We tested Apple’s new IMac – 20 minutes
- Launched from 1449 euros, the new Apple iMac changes its look. Flat, thin and colorful, it owes its new line to the manufacturer’s new M1 chip.
- Fast, with a 4.5K screen and six speakers, the device is not only destined to become a workstation but also a leisure station.
- However, beware: the bill goes up quickly if you want to strengthen the device.
Blue, green, pink, yellow, orange, mauve… it shows the color. With the new vintage of Apple’s iMac, the computer is finally showing itself. Officially launched on May 21 and available from 1449 euros, the new iMac has attention to detail: even its power cables and Lightning to USB covered with fabrics match the color of the machine!
The orange model loaned by the firm to Apple for our test found a prominent place in the office where we installed it, despite a color that is daring to say the least. But it is above all the small footprint of the device that sheds new light on our teleworking environment.
Sapped like never before
From the top of its 24 inches (61 cm), the iMac screen is limited to 1.15 cm thick. This is the end of the rear curves of Apple desktop computers: the slimming regime operated by the firm at Apple allows its machine to be completely flat. All aluminum, mounted on a ball-jointed foot that allows it to be perfectly oriented towards the eye, the object is of an insolent aesthetic.
To go even further in the sketch, Apple has even gone so far as to remove its own logo at the bottom of the screen (but it has enlarged it at the back!). By dint of clearing up the space, the manufacturer has even removed the SD card reader usually located with the machine’s USB ports. Hey, we’re going to have to buy an adapter to transfer the photos and videos shot with our Lumix!
Code name: M1
The finesse of the iMac is only made possible by the manufacturer’s M1 chip. Already present on the iPad Pro, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini, the Apple Silicon processor has virtues that never cease to be unanimous. Its possibility of miniaturization of the components of the machine to which it is hitched, its speed, its capacity to swallow large amounts of data, its lower energy consumption are systematically underlined. The leap forward is striking.
This is what we were able to verify, for example, by performing video editing on iMovie with several 4K streams, or by playing World of warcraft : the fluidity is constant, the velocity exemplary. Nothing to do with our “old” and faithful iMac bought in 2017 and yet still very responsive, but which occasionally “grinds”.
Pixels and decibels
Facing the screen of the iMac 2021, the Retina 4.5K panel (4480 x 2520 pixels) does its work. The image looks of a purity never seen on a consumer computer. The arrival of the display True Tone, which adapts the heat of the screen to the ambient light conditions is a great asset when working late at night, with a display that is less tiring over time … The anti-reflection treatment of the panel is very effective for its part . However, we regret that the screen is still surrounded by white borders. We would dream of seeing the image slip away.
Filling in some gaps, and obviously wanting to make its new iMac a real entertainment station, Apple has also equipped it with six speakers. Although we do not equal here the sound rendering that could be that of a sound bar, the computer does not demerit. Taking advantage of our test, we watched the new Netflix blockbuster, Army of the Dead, or 2h28 of action (or almost) and scenes with deadly sound effects. The iMac survived (not us).
The sound reproduced is quite brilliant, with real nuances between bass and treble, marked bass (if not deep) and the absence of distortion, even at high volume. For work, a Full HD 1080p camera is now associated with the machine and supported by three directional microphones. Our first Zoom and other Teams are without appeal: when questioned our correspondents affirmed that they “saw better” and underlined a “better image”. “Everyone seems fuzzy, except you”, we even heard!
The aptly named magic Keyboard
In everyday life, the keyboard Magic Keyboard The iMac’s Bluetooth benefits from a major innovation. A key Touch ID located at the top right allows a simple press to unlock the computer.
We, who type in our password many times every day, immediately experienced the benefits. The same goes for finally getting rid of all these passwords accumulated over the years to access a particular site, or to validate a payment.
Up to nearly 3000 euros
Question budget, precisely: the new iMac is offered from 1449 euros. A sum, certainly, but a moderate budget for such a racehorse which in the state can suit most. However, you must provide a small extension. Supplied with 256 GB of storage space and 8 GB of Ram, the machine can quickly see its price increase if you want to beef up the basic version. Count 230 euros more for 16 GB of Ram, 230 euros additional for 512 GB of storage, even 460 euros for 1 TB. Even the trackpad is sold separately (50 euros). By adding the options, the price of the new iMac can quickly reach… 2954 euros!