iMac with M1 starts at $1,299 for 8-core CPU/7-core GPU in four colors and $1,499 for 8-core GPU in seven colors with Touch ID keyboard, shipping late May
iMac offers the best camera, mics, and speakers ever in a Mac, and Touch ID for the first time — CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today introduced …
Apple
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple had held the entry iMac at $1,299 in its Intel-and-Radeon refresh, but the M1 version recasts that price point around a 24-inch design, integrated Apple silicon and differentiated configurations. The immediate significance is less a price cut than a redefinition of what the base iMac includes.
Subsequent coverage shows Apple retained the $1,299 starting point through the M3 24-inch iMac and the M4 refresh, while adding newer connectivity, memory and display options. That makes the M1 launch the beginning of a sustained 24-inch product tier rather than a one-off redesign.
First-order effects
- Apple gives iMac buyers a $1,299 entry configuration with a 7-core GPU and four color choices, while the $1,499 model adds an 8-core GPU, seven colors and a Touch ID keyboard.
- The configuration split makes GPU capacity, color selection and Touch ID immediate upsell levers within Apple's new M1 iMac range.
Second-order effects
- Apple's continued $1,299 starting price in the later M3 and M4 models turns the M1 launch's configuration ladder into a durable pricing anchor for the 24-inch iMac.
- As later refreshes add features such as Thunderbolt 4, higher memory floors and a nano-texture option, differentiation shifts toward selected configurations rather than raising the entry price.
Third-order effects
- The iMac line points to a desktop-refresh model in which Apple can preserve a familiar entry price while using successive in-house chip generations and option tiers to segment demand.
- If that pattern persists, the iMac's competitive position will depend increasingly on the pace and scope of Apple-silicon platform updates rather than standalone CPU and GPU substitutions.
The trend: Apple is standardizing the 24-inch iMac around a stable entry price, with Apple-silicon refreshes and configuration tiers carrying the product's evolution.
Related: Power as a Computing Constraint · iMac · M1 · Apple updates iMac with M1 · Apple unveils an M3 24-inch iMac · Apple refreshes the 24-inch iMac with M4
Related Coverage
- Apple Now Selling More M1 Macs Than Intel-Based Models, Says Tim Cook MacRumors · Sami Fathi
- How does Apple's new M1 iMac compare to Windows All-in-One PCs? PCWorld · Gordon Mah Ung
- 'The Fine Print: What Apple Didn't Talk About' Daring Fireball · John Gruber
- Notes on the M1 iMac Six Colors · Jason Snell
- iMac buying guide: The one you want isn't the most expensive anymore Macworld · Roman Loyola
- New Apple iMac Hides An Expensive Shock Forbes · Ewan Spence
- Tim Cook: Apple silicon already outselling Intel Macs iMore · Stephen Warwick
- The fine print: What Apple didn't talk about Six Colors · Dan Moren
- Apple is a few innovations away from putting the M1 chip inside the iPhone BGR · Chris Smith
- Hate the new iMac's front? This oft-ignored item can fix it The 8-Bit · Taha Broach
- Apple cuts price of nano-texture upgrade for 27-inch iMac, but not for the Pro Display XDR 9to5Mac · José Adorno
- Apple's colorful iMacs revive trends from the '90s, while pushing new M1 chip CNET · Ian Sherr
- M1 Mac mini Gets Optional 10GB Ethernet Option Appleosophy · Nick Soong
- Here's everything Apple announced at its ‘Spring Forward’ event Engadget · I. Bonifacic
- Apple cuts price of 27-inch iMac glass upgrade iMore · Stephen Warwick
- Apple is about to hold its first product launch event of the year — follow along live here CNBC
- Apple announces colorful new iMac with stunning redesign iMore · Stephen Warwick
- How does the 24-inch iMac M1 stack up against older iMacs? Pocketnow · Nadeem Sarwar
- After Nearly A Decade, Apple Gives Its iMac A Much Deserved Refresh Ubergizmo · Tyler Lee
- Apple Announces the 2021 iMac, Powered by M1 Chip, Featuring 4.5K Retina Display TechPowerUp · Btarunr
Discussion
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@darth
Darth&trade
on x
tim apple putting 2TB of storage in the new iPad and 256GB in the new iMac https://twitter.com/...
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@ijustine
@ijustine
on x
This new white Magic Keyboard is 🥰 #AppleEvent https://twitter.com/...
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@cabel
@cabel
on x
Touch ID on a wireless keyboard?!?! Magical Ethernet Power Cord?!? COLORFUL MICE??? This is outrageous. This keynote is illegal
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@pschwarzenegger
Patrick Shriver
on x
Damn I wanna like collect all these colors https://twitter.com/...
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@ohmdee
@ohmdee
on x
The Magic Mouse is often hated. However, I haven't found another mouse with such smooth horizontal scrolling. Despite being a PC user, I bought one & use it with Magic Mouse Utilities. The touch surface allows for precise scrolling + a mouse enables greater control than trackpad …
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@snazzyq
Quinn Nelson
on x
I bet when iFixit does a teardown of the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID for iMac they're gonna find like an A10X Fusion SoC or some crap.
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@stroughtonsmith
Steve Troughton-Smith
on x
You can really see the M1 I/O struggling here. The cheaper iMac only has two ports, too. I'm much more excited about the future iMacs this will lead to than this particular one https://twitter.com/...
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@psythor
James O'Malley
on x
The biggest news today should be that Apple appears to have updated the Magic Mouse but has NOT, as far I can tell, relocated the charging port. (Picture of the existing Magic Mouse for reference.) https://twitter.com/...
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@lukemiani
Luke Miani
on x
Touch ID Is now available on the iMac Magic keyboard! It's about time
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@natisho
Nati Shochat
on x
The entire iMac is in the bottom bezel :0 https://twitter.com/...
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@raywongy
@raywongy
on x
Guys... the M1 iMac weighs UNDER 10 pounds. An all-in-one iMac UNDER 10 pounds (4.5 KG) That. Is. WILD. https://twitter.com/...
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@caseynewton
Casey Newton
on x
The new iMac sets unreasonable beauty standards for other all-in-one computers
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@panzer
Matthew Panzarino
on x
Touch ID comes to iMac with a secure processor on the keyboard. (There are non-touch ID keyboards too) — and one with a num pad, mice and TouchPads get color matching. https://twitter.com/...
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@caseyliss
Casey Liss
on x
Holy fuck I did not see MagSafe coming back in the iMac. Doubly so with Ethernet‽ #appleevent
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@raywongy
@raywongy
on x
Why did Apple make this new magnetic power plug for the new iMac? Oh maybe because the WHOLE desktop computer weighs less than 10 pounds?!?! And people will knock it over or trip on the cord and take the whole computer with it? https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
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@iupdate
Sam Kohl
on x
Over half of Apple's Macs now ship with M1 inside #AppleEvent https://twitter.com/...
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@iupdate
Sam Kohl
on x
I'm speechless from the iMac unveil #AppleEvent https://twitter.com/...
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@benedictevans
Benedict Evans
on x
New iPad Pro: 12 megapixel camera for video calls New iMac: 1080p. 🤔
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@detroitborg
@detroitborg
on x
Here's the thing about the iMac color scheme, you really only view it from the front, so the light color is really what matters, not the vibrant color on the back.
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@snazzyq
Quinn Nelson
on x
I think I'm going to be bold and purchase the... silver iMac.
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@tapbot_paul
Paul Haddad
on x
“Best camera ever in a Mac” isn't saying much...
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@snazzyq
Quinn Nelson
on x
Something good came from COVID: a 1080p webcam on an Apple computer
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@snazzyq
Quinn Nelson
on x
“...the Magic Mouse loved by iMac users...” ehhhhhhhhh
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@cabel
@cabel
on x
folks, i am simply outrageously hyped for these iMacs
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@mkbhd
Marques Brownlee
on x
Apple. You should have made the computer 1 inch thicker and put everything in the chin BEHIND the display. And you know it 😅 https://twitter.com/...
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@snazzyq
Quinn Nelson
on x
i love all the “why did apple choose those imac colors” people like a bunch of plebs that don't know the six colors
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@joannastern
Joanna Stern
on x
The biggest moment for Ethernet since 2001. https://twitter.com/...
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@waltmossberg
Walt Mossberg
on x
Apple's new brightly colored iMac line immediately reminded me of the multi-colored iMacs from 20 years ago. https://twitter.com/...
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@marcoarment
Marco Arment
on x
The 24" colors look just like the iPhone 12. How much you wanna bet that the bigger one (whatever size it ends up being) comes in the steel colors of the iPhone 12 Pro?
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@msliwinski
Michael Sliwinski
on x
Yes, this change is mind-blowing. But still, I'm keeping my 2014 iMac Retina 5K on my desk, waiting for iMac Pro which will give me a bigger screen and Face ID. Why oh why they went with Touch ID when they could have gone with Face ID? #AppleEvent https://twitter.com/...
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@novallswift
Novall Swift
on x
Omg the iMac colors are like an iMac 1998 throwback I love it 🤩 #AppleEvent
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@pinboard
@pinboard
on x
There's some really nice design call-outs here to older Mac design language, like the iMac-like color palette, or putting a “turn off my computer” button right next to the delete key. https://twitter.com/...
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@snazzyq
Quinn Nelson
on x
“The previous motherboard and cooling system were huge because of the power-hungry processor.” RIP Intel
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@detroitborg
@detroitborg
on x
Would I be too boring if I just got a Silver iMac? 😂
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@joannastern
Joanna Stern
on x
The best camera ever put in a Mac. Will have to test that as, well, the bar is REALLY low.
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
The iMac is a big iPad without touch.
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@rjonesy
Ryan Jones
on x
iMacs with MagSafe... but not MacBooks. 🤣
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@munster_gene
Gene Munster
on x
5) New iMac M1 brings back colors. Time-tested Apple product playbook, add color to juice sales. First time iMac has added colors since its launch in 1998, a year after Jobs' return.
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@stroughtonsmith
Steve Troughton-Smith
on x
It was certainly a choice to call out the ‘improved 1080p FaceTime camera’ on the new iMac, and moments later show off an iPad with a 12MP wide-angle FaceTime sensor
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@stroughtonsmith
Steve Troughton-Smith
on x
That iMac design is *so close* to perfect; really striking form factor. That chin has got to go (you'd better find somewhere else for your Post-It notes) https://twitter.com/...