IMac
From £1,049
Ever since the Bondi Blue iMac debuted in 1998, Apple’s all-inone desktop computer has been setting standards in gorgeous design and powerful performance. Apple’s innovation was as clear back then as it is today – the iMac was the first Macintosh to drop the floppy drive in favour of USB, and its colourful aesthetic set it apart.
The entry-level 4K 21.5in iMac was finally updated in August 2020, although its specs remain largely unchanged from March 2019. Apple finally dropped the 5,400rpm hard drive in favour of SSDs across the board. However, in March 2021, Apple announced that it was discontinuing the 512GB and 1TB SSD configurations, leaving a choice of a 2.3, 3.0 or 3.6GHz model with a 256GB SSD, each with the option to upgrade to a 1TB Fusion Drive.
The biggest changes from the 2020 update can be found in the 27in iMac. It too sports SSDs across the line and you can choose from six-core tenth-gen Intel Core i5s on the entry level and mid-range models, or an eight-core tenth-gen Intel Core i7 on the top-end – Apple says these iMacs offer up to 65% faster performance than the previous models. The 27in iMacs also boast AMD Radeon Pro 5300 graphics on the entry-level and midrange models with an AMD Radeon Pro 5550 XT GPU on the £2,999 model, and up to 55% more graphics power. The three models in the 27in range have 5K Retina displays, and also boast True Tone technology. For an extra £500, you can opt for a nano-texture glass display to minimise glare.
Other changes in the 2020 update include improved speakers and studio-quality mics. You can also add up to 128GB of memory and up to 8TB of solid-state storage.
While the current generation of iMacs are incredible machines, you might want to hold off getting one for now – all-new iMacs featuring redesigned chassis and Apple silicon inside are expected later this year.