Apple iMac M1 review: The ideal portable desktop

Apple's new iMac is that the portable desktop I never knew I wanted. That alone makes it much more intriguing than a previous couple of generations of iMacs. It weighs under 10 pounds, so it is a cinch to maneuver around your home. Its thin and colorful design allows it to suit almost anywhere, even on your kitchen counter. In some ways, this iMac may be a reminder of why all-in-one desktops can still be pretty useful, especially for families.

You can thank Apple's M1 processor for the iMac's radical redesign. That chip turned the MacBook Air into a powerhouse that did not even need a lover. Since it's supported a mobile architecture, the M1 is way more efficient than Intel's competing PC hardware. meaning the iMac not needs a thick frame and room for complex cooling. The new case is simply 11.5 millimeters thin, a mere four millimeters quite the iPhone 12. And most impressively, it's that slim across the whole chassis; there are not any humps like before.

The new case colors also go an extended way toward making the iMacs seem more approachable to kids and fewer tech-savvy users. That was the entire point of the first bubbly iMacs, after all. Those helped set Apple aside from the ocean of gray “IBM clones” of the '90s. Now, it seems Apple is trying to rekindle that sense of fun, after being caught up by staid silver and grey designs over the last decade. Sure, brushed aluminum looks cool, but there is a reason why Apple keeps returning to multi-hued cases in iPhones. It seems many people like colors.

I opted for the orange iMac for our review, but Apple should have probably just called it creamsicle. it's a touch of a pinkish hue along the "chin" below the screen, while the rear case looks more distinctly orange. And despite the playful aesthetic, the iMac still looks and seems like a premium device. I particularly just like the way light bounces off the rear of the sturdy base. The iMac hasn't had this much Pixar-Esque energy since the times of the lampshade G3. Hell, Apple could still enjoy following some design ideas from that long-forgotten machine — or even I'm just the sole one that misses having the ability to regulate my screen vertically.

There's a minimum of one concession this point around for monitor obsessives: you'll also buy the new iMac with a VESA mount, which makes it easy to connect to things like arms and hinges. it might are nice to ascertain that standard on every model, but I'd wager Apple decided a chic stand design mattered quite being flexible for a couple of users.

	Geekbench 5 CPU	Cinebench R21	ATTO disk speed (top reads/writes)
Apple iMac (M1, 24-inch)	1,743/7,689	1,518/7,666	7GB/s / 2.7GB/s
Apple MacBook Pro (Apple M1, 2020)	1,696/7,174	1,492/7,467	3GB/s / 3GB/s
Apple MacBook Air (Apple M1, 2020)	1,619/6,292	1,494/6,617	2.8GB/s / 3GB/s
Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)	978/6,163	N/A	2.8GB/s / 3GB/s

So, the iMac looks cool, but how does it actually perform? If you've seen our reviews of the M1-equipped MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, you already know that the chip absolutely trounces most Intel and AMD hardware. And, not surprisingly, an equivalent is true of the iMac. Our review unit, which has the pricier 8-core GPU and 16GB of RAM, hit higher Geekbench 5 scores than powerful gaming laptops just like the ASUS G15 and MSI GS66. And it had been a dream to use for my daily workflow, where I'm typically juggling multiple browser windows crammed with dozens of tabs, alongside Slack, Spotify, Evernote, and Pixelmator Pro. It also transcoded a 4K clip to 1080p in one minute and 22 seconds. That's 15 seconds slower than the MSI GS66 took, but a full 32 seconds faster than ASUS's ZenBook Duo.

Apple's M1 processor also makes the iMac responsive in little ways. It wakes up almost instantly from sleep mode and gets to the desktop in around 25 seconds from a chilly start, which is dramatically faster than any Intel Mac I've ever used. Basically, all of the zippiness I appreciate from the M1 MacBooks is here. The iMac also had no trouble handling any of the games on Apple Arcade, just like the Pathless and therefore the Last Campfire. But as long as those games already run smoothly on the iPhone and iPad, it isn't an enormous surprise to ascertain them running well on a more powerful desktop. You'll still hear some fan noise while playing games, by the way, but a minimum of it's more of a mild whir, instead of the roar of a reaction-propulsion engine.

While the slim new design and powerful processor are nice, the iMac's stunning 23.5-inch, 4.5K Retina Display is its true centerpiece. It covers the complete DCI-P3 gamut, which suggests it can display over a billion colors. Take that alongside a surprisingly high 500 nits of brightness — quite many gaming laptops — and therefore the iMac's screen can make almost anything pop. It's one of those displays that creates high-resolution photos that feel three-dimensional. Video also looks fantastic, especially if you're watching something with an enormous color palette. While the iMac doesn't support HDR, its sheer brightness and color depth almost makes it appear to be it does.

This isn’t visible initially glance, but Apple also finally managed to squeeze during a 1080p webcam during a Mac. It’s almost as sharp as my Logitech Streamcam, but it’s certainly an enormous upgrade over Apple’s notoriously crummy computer cameras.

Despite its thin case, the iMac sports a surprisingly capable audio system. With its six speakers and force-canceling woofers, it did an admirable job of reproducing the various instruments and percussive beats from Flying Lotus's Yasuke soundtrack. And it captured the dreamy melody of Thundercat's "Fair Chance" without missing a beat. The iMac definitely won't replace a cheap pair of bookshelf speakers, but it's quite adequate for a private musical performance. It can fill an area with sound with no distortion, and it can even handle an honest amount of bass. There's also Dolby Atmos support, which worked so well while watching John Wick, I swore there have been speakers right behind me.

The iMac's multimedia prowess was one more reason I used to be so tempted to bring it all around my home. I put it on the kitchen counter to serve recipes, watch videos and hear music as I made dinner. I took it out of my basement office and into a guest bedroom because it had better natural light, which always helps me write. it is so easy to maneuver around, because of its single magnetic power line, you almost certainly won't consider moving it into your front room to assist your kid with homework. The iMac is practically built to be a communal computer, the type of thing anyone can mount to handle a touch of labor (or play).

It's also far easier to swap between users on this iMac, because of its Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. After registering your family's fingerprints, they will get into their accounts just by touching the sensor. That's also helpful in ways I didn't expect on a desktop. a bit like on iOS devices and MacBooks, you'll use Touch ID to securely authenticate App Store purchases. Honestly, it's surprising it took goodbye for Apple to bring this feature to iMacs.

When it involves typing, though, the Magic Keyboard still has that very same love-it-or-hate-it design. It took me a short time to urge won't to its shallow keys, and it’s a touch too compact on behalf of me to type comfortably. I've never really looked to Mac desktops for ergonomics, though. That's particularly true for the Magic Mouse, which still feels too light and flat. Maybe I'm too spoiled by Logitech's MX Master mouse lineup, but it feels weird to possess nothing to rest my palm on. I had a far better time with the Magic Trackpad, which is essentially a huge version of what you’d find on the MacBook. Using it just felt more natural than the Magic Mouse. you will have to distribute a further $50 to urge the Magic Trackpad, otherwise, you nab both for $129.

While I probably sound entirely head over heels, there's still plenty to criticize with the new iMacs. For one, the port situation is messy. The $1,299 entry-level model only comes with two USB-C ports. to urge four, you will have to intensify to the $1,499 model with a more powerful 8-core GPU. That pricier model also has an Ethernet port embedded in its power brick, which the cheaper iMac lacks. I realize Apple held off on removing USB Type-A ports on the iMacs for a short time, but I still miss them. Now your only choice is to clutter your desk with dongles and USB hubs if you would like to attach older devices. an equivalent is true if you would like to use SD cards, which irks me to without stopping.

Really, then, if you're within the marketplace for a desktop, but don't need to affect the cable mess of a PC and monitor, the iMac practically stands alone. It's faster than ever, and it can fit into almost any nook in your home. It’s basically the family computer, re-invented.

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