So, the rumors were true – Apple has launched a new iMac 24-inch (M3) at its October 2023 event.
The event, titled ‘Scary Fast’, was used by Apple to announce its new range of M3 chips – the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max, alongside the new iMac all-in-one PC, as well as new MacBook Pros as well.
The new iMac (M3) wasn’t a complete surprise – in the run up to the event we initially heard rumors that a new iMac won’t be coming in 2023, but then further rumors suggested it could be revealed on October 30 or 31 – which is exactly what happened. Only a few hours before the event, we got a further leak saying we’ll see a new iMac – along with a trio of M3 chips and new MacBook Pro models – at the ‘Scary Fast’ event.
Despite those accurate leaks, it was still good to see a new iMac, as the previous 24-inch iMac (M1) was released two years ago – so it definitely was time for an overhaul.
So, read on to find out all the facts we have so far about the new M3-powered 24-inch iMac.
iMac 24-inch (M3): Cut to the chase
- What is it? The follow-up to 2021’s Apple chip-powered all-in-one
- When is it available? Pre-orders live now, ships November 7
- What does it cost? Starts at $1,399 (around £1,150, AU$2,200)
iMac 24-inch (M3): Release date
The iMac 24-inch (M3) went up for pre-order as soon as it was announced, on October 30, 2023, and is available in 27 countries around the world.
As is often the case with Apple launches, while pre-orders went live instantly, purchasers will have to wait just over a week – as the new iMac will start shipping out from Tuesday, November 7.
From that date, you should be able to go into an Apple Store and pick one up, or buy it from a non-Apple retailer, such as Best Buy.
iMac 24-inch (M3): Price
Along with the launch date of November 7, Apple also revealed the starting price of some of the models of the new iMac 24-inch with M3 chip.
The base model, which comes with an M3 chip with 8-core GPU, 8-core CPU, 8GB of memory, 256GB SSD and Magi Keyboard and Magic Mouse starts at $1,399 (around £1,150, AU$2,200).
This is a step up in starting price from the previous M1 model, which launched at $1,299 / £1,249 / AU$1,899. However, the M3 chip looks to be a large leap over the M1 (the iMac line never got an M2 model), so that extra outlay is reasonably justified.
Apple also revealed the price of an iMac with a slightly more powerful M3 chip with 10-core GPU (and same 8-core CPU, 8GB of memory and 256GB SSD) for $1,499 (around £1,200, AU$2,350).
As with the previous iMac, you’ll be able to configure this model with more memory and storage, but expect the price to increase as well.
(Image credit: Apple)
iMac 24-inch (M3): Design and specifications
When it comes to the design, the iMac 24-inch (M3) keeps the same look as the previous model. This is no bad thing, as the 2021 model of the iMac 24-inch brought a radical redesign that was a far cry from the usual iMac look, adding a dash of color that had been missing in Macs for a while.
As with the previous model, the iMac 24-inch (M3) comes in a choice of seven colors: green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver, with braided cables and accessories to match.
The 24-inch screen has a 4.5K Retina resolution, supports the P3 wide color gamut and over a billion colors, and 500 nits of brightness. It also features a 1080p FaceTime camera and ‘studio-quality’ microphones, plus a six-speaker setup for spatial audio.
Inside the new iMac, things have been shaken up a bit more, with the M3 chip bringing more cores and support for up to 24GB of unified memory (the M1 chip topped out at 16GB).
According to Apple, the new chip means that web browsing in Safari and using productivity apps can be up to 30 times faster, and gaming (a surprisingly dominant theme during Apple’s launch event) is much improved, with up to 50% faster frame rates – again, according to Apple. We’ll make sure to test these claims thoroughly when we get our hands on the new iMac for our full review.
Connectivity has also been improved, with the iMac 24-inch (M3) supporting Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. On certain models, you can also get support for Gigabit Ethernet (though not on the base model).
If the M3 really lives up to the hype, especially when it comes to gaming, then we could have a very exciting product on our hands.
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