Apple's colorful new iMac is the computer I wish I had this whole time while working from home

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• Apple's new iMac offers fast performance, an eye-catching design, and an excellent webcam.
• But this all-in-one computer is missing features that could have made it even more useful, and it doesn't have many ports.
• Check out our guides to the best iPhones and iPads for more Apple product buying advice.

When Apple launched the original iMac more than 20 years ago, it popularized the idea that computers didn't have to look like utilitarian beige boxes. Now, Apple is reviving that approach in 2021.

The new 24-inch iMac, which starts at $1,300 and launches on May 21, comes in a range of vibrant pastel colors and a stunning new slim design. More importantly, it's also more powerful than its predecessor, thanks to the inclusion of Apple's M1 chip. Apple has given the speakers and webcam a much-appreciated upgrade for the work-from-home era, too.

The iMac is far from being the most affordable all-in-one computer you can buy. But the benefits it brings are worth the price for Mac fans in need of a sleek yet powerful desktop with a high-resolution screen.

My only complaints about the new iMac are the same ones that I tend to have about every Apple product. The port selection is fairly limited, and there isn't much flexibility in terms of pricing and customization compared to Windows machines. I also wish Apple would have brought some of the innovative features found on its other devices —like the iPad Pro's Center Stage — to the iMac.

Apple iMac (2021) Specifications

Apple iMac	Specifications
Display	24-inch 4.5K Retina display
Processor	8-Core Apple M1 chip with 7 or 8-core graphics processor (GPU)
Webcam	1080p with M1 image signal processor
Speakers	Six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers
Storage	Starts with 256GB solid state drive (SSD), up to 2TB
Memory	8GB or 16GB RAM
Ports	Starts with 2 USB-4 (Type C) ports, headphone jack
Authentication	Touch ID keyboard (not in base model)

Design and display

The iMac is nothing short of striking. It's only 11.5 millimeters thin, which makes it easy to fit on the dining room table that's doubled as my work desk during the pandemic.

It's not just the new iMac's thin profile that makes it stand out. Apple has also significantly slimmed down the borders surrounding its screen, allowing for a more modern and streamlined look I've been dying to see on the Macbook Air and Pro. 

But of course, it's the iMac's dazzling range of color options that really steal the show when it comes to looks. The $1,300 model comes in blue, green, pink, and silver, while the pricier configuration is available in these colors plus yellow, orange, and purple. That makes the iMac fit in nicely with the colorful iPhone 12 and iPad Air lineup.

Each iMac also comes with a matching Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse, and the power cord also comes in a new woven texture of the same color that feels more durable. There's also a USB-C to Lightning cable with the same woven build in the box as well.

The iMac's 24-inch 4.5K resolution display is also part of what sets it apart from the competition. It's hard to find an all-in-one desktop computer of this size with such a high resolution screen. HP's 4K all-in-one computers, for example, only come in larger sizes like 31.5 inches, while Dell's Inspiron all-in-ones have 1080p screens. 

Those who are primarily interested in getting an all-in-one computer for video editing or watching movies certainly won't be disappointed. The iMac displays rich and vibrant colors with plenty of brightness and detail, which is noticeable when watching "The Great British Baking Show" and "Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle" on Netflix. The viewing angles are also excellent, which should make the iMac ideal if you're using it to watch a movie with a friend or collaborate on a project with a coworker.

Performance

The iMac comes with Apple's M1 chip, which blew me away with its faster performance and long battery life when I first tested the latest MacBook Air in 2020. 

In the iMac, the M1 chip brings performance that's faster than a high-end laptop with the latest Intel processor, but not quite as speedy as desktop computers with dedicated high-end graphics. That's exactly what's expected of a computer like the iMac, which is intended to be a general-use productivity machine rather than a pro-level desktop.

For example, the iMac can encode a 10-minute 4K video clip to 1080p about 10 minutes faster than a Dell XPS 13 laptop with an 11th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM. But the M1's integrated graphics processing unit is still no match for the desktop computer in my basement that my husband built several years ago, which includes an MSI RTX 2070 graphics card with 8GB of video RAM.

	Apple iMac	Dell XPS 13	Desktop with MSI GPU
Video Export Test	21 minutes 19 seconds	31 minutes 6 seconds	12 minutes 55 seconds

The iMac is also faster than Dell's laptop when processing photo edits in Adobe Lightroom. Both computers are capable of exporting a 4.7 megabyte image quickly, but the iMac does the job in just 1.4 seconds versus Dell's 5 seconds.

Otherwise the iMac handles my daily workflow with ease, which consists of opening more than a dozen tabs in Safari and using apps like Slack and Cisco Webex. 

But similarly-priced all-in-ones, like the $1,185.79 Dell Inspiron 24 5000 and $1,000 HP Pavilion 24,offer more memory at the base level and many more ports compared to the iMac. 

Webcam and audio

More than a year after many of us started working from home, it's become painfully obvious how poor the webcams and speakers are on many laptops. That's one area Apple has really paid attention to on the new iMac, which comes with a 1080p webcam that uses Apple's image signal processor, a six-speaker sound system, and a three-microphone array.

Not only is the webcam quality better than laptops I've tried, but it also surpasses the dedicated 1080p Logitech webcam I've been comparing it with. Take a look at the images below, and you'll notice that the one taken on the iMac is brighter and more detailed. 

Apple iMac

Logitech Webcam

However, I do think there's an opportunity for Apple to make the webcam even more useful. The Mac still doesn't have Face ID despite the fact that Windows Hello is becoming standard on many Windows computers. Touch ID comes built into the iMac's keyboard, but you have to opt for one of the pricier configurations, or pay $50 extra to add it to the $1,300 model.

Given that Apple is positioning the iMac as being a multipurpose computer for the kitchen, den, bedroom, and home office, I wish the webcam had a privacy shutter. A visible green light turns on to let you know when the camera is active, but a shutter would provide even more peace of mind. 

It also strikes me as odd that Apple didn't include a smart home hub in the new iMac as it has in the HomePod, Apple TV, and iPad. Again, considering the iMac is meant to be a central part of the home, it seems like a natural fit.

And finally, it would have been nice to see the iMac get "Center Stage" like the new iPad Pro, a feature that automatically adjusts the camera to keep you in frame during video calls.

The iMac may not be loud and enveloping enough to replace a dedicated speaker, but it does a heck of a good job for a computer. Music sounds loud, clear, and crisp, especially when  sitting right in front of it as intended. It doesn't have as much bass as a standalone speaker like the fourth-generation Amazon Echo, and it also doesn't fill a room with sound as well. But the audio quality is still sure to please anyone looking to use their computer for video calls, watching movies, and casual music listening.

Should you buy it?

Yes, the iMac's fast performance, attractive design, and excellent webcam make it a great choice for Apple fans in search of an all-in-one desktop. 

However, you can definitely find more flexibility in terms of pricing, input options, and configurations if you look elsewhere. 

What are your alternatives?

If you aren't partial to Apple, HP's Pavilion 24 has a similarly-sized screen (although it has a lower 1080p resolution) and is less expensive than the iMac. The $1,000 model comes with 16GB of RAM instead of the iMac's 8GB of memory, several USB ports (both Type-A and Type-C), HDMI input and output, and a card reader. The $1,300 iMac configuration, by comparison, only includes two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports.

Although the M1 chip packs plenty of performance, those looking for more power, screen space, memory, and storage should opt for the 27-inch iMac. You'll get the option to configure up to 128GB of memory and 8TB of storage, while the 24-inch version maxes out at 16GB of memory and 2TB of storage. This larger model also runs on Intel's chips versus Apple's, but it's configurable up to the top-of-the-line Core i9 variant. 

The bottom line

The new iMac is an excellent all-in-one computer for anyone looking to upgrade their home office setup. Its excellent webcam and speakers make me wish I had this throughout the whole lockdown of 2020, when I spent every weekend socializing over Zoom. 

Pros: Attractive design, great performance, excellent webcam and speakers

Cons: Only two ports on base model, lacks the iPad's "Center Stage" feature for video calls, Touch ID costs extra