiger (10.4) which might have been the first truly great version of macOS (Spotlight and Dashboard introduced, as well as the first version of macOS to run on Intel). It’s the last version of macOS you could install on this model and today the hardware is definitely struggling to function. Even the most basic tasks, such as opening Finder windows, take forever to happen by today’s standards.

There is one thing that this Mac can do that my modern MacBook Pro can’t, though, and that’s burning CDs without a trip to Dongletown and an external disc drive. Sadly this also takes forever as the years have not been kind to this physical component. Ripping a single album was remarkably slow, with tracks importing slower than real-time. This didn’t take nearly as long 20 years ago, and it’s a bit of a shame that this classic “Rip. Mix. Burn.” workflow is pretty rough these days.

On the plus side, I was able to plug in my Keychron Q1 keyboard and Logitech MX Master 3S USB dongle and use these modern accessories perfectly well. While so many computer and smartphone accessories become unusable in a few years when software updates run out, it’s refreshing to see devices made decades apart work wonderfully together.

The internet has moved on

The biggest issue I ran into on this computer was getting anything at all onto this machine in the first place. Yes, Mac OS X Tiger has Safari, and you can install Firefox or Camino on it if you prefer, but the big issue you're going to run into is that almost no website today will even load.

The issue isn't that sites look bad since they're using CSS and Javascript that hadn't been invented when this computer was last updated, it's actually a matter of security. Modern TLS standards (aka the reason sites show "https" in their URL) simply don't trust this old machine enough to let it even load the site in the first place. As such, entering almost any site into Safari or Firefox on this machine just leads to a loading spinner that says "connecting…" for a few minutes before just giving up.

There are a few exceptions here, such as Google, which still does run very well on this ancient hardware. Now of course, the issue is that clicking almost any link or image in the search results will get you to run into the same "connecting…" issue, but it's something! There are also some websites dedicated to preserving old software, such as Macintosh Garden and Old Version, both of which will actually load as you'd expect.

Customizing Mac OS X

Younger Mac fans may not remember, but there were many years when you could completely change the look of your Mac's interface, and the most powerful app for doing this back then was called Shapeshifter.

This app lets you install custom themes for the entire system, new mouse cursors, and custom icon packs. Today you can choose one of eight accent colors, and that's basically it. Shapeshifter really let you go wild and make your Mac look like anything you wanted.

In these modern times, we talk about things like Weather and Mastodon apps as being colorful and as fun to use as being in a playground, but two decades ago we were playing around with *everything* in the OS. Some were hideous, and some look shockingly like what macOS looks like today, and Shapeshifter let you do whatever you wanted.

Sadly, two decades after the release of this iconic iMac, it’s not a particularly practical device for much of anything. It is undeniably gorgeous, and I adore how my desk looks with it sitting on top of it, but it’s just not suited to much these days.

Maybe if all you want to do is write on it without having all the distractions of a modern computer then it might be nice, but that’s about it. It’s not a practical machine anymore, but it’s a damn good-looking one.

Apple has a new chip on the horizon. As the M2 gets older, it's almost time for the Apple Silicon M3 to come around. It looks like we may get it as early as October as well. In his latest Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman said that Apple is looking at unveiling the M3 later this year, in October, with an iMac refresh.

The iMac will be the first Mac to get the M3 treatment, which makes sense, given that it skipped an M2 refresh. This will be the first refresh for the iMac since its launch back in 2021, which came with the M1 and an all-new design.

MacBook Air and Pro to get M3 later

Apple is set to hold a September event to unveil the next best iPhone, the iPhone 15. However, Gurman says Apple has another launch in October, likely for Macs, more specifically the M3 iMac.

Gurman wrote, "Now that Apple has gotten the 15-inch MacBook Air and new M2 Ultra-based Macs out the door, the October launch could feature the first Macs with M3 chips. October is too early for new high-end MacBook Pros or desktops, so the first beneficiaries of the new chip should be the next iMac, 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro."

It's likely that the next MacBook Air is at least another year away, so it would be likely that the MacBook Pro with M3 chips arrives earlier in 2024, and the MacBook Air later in the year. A design change doesn't seem to be on the cards for any of these Macs, however, so it likely will just be a chip upgrade.

Gurman also commented that the iPad is unlikely to be featured at this launch. The iPad Pro will get the M3 and OLED screens with a refresh due in 2024. So for 2023, it looks like we may be looking at an iMac refresh in addition to the regularly scheduled iPhone and Apple Watch refreshes.

Apple has a rather solid lineup of Macs right now, with all having transitioned to Apple Silicon. It seems Apple has more models coming soon. A couple of weeks ago, Mark Gurman said in his Power On newsletter that Apple was working on an even bigger iMac, and now we have some more information on this supersized iMac.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that the iMac Apple is working on, could be a 32-inch model. Gurman had previously confirmed that the iMac will have a screen size of over 30 inches, and the 32-inch size seems to be one of the possible sizes Apple could go with.

The bigger iMac isn't coming all that soon

Gurman has again confirmed that this iMac is under early development, which means it won't arrive until late 2024 or early 2025. The iMac is currently running an M1 chip with no M2 upgrade in sight. There is, however, an iMac M3 refresh set to arrive later in the year.

With this bigger iMac set for launch quite a while later, it will be interesting to see which chip it will use. It's possible that Apple could put in an M3 chip as it did with the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air. It's also possible that the launch may get pushed enough to get an even newer chip, given how the timeline on this iMac is not quite concrete yet.

Gurman didn't share any details about the display. Apple currently sells a 32-inch screen, the Pro Display XDR. While this iMac display is unlikely to match the specifications of the Pro Display XDR, we can expect the resolution to stay the same since it's the appropriate Retina resolution for the size. So the supersized iMac will more likely than not come with a 6K resolution screen, beating out the 5K resolution we've seen on the 27-inch iMac.

The new iMac isn't due to join the ranks of the best Macs anytime soon, so there is at least one more iMac release coming before it launches. The screen size may also change, but a 32-inch iMac seems like a sweet spot for the next iMac.

Anyone waiting to pick up a new iMac until it gets a refresh might not have to wait all that much longer, according to a new report.

The current 24-inch iMac has been around for some time now and remains powered by Apple's M1 chip. It now looks increasingly likely that the M2 version of Apple's silicon is going to be skipped entirely, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes that an M3 chip-powered iMac will arrive within months.

There is one question, though — will the new iMac also have other chips on offer?

Apple's best 24-inch iMac yet

The 24-inch iMac is one of the best Macs for people who want a desktop machine right now, despite its now aging M1 chip. Writing in the weekly Power On newsletter, Gurman says that it's about to get an M3-flavored upgrade. But don't expect a huge change in terms of design, we're told. Gurman believes that the updated M3 iMac "won’t be a major update."

However, unlike the M1 iMac, Gurman suggests there might be a chance that the M3 variant will also offer a chip upgrade in the form of the M3 Pro. "The big question for me is if the new iMac will come in an M3 Pro variation — something that I think would be a plus for desktop gamers, developers, and media editors," Gurman notes. It isn't yet clear if that's based on any insider knowledge or just wishful thinking, however.

As for when the new M3 iMac will debut, Gurman says that it is likely to arrive towards the end of 2023 or in the early parts of 2024.

Gurman also believes that Apple is working on a larger 30-inch iMac, but that it won't ship for some time yet.

As for your own buying decision, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a Mac Prime Day deal if you're looking to bag a new iMac bargain.

After the recent launch of the Apple Vision Pro, the company is gearing up to launch more products. Barring any surprise events, we will likely see Apple unveil the next iPhone in September. Apple usually also unveils new Apple Watch models alongside the iPhones. It appears we're also getting a second-generation Apple Watch Ultra alongside the Apple Watch Series 9 this year. 

In the latest Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman revealed that an Apple Watch Ultra refresh is due this year. Gurman also revealed that a larger iMac, with a screen size of over 30 inches is in early development.

A bunch of new Apple products are on the way

Gurman discussed what Apple will do now that the long-awaited mixed-reality headset has finally been revealed. With the iPhone 15 lineup set to launch in September, Gurman says new Apple Watch models will be launched alongside.

He wrote, "In addition to the iPhone 15 lineup this fall, there will be two Apple Watch Series 9 models and an updated version of the Ultra (the watches are codenamed N207, N208 and N210)."

There was some uncertainty around whether the Apple Watch Ultra would be on an annual update cycle. Since the product is relatively expensive, it would've made sense if Apple took a longer upgrade cycle with it. However, it looks like we're about to get the second-generation model in a year.

Gurman also revealed the other products that were under development and would be arriving later, which include a larger iMac with a screen size that will be over 30 inches.

• An M3 13-inch MacBook Pro
• M3 Pro and M3 Max 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros
• 24-inch iMacs
• A new 30-inch iMac
• New MacBook Air models
• OLED iPad Pro
• A new iPad Air

Gurman also said that third-generation AirPods, smart displays, and an improved Apple TV box are also being developed. The 30-inch iMac is the most interesting one of the bunch. It's likely that it will be a part of the M3 or M4 cycle. The iMac Pro hasn't been refreshed since the Intel days, so it will be interesting to see if this iMac refresh includes a Pro model to join the lineup of the best Macs out there.

Apple cut its teeth making powerful desktop computers. Machines with enough power for complex, demanding tasks that use the extra space of your desk to pack themselves full of the kind of options that creators and developers demand. The current Mac range are some of the most powerful computers that Apple has ever released, with a plethora of potent options to consider.

It can, however, be tricky to work out which Mac will suit your needs. Do you need the incredible power of the most expensive models, or can you make do with something slightly cheaper? How much RAM do you need? How much space do you have for the Mac to fit under your monitor?

With most of the options here you'll have to add in one of the best Mac monitors so that you can actually see what you do, and while there's the option to add a keyboard to them in the Apple Store, you should check out the best keyboards for Mac so that you get the perfect board for you. We'll be looking at the whole Mac range here, from the Mac mini to the Mac Studio and beyond. We've compared every model — so let's get started.

Quick list

Best Mac desktop

The newest machine on the list, the Mac mini, is a tiny powerhouse. Well, maybe it's not the smallest computer out there; there are smaller Mac mini alternatives after all, but it’s still a compact computer with plenty of power on top for a great price.

Starting at $599, the Mac mini is one of the best-value Macs. That price can raise as you start adding in more RAM, a bigger hard drive, and a more powerful processor, but it’s never going to become quite as unaffordable as some of the other options in the Mac lineup.

It runs on the M2 chip, and you can upgrade to the M2 Pro if you want something with a little more poke. The base model chip comes with a 10-core GPU as well, so it’s actually a fairly competent little gaming box if you can find games that run on Apple silicon. It’s also more than the chip that comes in the base model MacBook Air M2, so you’re getting extra power for a cheaper price. You don’t get a keyboard or screen, however; as with most, but not all, of the machines here.

This is our favorite Mac for its incredible value. It got the highest honors in our review, five stars, and it ranked very highly in our list of the best Macs. There are plenty of ports on the back for your peripherals, and it keeps up surprisingly well with other, more powerful machines in the lineup. If you’re looking for the best Mac at a great price, this is the Mac to go for.

iMore’s best Config:

Best Mac desktop for professionals

If you want the most powerful Mac you can lay your hands on without spending the megabucks required for the Mac Pro, then the Mac Studio is exactly what you're after. It's still not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but for the amount of power on offer, it's surprisingly well-priced.

Powered by the M2 Ultra and the M2 Max chips, the Studio is one of the most powerful Macs that you can buy today. They'll make their way through even the toughest of tasks with relative ease, perfect for creators and developers with intensive workloads. Match them with some of the massive RAM options (up to 192GB) and you've got a recipe for a monster.

We think it's a pretty good-looking machine as well, with an understated and professional-looking design and a small footprint. There are loads of different ports as well, from the pair of USB-C ports on the front flanked by an SD card slot to the rear with four thunderbolt ports, an ethernet jack, two type A connectors and an HDMI port.

This is the freshest version of the Mac Studio, and it will be unlikely that we see a new one anytime soon. When we do, it's likely that you'll be looking at one containing new versions of the M3 chips, with Max and Ultra options available.

Best looking Mac Desktop: 24-inch iMac

The iMac is one of Apple's most recognizable machines, and the most recent versions harken back to the computer's past with their myriad colors available. It's all-in-one, which means that the computer is housed in the same chassis as a monitor, so you don't need to add anything extra to get working. We absolutely love the way this thing looks, from its unbelievably thin chassis to its stunning color options and beyond. Those color options do depend on the chip that you choose, unfortunately, as some of the colors are only available if you choose one of the more powerful higher-end models.

Recently updated with the new M3 chips, the iMac is again a powerful option if you don't need the beef of the M3 Pro or Max chips. It's an 8-core CPU with a powerful GPU on board, ready to almost anything that you could throw at it. More than powerful enough even for some photo and video work as well, and an excellent option for a student who needs a space-saving computer.

It’s well-priced too, although you’ll want to upgrade the RAM in the base model. There’s only 8GB, and if you want to make sure that your new iMac lasts longer then you’ll want to spend the extra $200 on the 16GB RAM option. With it, you’ll be able to multitask better and even have more headroom for graphics performance. The base model costs $1299/£1399, but we’d recommend spending the $1699/£1799 version with a slightly more powerful processor as well.

We need to talk about that screen as well — it's 24-inches, so it's not massive, but its 4.5K resolution is higher than even the best 4K mac monitors. It's bright, colorful, and responsive — just what you need from a Mac display.

This is the most recently refreshed model of the iMac, and we're confident there's not going to be a new version any time soon. You can't go wrong with the M3 version of the iMac, with its stunning design and powerful internals.

iMore’s Best configuration:

The Mac desktop that didn't make the cut

Mac Pro

The Mac Pro remains the most powerful Mac, but it’s also the most expensive, by a country mile. In the best Macs list, we said that the “only people who should be buying it are companies that need ridiculous amounts of power or people with more than sense”, and we’ll stick with that here. It drastically needs an upgrade, and don’t even mention the wheels and feet that cost as much as a Mac mini. At least it looks like there might be another one on the way.

Q&A

There are likely loads of questions that you have as to which Mac is the best Mac for you, what Apple Silicon even is, and where the best place to buy a Mac desktop is. We’ve answered all your questions below so that you can make the most informed decision as to which Mac to buy.

We’ve been long awaiting the arrival of a new iMac, with the latest (read: outdated) release in the all-in-one desktop computing line-up being the colorful 2021 M1 iMac editions. A newly-uncovered patent shows Apple is very much still experimenting with new ideas for future generations of iMac — though it might want to refocus elsewhere if this rather strange idea is anything to go by.

Patent number US 11,630,485 B2 was awarded to Apple this year by the United States Patent Office, and describes a new iMac design that would include rear-facing projection units.

Combining an industrial design that would see the iMac’s main screen component made of a single wraparound piece of glass, the patent describes how projection equipment built into the back of the iMac could be used to extend the computer’s screen to the walls and surfaces behind it.

“In some arrangements, the electronic device may be provided with projecting displays that help enhance the area used for providing a user with visual output,” it reads. 

“The rear housing wall may have a glass portion or another transparent structure through which image sensors and other optical sensors receive light.”

It’s an idea reminiscent of Philips’ Ambilight television range, which includes lights built into the back of the screens to ‘extend’ the scene of the image from a film or TV show onto the walls behind it. More specifically, it apes an idea seen in Philips' AmbiLux 4K TV which I remember first seeing way back in September 2015 at the IFA press conference, which used a pico projector array to add more specific detail to the image extension. But any projection used by an iMac for actual productivity purposes would have to be several magnitudes more defined than that, were it to replace any secondary 4K monitors you may currently be using.

What’s really next for iMac?

This of course is all very much future-gazing stuff, and unlikely to be in the realms of possibility for the line up of iMac devices any time soon. While we all want more screen real estate when working on our Macs, it’s hard to envision the implementation from this patent as being one that would be very practical in use. Can you imagine trying to use it in a well-lit office, for instance? Patents are used just as much to protect ideas from competitors as often as they are seen as precursors to actual products.

That’s not to say that Apple isn’t considering other methods of expanding the usable screen space of a Mac without adding more physical displays to the equation. One of the key rumored use cases for the upcoming Apple VR Reality Pro headset is being able to create virtual screens for your Mac to work on, for instance. We’ll have to see if that proves true come WWDC 2023 — the headset's expected debut stage.

As for the iMac itself, more likely to come next is a new and improved iMac Pro. Long-rumored, it’s thought to appear alongside any announcement of M3 chipsets, and could sport a larger screen than the existing iMac line-up, as well as a Mini LED ProMotion display similar to the top-end 16-inch MacBook Pro series that headlines the best Mac list this year.

The M3 iMac has arrived and it's "Scary Fast". Unveiled at Apple's event on October 30, the upgrade to the 24-inch iMac brings a much-anticipated refresh to everyone's favorite all-in-one computer.

Externally, everything is the same including the color options but internally, there's a brand-new M3 chip that brings huge performance gains over the M1 version from 2021.

The M3 iMac also has some connectivity updates including Wi-Fi 6E and the best bit is the computer starts at the same $1,299 price point as the previous generation.

Here's everything you need to know about the M3 iMac, Apple's best-ever all-in-one desktop.

New iMac: Release date

The new 24-inch iMac is available to pre-order now and will be released on Tuesday, November 7. 

New iMac: Price

The new 24-inch iMac is available with an 8-core GPU starting at $1,299. The 10-core GPU model is $1,499. As per usual, you can add more memory and storage at a fee. 16GB of unified memory is an extra $200, while 24GB is $400. Base storage is 256GB, 512GB of SSD storage is an extra $200, and 1TB is an extra $400. There's a Gigabit Ethernet option for $30, too. 

New iMac: Screen size and display

The 24-inch iMac with M3 features the same 4.5K Retina display as the last model. That means 4480-by-2520 resolution at 218 pixels per inch with support for 1 billion colors and 500 nits of brightness. 

New iMac: M3 Processor

The new M3 processor is the iMac's party piece. It comes with an 8-core CPU (4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores) and either an 8-core or 10-core GPU. 

Both come with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, a 16-core Neural Engine, and 100GB/s memory bandwidth. They also have Apple's Media engine featuring Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW, Video decode engine, ProRes encode and decode engine, and AV1 decode.

Apple says the new M3 is 2x faster than the previous M1 chip found in the previous iMac, and the GPU gains are even more potent thanks to hardware-accelerated ray tracing and dynamic caching. 

New iMac: Design and colors

The new M3 iMac features an identical design to last year's model and all the same colors, too: green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. It's 18.1 inches tall, 21.5 inches wide, and 5.8 inches deep. Although, you'll need to pay for the 10-core CPU model to get yellow, orange, or purple.

New iMac: Ports and connectivity

The new iMac features two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the option for Gigabit Ethernet. The more expensive model features four ports on the back, including an extra two USB 3 ports. The iMac also features Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

New iMac: Other features

The M3 iMac features the same 1080p FaceTime HD camera as the last model, as well as the same six-speaker audio system. 

Apple has been doing a good job updating its Macs, especially since the Apple Silicon transistion began. While we're still waiting for the Mac Pro to get the Apple Silicon refresh to complete the transistion, it looks like we're getting another iMac refresh this year.

Mark Gurman, in his latest Power On newsletter, confirmed that an iMac is advanced stages of development, and we may see it launch in 2023 after all. This refresh will be the first one for the much-loved iMac since it received the Apple Silicon treatment back in April 2021.

iMac refresh enters "engineering validation testing"

Gurman confirmed that the new iMac has proceeded to the next stage in its development. He said that the model will come in the 24-inch size as it currently exists, which means that the 27-inch version likely isn't coming out this year.

Gurman wrote, "I can now share some good news. Apple Inc.’s next iMac desktop is at an advanced stage of development called engineering validation testing, or EVT, and the company is conducting production tests of the machine."

Gurman had recently talked about this iMac, saying that it will most likely come with the M3 chip, skipping the M2 generation. He reiterated this, saying that Apple has developed it on the same timeline as the M3 chip.

Gurman wrote, "The new iMacs will, of course, be more powerful — with a new M-series chip to replace the M1. There also will be some behind-the-scenes changes. The computer will see some of its internal components relocated and redesigned, and the manufacturing process for attaching the iMac’s stand is different."

The new iMac has two models in development, codenamed J433 and J434. They're not expected to go into mass production for at least three months. As such, we won't see this new iMac join the ranks of the best Macs before the second half of 2023.

Apple has been hard at work transitioning its Macs from using Intel chips to its own silicon. The beloved iMac got the Apple Silicon treatment in 2021 with the Apple M1. Now that the M2 family of chips is here, many are expecting Apple to update the iMac with the new chip. However, it looks like an update isn’t coming as soon as we expected.

Mark Gurman said in his latest Power On newsletter that the iMac isn't getting an update until at least towards the end of this year, and that’s likely because it will skip the M2 generation.

No M2 for iMac, but M3 instead

Apple Silicon offers tremendous performance, both per watt and per dollar, which means that Apple can afford not to have to update every single Mac every year or every generation. The M1 chip is still pretty solid, and given the iMac’s positioning as a home and office computer, it makes sense that Apple would skip a generation.

Gurman believes the same and says, “I haven't seen anything to indicate there will be a new iMac until the M3 chip generation, which won't arrive until the tail end of this year at the earliest or next year. So if you want to stick with the iMac, you'll just have to sit tight.”

Apple’s M2 refreshes are all already here, and the next big Mac update will likely be the Mac Pro, which is the final piece in Apple’s transition to its own silicon. With that in mind, it would make sense that Apple is putting an iMac refresh on the back burner.

So if you want to wait until you can buy the latest iMac addition to the best Macs Apple has around, you will have to wait for the iMac to be refreshed with the M3 chip, which could arrive by the end of this year, or early in 2024.

Apple's iMac Pro was a beloved desktop behemoth that packed in the all-in-one convenience of Apple's iMac range with awesome processing power and a potent display. 

Years after it was discontinued, rumors abound that Apple might have a larger, more powerful iMac in the works that sounds an awful lot like a reboot of the iMac Pro. Early indications suggest it could have a massive 32-inch display, and of course there'll be Apple silicon under the hood as well. 

So what do we know about this new iMac Pro and when can we expect it? Here's everything we know so far. 

New iMac Pro: Possible release date

2023 has come and gone with no sign of the iMac Pro. Are most recent information, and our best source to go on, is Ming-Chi Kuo, who says Apple could unveil a new iMac in 2024, followed by an even more capable desktop in 2025. It's likely this second device is an iMac Pro. 

New iMac Pro: Sizes and models

The old iMac Pro featured a 27-inch Retina 5K display with IPS technology. Apple's new iMac is reportedly 32 inches in size. This makes sense given its likely to get the same redesign as the M1 iMac, which upped the screen size from 21.5 inches to 24. 

New iMac Pro: Processor

With the M2 Pro, Max, and Ultra out in the wild and rumors of M3 fast approaching, a 2025 iMac is likely to feature either the M3 chip, or possible even the M4. Apple unveiled its new M2 chip last year, and Apple looks on course to get two fulls years out of it before M3 arrives. It's likely the M3 chip is the flagship in 2025 too, so an iMac Pro would probably feature the M3 Pro and Max variants of this, or maybe even the all-powerful Ultra. 

New iMac Pro: Design

We have no idea what the next iMac Pro could look like. The last solid report came from Gurman in January 2022. At that time, he said that a new iMac Pro would look bigger and have better chips. He suggested the 2023 iMac Pro would take a few design cues from the 24-inch iMac (2021), and that makes a lot of sense.

The first iMac Pro was unique in that it was offered in (only) space gray. Apple could provide more of the same and only offer the next-gen model in one color. It could also follow the iMac (2021)'s lead and release the 2023 iMac Pro in multiple colors. 

Don't get too excited, however. Apple has historically kept "Pro" device colors to the minimum. So you can expect models in Space Gray, silver,  and maybe one other darker, more muted tone is what we've seen in the past.

The original iMac Pro featured a built-in 1080p FaceTime HD. Similar specs are found on the current-generation MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. I would expect something better on a new iMac Pro.

What probably won't change? The 2023 iMac will almost certainly come with matching accessories, such as a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad. 

New iMac Pro: Display

According to the latest reports the iMac Pro will feature a 32-inch mini-LED panel. That's the same tech behind the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro, so could open up 120Hz ProMotion displays as well as formidable HDR performance. 

New iMac Pro: Price

The iMac Pro (2017) started at $4,999 and became even more expensive as upgrades were added. The Mac Studio (2022) starts at $1,999, but that price can climb to $8,000 with upgrades. It's likely the iMac Pro in 2025 could be just as expensive as its predecessor.  

Time to wait

So we've at least a year to wait until we hear about the next iMac Pro, but with 32-inch mini-LED display, M3 processor, and redesign on the cards, it might be one of Apple's most capable desktops ever when it finally arrives. 

We're just 27 days into 2023, and Apple has already announced three new Mac products. That's nearly 40% of the current Mac lineup, which suggests Mac releases will be few and far between for the rest of the year. 

However, the rare January Mac releases of 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros for 2023, and M2 Mac mini machines, could also hint that Cupertino wants to clear the path for something entirely new between now and December. 

Which way are things heading with Mac in 2023? Let's take a look. 

The newest products

Recently, Apple has introduced new versions of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro and Mac mini. All three products bring the Apple M2 Pro chip to the table for the first time; the MacBook Pro models are also offered with the new M2 Max chip. 

The new Macs are now available to purchase, and these devices shouldn't see another update before the end of 2023. 

What's (possibly) still to come?

With history and shifting Apple rumors as guides, it's possible to project what else Apple has planned for Mac in 2023. Some projections are more likely than others, however. 

Mac Pro: More than three years have passed since Apple last updated this beast. Since then, Apple has ditched Intel-based processors on every Mac — except the Mac Pro. However, that should change in June at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which should kick off on Monday, June 5. On that day, a Mac Pro with Apple silicon should debut — and given Apple's already teased this one, we'd be stunned if it didn't make an appearance. 

Recent rumors suggest the next-generation Mac Pro will look like the current model but offer fewer upgrade options due to Apple silicon limitations. 

Likelihood of seeing a new Mac Pro in 2023: 90%.
There's a 1-in-10 chance Apple never releases a new Mac Pro with Apple silicon, which would no doubt upset the professional Mac community. 

MacBook Air: Yes, it seems it was only yesterday when the best Mac and best MacBook was released. And yet, Apple could launch a successor to the M2 MacBook Air as early as this fall — or maybe even two new Air devices. 

Rumors have long suggested a 15-inch MacBook Air could eventually arrive. Whether this would join or replace a brand-new 13.6-inch MacBook Air on the market remains to be seen. A MacBook Air (2023) will likely feature an Apple M3 chip, new color choices, and more goodies. 

Likelihood of seeing a new MacBook Air in 2023: 80%.
Unforeseen supply issues are the only thing that would keep Apple from launching at least one new MacBook Air model this year.  

Mac Studio: The first-generation Mac Studio arrived in March 2022 and brought the Apple M1 Ultra processor with it. Since then, Apple introduced the M2 Pro and M2 Max on the latest MacBook Pro models, suggesting a Mac Studio update is incoming.

Like the new Mac Pro (2023), the Mac Studio (2023) should feature the M2 Max and all-new M2 Ultra and arrive in June at WWDC. 

Likelihood of seeing a new Mac Studio in 2023: 80%. It's entirely possible the Mac Studio was Apple's idea of a stop-gap measure before it could release a new Mac Pro. In that case, the Mac Studio could quietly go bye-bye like the first and only iMac Pro. We think there's a good chance there's more life in this guy yet, though.

24-inch iMac: The current M1 iMac is Apple's second oldest Mac available behind the Mac Pro. First introduced in March 2021, the 24-inch iMac includes an Apple M1 chip and comes in various color combinations. Even in late December, it looked like Apple would launch a next-generation 24-inch iMac in January. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, and more recent rumors now suggest we won't see a new model until this fall. 

When the 24-inch iMac (2023) arrives, it will likely feature the same M3 processor found on what we expect to be the 15-inch MacBook Air mentioned above. So an October or November launch date sounds about right, although Apple could just as easily launch an update sooner. 

Likelihood of seeing a new iMac in 2023: 70%. The iMac rumor mill is often confusing, mainly because there's still the possibility Apple will reveal a fresh iMac Pro, which could influence what happens to the regular iMac. The last (and only) iMac Pro was quietly retired in 2021. One year later, Apple ended production of the 27-inch iMac. All this suggests we could see two new iMacs released in 2023, 24- and 27-inch models. 

13-inch MacBook Pro: And then there's the oddest Mac of the bunch, the MacBook Pro (2022). Launched (with much less fanfare) alongside the MacBook Air for 2022, the latest-generation 13-inch MacBook Pro offers an Apple M2 chip. Beyond this, it's nearly identical to the previous model and now remains the only product with a Touch Bar.

Likelihood (of an update) to the 13-inch MacBook Pro: 0%. Our best guess is that Apple will keep the current 13-inch MacBook Pro around until the 15-inch MacBook Air debuts, not a minute longer. The 13-inch MacBook Pro will then be gone, at least into the foreseeable future. 

We'll continue to follow Mac developments and let you know when there's movement. Until then, expect a busy late spring headed by a flurry of new product releases in the fall. 

Earlier this week Apple unveiled a new Mac Mini, just as we’d been expecting it to. That Mac Mini came with a brand new M2 chip, as predicted. But it also came with a surprise. A chip beyond. An M2 Pro.

Previously, Apple reserved the M1 Pro for its MacBook Pro which meant that the Mac Mini had to make do with the standard M1. The same went for the 24-inch iMac and the 27-inch model, as well. The less said about that the better at this point. Will it come back? Who knows? I certainly wouldn’t want to put any money on it at this point.

The only other desktop Mac (if we ignore the Intel-only Mac Pro) is the Mac Studio — a machine that sits at the high end with M1 Max and M1 Ultra chips inside. The result? The only way to get an M1 Pro was to go MacBook Pro. And that sucked.

A tweak short of a fixed problem

Apple has now fixed that conundrum by putting its second-rung chip into something that you don’t have to move around to get the best out of. An M2 Pro Mac Mini makes a ton of sense.

Or at least, it does until you get to the price. At $1,299 before you add options, it’s an expensive proposition. Despite the fact that the M2 Pro chip has proven to be quite the performance monster.

It’s great that the M2 Pro exists in something that you put on a desk and leave there and there might even be an argument for making it an option for Mac Studio buyers, with its many ports and even better cooling system. But there’s a case for putting it somewhere else that I think makes even more sense.

The kind of sense that could sell a ton of Macs to people who need something powerful but don’t want something they can take with them but do want something with a screen built into to it.

Introducing the M2 Pro iMac

Apple should put the M2 Pro into the iMac. There, that’s the article. You can probably skip the rest. But hang around for a moment and let me explain.

To expand slightly, it just makes so much sense, for two main reasons.

The iMac is in dire need of something a little more capable. The iMac Pro seems to be dead, at least for now, and the M1 24-inch iMac is cool and all, but nobody would accuse it of being a powerhouse. The M2 chip won’t change that when it eventually lands in a refreshed model, probably with some even less lovable colors. What the iMac needs is a little more oomph for people who want the iMac look but need to get a little more done.

The M2 Pro would definitely achieve that and it would do it, again, with extra space for cooling. The silent iMac would remain, but with more capability and support for up to 32GB of RAM. It’s the kind of Mac that just makes sense in lieu of an iMac Pro busting at the seams with an M2 Ultra. Who knows, maybe that’s just around the corner.

The second reason an M2 Pro iMac makes sense is purely a financial one.

The Mac Mini has historically been the entry-level Mac. The cheaper option for people who just want a box to put on their desk that runs macOS. Apple’s $100 price reduction on the base model of the M2 Mac Mini helps ensure that factor remains. But more than doubling the price with the M2 Pro changes that dynamic. It almost feels like it’s encroaching on Mac Studio territory, and that’s no good.

But the iMac. That’s a different thing entirely and it’s much more able to carry the price bump of an M2 Pro chip that will offer the power some iMac owners crave — and then some. And because it’s got a 24-inch display attached, the higher price just feels more reasonable. Maybe Apple could even eat some of that M2 Pro price because it’s in a more profitable Mac, or one that likely sells more at least.

M2 Pro and beyond

All of this is to say that the M2 Pro Mac Mini should have had a display installed and called the new iMac. It’d be nice if that display got a little bigger, perhaps, but we can’t have everything with Apple. For now, I’ll just take the current 24-inch iMac with the new Mac Mini inside. Isn’t that what the iMac has been all along anyway?

Now imagine a 27-inch iMac with an M2 Max or M2 Ultra inside. That would truly be the best Mac for a whole load of people. And Apple surely remembers how popular the 27-inch 5K iMac used to be.

Apple today refreshed a number of its Mac products but one lineup that didn’t change is that of the 24-inch iMac — if you don't count a price increase as a change, that is.

While the MacBook Pro and Mac mini now have new machines on offer, the same old 24-inch iMac is still on sale. But that hasn’t stopped Apple from increasing the price of the all-in-one machine in the United Kingdom without changing anything else at all.

Anyone buying a new 24-inch iMac today will pay £1399 for the base model, £1,599 for the upgraded 8-core GPU model, and £1,799 for the model with upgraded storage. But anyone who bought one yesterday would have saved £150 — the previous prices were £1,249, £1,449, and £1,649 respectively. 

24-inch iMac, going up

This, of course, isn’t the first time that Apple has increased the price of some of its products in the UK without offering customers anything new. In October 2022 Apple bumped the price of the iPad Air and iPad mini across the UK and Europe by as much as £130 depending on the model that was bought.

On the day that Apple refreshed its best Macs, unveiling a new M2 Mac mini and M2 MacBook Pro, the older 24-inch M1-powered iMac is already beginning to look a little long in the tooth and was ready for an update of its own. That hasn’t happened, unfortunately, and buyers are now expected to fork out even more for the same product.

Apple’s price increases are very likely to be related to ongoing economic volatility, including those related to international currency exchange rates. But that’s unlikely to be comforting to customers now paying more — especially when they consider how much money Apple has sitting in the bank at any given moment.

Back in September 2022, we said that there’d never been a worse time to buy an iMac. Turns out we were wrong.

Apple's Self Service Repair program already gave people the tools and know-how to fix their portable Macs and iPhones, but now it's also been expanded to include other devices.

After initially focusing on iPhones, the Self Service Repair program branched out to the M1 MacBook Air and all three M1-based MacBook Pro laptops. The entire program recently also went live in some European countries for the first time.

But this latest change adds more options for those who want to be able to repair their products, with the M1 iMac, M1 Mac mini, and Mac Studio added to the list. Those who wish to take their own Apple Studio Display apart can also do that. However, as Six Colors notes, the new additions are only available to those in the United States.

Self service

The Self Service Repair program lets people hire the tools required to complete basic device repairs at home while also giving them official Apple-licensed parts with which to complete them.

The program has come under fire over how huge repair accessories are shipped and the costs associated with that. But for those who want to get their hands dirty with the safety net of genuine Apple repair guides and genuine parts, it's an option that wasn't there all that long ago.

Of course, those who would still prefer to have a professional repair their iPhones and Macs can do that. But, for most people, having the repair by an Apple Store or authorized repair center is probably the best course of action.

People who want to fix their devices can now gain access to Apple parts, tools, and manuals via the Self-Service Repair Store.

It looks like we're all set for a Mac-packed 2023. We know several Mac models are due for upgrades, and it looks like we'll see a bunch of those arrive in the coming year. Mark Gurman, noted Apple journalist, has given an update on Mac releases slated for 2023, in his latest Power On newsletter.

Gurman says that the much-awaited M2-family treatment for the MacBook Pro is set to arrive in early 2023. He also said that we may see the M3 chip debut in 2023, with an iMac refresh. More Mac hardware is also under development, although we don't have a launch timeline on that yet.

MacBook and possibly iMac refresh in 2023, while the Mac Pro undergoes more testing

Starting off, we're getting the MacBook Pro refresh early in 2023, with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. This refresh has been much-awaited for a while now, and since there wasn't a Mac release late in 2022, it makes sense that the refresh will arrive soon. A Mac mini upgrade with M2 and M2 Pro chips is also being actively tested.

Gurman also said that a new iMac is on the way, with an M3 chip, set to arrive by the end of 2023. The all-new iMac debuted with the M1 chip, and with no M2 refresh yet, an M3 refresh would be a solid upgrade over the current model. 

Gurman pointed out that the Mac Pro has crossed the two-year Apple Silicon transistion deadline that Apple had set for itself. While the refreshed Mac Pro is on the way, but it is still under testing. Gurman says, "...the high-end machine has been held up for a number of reasons, including multiple changes to its features, a significant shift in the company’s plans for high-end processors and a potential relocation of its manufacturing. "

Gurman says Apple wanted to launch the Mac Pro with an M1 family chip that would be basically four M1 Max chips put together, followed by plans to make a chip that would be two M2 Ultra chips put together, called the M2 Extreme. However, it appears that Apple is planning on settling for the M2 Ultra, with the M2 Extreme scrapped for now. So we may see the Mac Pro launch with an M2 Ultra chip with a 24-core CPU, a 76-core GPU, and up to 192GB of memory. The M2 Extreme would've pushed the figures to twice as many cores.

So it looks like some of the best Macs are about to get updated, so you might want to hold off on your purchase for now. 

The new lineup of Macs are here, from the colorful M3 iMacs to "scary fast" M3 MacBook Pros. There's no better time to buy a new Mac, whether you pick up one with the M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max chip or a discounted older model. 

If you're going to upgrade, it's important to properly reset your current Mac before you sell it or give it away. You certainly don't want your private information falling into the wrong hands. Even if you're giving the Mac to a trusted loved one, they might be locked out of certain features if you haven't reset it properly. We're here to help you do just that.

First, you'll want to clear all of your personal data off of your old Mac. Of course, before you do so, you'll want to make sure all of your data is saved properly so you can transfer data from your old Mac to your new Mac.

Another important note: if you have AppleCare+ on your old Mac, you'll want to cancel it or transfer the AppleCare+ to the person receiving the Mac.

Clean the Mac of your personal data before erasing it

If you're about to sell your Mac, the one thing you don't want to do is give away your personal data that's stored on the computer. It's for your own security and privacy, but it's also essential for the buyer. If you leave behind anything that needs to be logged into with a password, that buyer will have to track you down and get your password to change ownership. A completely fresh-from-scratch Mac is the best way to do this.

Back up your Mac

If you already have your new Mac on hand, you can transfer all of your data from your old Mac or use an older Time Machine backup. If you don't have your new Mac yet, you probably aren't selling your old one yet. But, if you don't think you'll need your old computer before getting your new one, make sure to back up your data so that nothing happens to it before you get what you need onto your new Mac.

If your Mac has Apple silicon

If the Mac you're selling or giving away is a more recent Mac with Apple silicon (M1 chip or newer) or the Apple T2 Security Chip, you're in luck. Assuming you're running macOS Monterey or later, you can follow the simple instructions directly below and skip all of the other steps.

macOS Ventura or later

1. From the Apple menu  in the top left corner of your screen, click System Settings.
2. Click General in the sidebar.
3. Click Transfer or Reset on the right.
4. Click Erase All Content and Settings.

macOS Monterey

1. From the Apple menu  in the corner of your screen, click System Preferences.
2. From the System Preferences menu in the menu bar, choose Erase All Content and Settings.

If your Mac has an Intel chip

If your Mac runs on Intel, you'll want to complete the following steps to remove your digital footprints from the computer.

Sign out of everything

The software you have on your Mac is licensed to you, which means it doesn't get transferred to your computer's new owner (except the operating system). To avoid complications with the new owner attempting to download and install software licensed by you, make sure to sign out of everything your personal information is connected to.

First, you'll want to log out of the Music app. 

1. Open Music on your Mac.
2. Click Account in the menu bar on the left side of your screen.
3. Select Sign Out.

Next, log out of the iMessage app. 

1. Open the Messages app on your Mac.
2. Choose Messages in the menu bar at the top left corner of your screen.
3. Click Settings from the drop-down menu.
4. Select iMessage.
5. Click on the Sign Out button and confirm you'd like to log out. 

It's also important to log off of iCloud on your Mac. 

1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your Mac's screen.
2. Select System Settings from the drop-down menu.
3. Choose Apple ID.

4. Scroll down and choose iCloud. 
5. Click the Options button near Find My Mac. 
6. Choose the Turn Off box next to Find My Mac: On, and confirm you wish to deactivate Find My Mac on your Mac by entering your password. 
7. Follow any additional instructions.

It's now time to turn off the rest of iCloud. 

1. Click on your Apple ID once again in System Settings. 
2. Scroll down, click Sign Out and follow the additional instructions to sign off of iCloud on your old Mac. 

Unpair your Bluetooth devices

If you're keeping your Bluetooth devices, you don't want to leave them paired to a Mac that you're getting rid of. It isn't really that important of a step, but if you sell your old Mac to, say, a roommate or someone living in the same house as you, you may experience accidentally connecting back to it.

1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your Mac's screen.
2. Click System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
3. Click on Bluetooth.
4. Hover over the device you want to unpair.
5. Click on the X next to the device.

If you're unpairing a keyboard, trackpad, or mouse on a desktop Mac, be sure to have a wired one plugged in, or you won't be able to type or use a curser, and you'll have to re-pair it all again.

Erase your hard drive

Once your data is backed up and you've signed out of everything that might connect your old Mac to your personal information, you can erase everything on it by reformatting the hard drive.

1. Restart your Mac.
2. While the startup disc is waking up, hold down the Command+R keys simultaneously. Your Mac will boot into macOS Recover.
3. Select Disk Utility.
4. Click on Continue.

From there:

5. Click on View.
6. Click on Show all Devices.
7. Find your Startup disk (it should be named "Machintosh HD" unless you renamed it) in the sidebar.
8. Select the data disk under the startup disk.
9. Click Edit in the Mac screen's upper left corner in the menu bar.
10. Click Delete APFS Volume from the menu bar or click the Remove button in the disk utility bar.
11. If the Erase Group Volume button appears, click that to erase all of the volumes associated with the drive
12. Confirm by clicking Delete when prompted.
13. Click Done when prompted.

After you've deleted each data disk, it's time to erase your startup disk.

1. Select your Startup Disk. This will be the main internal drive on your Mac. It's usually called Apple HHD or Apple SSD or something similar.
2. Click the Erase button at the top of the Disk Utility window.
3. If your Mac uses HFS+, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the format list. If your Mac is using APFS, select APFS from the format list. See Troubleshooting below for more information on which format to select.
4. If the Scheme is available, select GUID Partition Map.
5. Click Erase.
6. Select Quit Disk Utility from the Disk Utility drop-down menu in the upper left corner of the screen after the process is complete.

Reinstall a clean Mac operating system

After you erase your hard drive, it will be ready to clean the operating system. These directions are different whether you're using an Intel- or Apple silicon-based Mac.

Install a fresh copy of macOS on an Intel-based machine

You should already be in the utility window after erasing your Mac. If not, restart your computer and hold down Command+R simultaneously until you see the Apple logo.

Make sure to reinstall macOS through Recovery Mode, holding down Command+R. You may be asked to sign in with your Apple ID.

Note: Make sure your Mac is connected to the internet to verify the software. You'll be asked to do so during the installation process. 

If, while reinstalling macOS, you're asked to enter a password, enter the password you use to unlock your Mac, not your Apple ID. 

1. Restart your Mac.
2. While the startup disc is waking up, hold down the Command+R keys simultaneously. You're Mac will boot into macOS Recover.
3. Click on Reinstall macOS (or Reinstall OS X where applicable) to reinstall the operating system that came with your Mac.
4. Click on Continue.
5. Select your hard drive ("Machintosh HD) when asked to select your disk.
6. Click on Install to install the latest operating system on your Mac. Your Mac will restart after the installation is complete.
   • Make sure you don't close the lid on a MacBook or put your Mac to sleep during this reinstallation period, even if it takes a while. If the computer goes to sleep, it will stop the installation process from continuing, and you'll have to start over. Your screen will go blank, showing the restart Apple logo and a progress bar several times.

From there:

7. Hold down Command and Q after the installation is complete. Do not follow the setup instructions. Leave that part for the new owner.
8. Click Shut Down to shut down your Mac.

Your Mac is now clean and ready for a new owner. They will complete the setup instructions to get started using the Mac and download the latest macOS operating system that is available and supported on their Mac.

Install a fresh copy of macOS on Apple silicon-based machine

Apple started replacing their Intel-based Macs with those that use native silicon in 2020 with the M1 models of MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini. Check out our macOS reinstallation guide if you own one of the Apple silicon devices.  

Troubleshooting

We've gotten many questions about erasing or reinstalling macOS (usually reinstalling). Sometimes, the easiest way to fix issues with reinstalling macOS is to start by holding Shift+Option+Command+R, putting your Mac into an alternate version of Recovery Mode called Internet Recovery, which allows you to install the original macOS that came with your Mac. You can keep that operating system and let the new owner update to their preferred macOS or go through the macOS update process.

If the installer doesn't see your disk during the macOS reinstallation process or says you can't install the operating system on the disk, you may need to try erasing your hard drive again. First, restart your Mac and hold Command+R to bring up Recovery mode and repeat Step 4.

Since macOS changed to APFS, some readers have struggled with which format option to choose when erasing their disk. Some other possible troubleshooting issues from Apple's support document may help you.

Are you formatting the disk that came built into your Mac?

If the built-in disk came APFS-formatted, don't change it to Mac OS Extended.

Are you about to install macOS on the disk?

If you need to erase your disk before installing High Sierra or later for the first time on that disk, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled). During installation, the macOS installer decides whether to convert to APFS—without erasing your files automatically:

Are you preparing a Time Machine backup disk or bootable installer?

Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for any disk you plan to use with Time Machine or as a bootable installer.

Will you be using the disk with another Mac?

If the other Mac isn't using High Sierra or later, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Earlier versions of macOS don't mount APFS-formatted volumes.

To learn which format is currently in use, use any of these methods:

• Select the volume in the Disk Utility sidebar, then check the information on the right. Choose File > Get Info from the Disk Utility menu bar for more detail.
• Open System Information and select Storage in the sidebar. The File System column on the right shows the format of each volume.
• Select the volume in the Finder, then choose File > Get Info from the menu bar. The Get Info window shows the Format of that volume.

This seems like a lot.

Yes, it's a lot more work to reset an older computer than it is to reset one with Apple silicon. I know it seems a bit overwhelming, but it's important to remove all of your digital traces from your Mac before selling it or giving it away. At least you'll only need to do this once, as presumably you're buying an Apple silicon model now.

If you get stuck along the way, or just want some help walking through all of the steps, you can always contact Apple Support online or call 1-800-MY-APPLE for assistance.

Remember when rumors were growing about the new iMac? Well, someone has stuck with what the most aspirational rumors were at the time and made that iMac.

When rumors were growing last year about a completely redesigned iMac, the rumor mill went pretty crazy with what users expected from the new model. With Apple rolling out new designs based around the freedom it experienced with its M-series Apple silicon chips for the Mac, everyone was expecting the company to reveal a completely new iMac.

While some expected some reasonable upgrades like a slimmer design and faster performance, others expected Apple to drop one of the monikers of Apple's all-in-one desktop: the chin. The iMac has long featured a chin at the bottom front of the computer, and many were expecting Apple to drop it in favor of an all-screen design for the front of the desktop.

Well, Apple did not make such a move. The new iMac, while dropping the company's logo from the front of the computer, stuck with the chin. That seems to have not sat well with at least one group of engineers.

They ripped that chin right off

A tweet from DuanRui on Twitter showcases an iMac that has gone through some major modifications that bring to life the all-screen iMac that some had hoped for when the new iMac was still rumored.

In the video below, the group recreated the entire introduction video that Apple made with its iMac but this time with the modified design, which opts for a protruding back in order to enable a full-screen design.

The modified iMac appears to be in working condition, an impressive feat. While most iMac users seem happy with the chin remaining on the new generation of the desktop computer, those who have been hoping for a redesigned iMac Pro to debut can take some solace in the fact that a full-screen iMac is certainly possible.

The iMac might not be the most popular of Apple’s products, but it’s one of the best value, and it’s now even better value thanks to a rare Apple Cyber Monday discount.  

Amazon is offering the 24-inch M1 iMac with 8‑core CPU and 8‑core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB for $1,349.99 and the 512GB model for $1,549.99, that’s $150 off. There’s a catch, though, and it’s a big one. Depending on the color you want you could be waiting months for delivery. 

Opt for the silver 256GB model and you will get it before Christmas if you act quickly. All the 512GB models won’t be with you until next year. 

There’s some light at the end of the tunnel, though. B&H Photo also has an iMac discount, but this time it’s for the 24-inch iMac with a 7-core GPU for just $1,149.00, down from $1,299.00. You can only choose blue for that price, all other colors cost $150 more.  

24-inch iMac $150 off

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo

If you intend to use an iMac for highly intensive graphics tasks then the 8-core system from Amazon is your best bet. Not only will it perform better, but it comes with additional cooling which means it shouldn’t get too loud under heavy load. 

The Apple iMac is the sleekest desktop computer around. It’s a style statement, but don’t let that fool you, it’s a workhorse too. Compared to the rest of Apple computing lineup, it also is properly good value. 

The screen, webcam, three-array mic and even the speakers are phenomenal for such a thin computer. The M1 processor has also proved to be a revelation, fast and cool. 

All models also come with color-matched Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard, but only the 8-core GPU Amazon models come with Touch ID for fingerprint unlocking. 

Apple is reportedly getting ready to mark a number of older iMacs as obsolete, including those from 2014 and 2013.

Some of the iMacs that are being marked as obsolete in this latest round are also some of the best Macs Apple has produced, at least historically speaking. However, they haven't been sold for a number of years and anyone who currently owns one is likely best served by considering an upgrade to something more recent. That would likely be the M1 iMac, although an M2 refresh could be in the cards for 2023.

Obsolete but not forgotten

MacRumors, citing an internal memo seen by the outlet, says that "the 21.5-inch and 27-inch ‌iMac‌ from Late 2013, the Mid 2014 21.5-inch ‌iMac‌, and the Retina 5K 27-inch ‌iMac‌ from late 2014 will be marked as obsolete on November 30, 2022." The 5K 27-inch iMac in particular was a popular machine, but is now very much long in the tooth. There is no 27-inch iMac currently on sale to replace it, although rumors of a new model continue to pop up here and there.

Apple routinely marks older Macs, iPods, iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches as obsolete, meaning that they are no longer eligible for repair or service at Apple or via its service partners. The full list of obsolete Macs can be found on Apple's website alongside a list of vintage products.

Vintage Macs are machines that were last sold more than five, but less than seven years ago. They're then moved onto the list of obsolete products once that seven-year timeframe has passed.

Looking to upgrade your Mac but don't want a 24-inch iMac? The latest M2 MacBook Air is one of the best machines around right now thanks to its fast performance and thin and light construction.