Apple at its Spring Loaded event on Tuesday unveiled what it’s calling its brand new iMac, featuring its custom ARM chip – the Apple M1 SoC. As usual with most Apple upgrades, the 24-inch iMac is thinner, faster and cooler than previous generations. At the same time, the company also unveiled a revamped Apple TV 4K streaming device that now features the Apple A12 Bionic SoC that you see on high-end iPhone 12 handsets. Both the new iMac and new Apple TV 4K will be pre-ordered later this month and go on sale next month.
New 24-inch iMac Upgrade Pricing and Availability, Apple TV 4K
The new iMac with the Apple M1 SoC will start at $1,299 (approximately Rs. 97,900) in the US and will be pre-ordered from April 30th. 1,19,900, rising to Rs. 1,39,000 (8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 256GB storage model) and Rs. 1,59,000 (8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 512GB storage model) as starting prices for the high-end models that come with Touch ID-enabled Magic Keyboards. In the US, higher-end models are priced at $1,499 (approximately Rs. 1,13.00) and $1,699 (approximately Rs. 1,28,100). The new M1-based iMac will go on sale in the second half of May, the company revealed.
Apple TV 4K with A12 Bionic SoC is priced at $179 (approximately Rs. 13,500) for the 32GB storage model and $199 (approximately Rs. 15,000) for the 64GB model. In India, it starts at Rs. 18,900 and goes up to Rs. 20,900. Its availability is the same as the new iMac, with pre-orders starting April 30 and availability in 30 countries starting the “second half of May”. The new Siri Remote costs Rs. 5,800 and works with older Apple TV devices (4K and HD). AppleCare+ will also be available for the first time to the range, with the new Apple TV 4K, priced at Rs. 2,900.
All New Features and Specifications of 24-inch iMac with M1 SoC
The M1-based iMac features an all-new design, with a muted, distracting color on the front and a brighter hue on the back. The base model is only available in four colors – Blue, Green, Red, Silver, while the top two models are available in Yellow, Orange and Purple in addition. iMac features a 24-inch 4.5K Retina display (4480 x 2520 pixels) with Apple’s True Tone technology for color balance, P3 wide color gamut, 500 nits maximum brightness, and a low-reflective coating. The company says the 24-inch screen fits into a frame that’s only slightly larger than the previous 21.5-inch model. The all-in-one (AIO) PC is also more compact at just 11.5mm thick.
Apple says that the M1 chip, thanks to its ARM-based and system-on-chip design, helps to reduce the size of the logic board and requires a smaller thermal system. The new AIO is also quieter thanks to the two small fans that replace the previous large one, up to 50% quieter (<10 dB). Benefits of the new SoC in the 24-inch iMac beyond instant wake-up include up to 85% faster CPU performance than older 21.5-inch models, up to 2x faster GPU performance and up to 3x faster machine learning performance.
Also new on the new iMac is the 1080p webcam that uses the M1’s neural engine for face detection and better exposure, as well as color balance. The company has also included what it calls a studio-quality 3-mic array with beamforming technology and a Dolby Atmos-certified 6-speaker system, including force-canceling woofers and high-performance tweeters.
As for connectivity options, new iMac users can choose to get up to four USB Type-C ports, two of which can be Thunderbolt. The AIO supports up to a 6K display, and features a new magnetic power connector with a 2-meter color-matched braided cable and an adapter that integrates the Ethernet port to save space. Apple released three new Magic Keyboard models alongside – a color-matching Magic Keyboard with new keys for Spotlight, Dictation, Do Not Disturb and emoji. Another new Magic Keyboard has the same design but also has wireless Touch ID. And finally, another model with the same new key design but including a numeric keypad. New color matching versions of Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad were also detailed.
Apple’s new Magic Keyboard comes with a wireless Touch ID feature
photo credit: Apple
As for specs, the entry-level 24-inch iMac offers up to 16GB of unified memory, 1TB of SSD storage, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth v5 and two Thunderbolt/or USB 4 ports, while the higher-end models offer up to a 2TB SSD and three additional USB 3 ports.
Apple TV 4K Features and Specifications with A12 Bionic
The new Apple TV 4K with Apple’s A12 Bionic processor has several upgrades over its predecessor, including support for high frame rate HDR content. Apple said it is working with content providers around the world to make more of this type of content available, while iPhone 12 Pro users can use their devices to record Dolby Vision HDR content at 60 fps.
Also new is a color balance feature, which allows Apple TV 4K users with iPhone devices to adjust the color balance of their television sets. This is achieved by holding the iPhone to a designated point on the TV and then using the iPhone’s light sensor, the color output is measured and calibrated.
Apple TV 4K update introduces a new Siri Remote
photo credit: Apple
The new Apple TV 4K also features the all-new Siri Remote, which can be purchased separately and works with the latest Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. The remote has a touch-enabled clickpad, an outer ring that can now read circular motions to seek along a video timeline, a new power button that controls the TV set, and moving the Siri button to the side. It’s made from 100% recycled aluminum, the company prides itself.