Apple brought the spooky vibes to its ‘Scary Fast’ presentation, where it revealed the next-generation M3 chips. One major beneficiary of the faster and more powerful silicon is the 24-inch iMac, which now comes equipped with the base M3 system on a chip (SoC).
A popular all-in-one desktop computer and display, the iMac jumps straight from M1 to the newly-announced M3 platform, bypassing the M2 generation entirely. According to Apple, the new computer is up to two times faster than the older M1 iMacs, and significantly faster than the 27-inch and 21.5-inch Intel-based models.
Taking the form of a 24-inch display with a 4.5K resolution, the M3 iMac is just 11.5mm thick. Within this slender form factor is a 1080p FaceTime camera and what Apple refers to as “studio-quality” microphones. Its six-speaker array also supports Spatial Audio for listening to music and Dolby Atmos for compatible movies.
Connectivity also gets a boost with the M3 chip, starting with Wi-Fi 6E, a faster wireless protocol, and Bluetooth 5.3 now included. Two Thunderbolt 4 ports come with the base 8-core GPU M3 iMac, while the 10-core GPU configurations add two USB 3 type-C ports and a gigabit Ethernet port. You can also order the computer with as much as 24GB of unified memory. Apple’s Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard peripherals come bundled with every computer.
Aimed at a broad audience, Apple mentioned the likes of small businesses, creatives, families, and students as ideal M3 iMac users. Gamers also received a noticeable mention, too. With the iPhone 15 Pro phones touting console-like gaming, and Game Mode on MacOS Sonoma, Apple is pushing further into the world of video games.
iMac M3 release date and price
Available to order now, the new 24-inch iMac launches next week on Tuesday, 7 November 2023. It comes in seven bright colours, including green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. Pricing starts at $2,199 for the 8-core GPU configuration, while the 10-core GPU model starts at $2,499.
Although we know by this point that you pay a premium for Apple products, the new iMac appears to be a strong all-rounder in the personal computing stakes. There’s a lot to like about the M-series SoCs, and the M3 makes a strong case for being your next upgrade.
