iMac gets M4 upgrade plus a new mouse and keyboard

Apple has kicked off its potential week of announcements with a big upgrade to the iMac. The new version of this colourful all-in-one machine sports Apple's latest M4 chip.

This update comes almost exactly a year after the last iMac update which saw it go from the M1 chip to the M3 chip. It also comes in a new array of colours to keep it fresh for the season, including new shades of green, yellow, orange, pink, purple and blue.

The accompanying Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard have also been moved over to USB-C devices, getting rid of the last few Lightning connection products. Though the positioning of the mouse charging point seems to be unchanged.

Apple has also released iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1 today, which give access to the Apple Intelligence features.

iMac M4

The iMac M4 promises significant performance increases, especially over the older M1 edition and the Intel-based machines that came before that. Unlike phones, users aren't likely to be updating their iMac's every year, so these comparisons are probably more relevant than any M3 comparisons would be.

This update comes as Apple rolls out the first of its Apple Intelligence features on the iPhone, iPad and Mac to users in the US, with more regions coming by the end of the year. These features are likely to be a bigger draw on processing power, as a lot of the working happens locally rather than on the cloud.

For this reason, the upgrade to a new Mac is likely to be even more appealing. Especially for those still running Intel machines (that aren't compatible with the AI features).

There are two version of the M4 chip on offer with the iMac. The base level features an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, while the more powerful model features a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU. This higher specced model also comes with Gigabit Ethernet and the choice of 256GB or 512GB storage.

All models now comes with a base of 16GB RAM, though this is upgradable to 24GB or 32GB (10-core with 512GB storage or more). You can also upgrade the storage to 1TB or 2TB (on 512GB model).

All models also feature a new upgraded 12MP camera on the front, with Centre Stage. There's also the option to add a nano-texture glass to the display to reduce glare.

Prices for the iMac M4 start from £1299/$1299/AUD$1919 for the 8-core CPU/GPU and £1499/$1499/AUD2,399 for the 10-core models.

Mouse and keyboard go USB-C

As part of the iMac announcement, the Magic Mouse and colour-matched keyboard for the iMac were announced to now feature a USB-C port for charging in place of the former Lightning connection. From the included pictures, the accessories look otherwise unchanged.

The keyboard is slightly different to the universal Magic Keyboard that Apple offers, as it offers a finger-print sensor in the top right, rather than the old eject button. It also is coloured to match the iMac, so comes in one of the seven new colours.

It has been assumed that the change over to USB-C on the Magic Mouse means that the charging port remains underneath the mouse. This has often been criticised by users, as it means you are unable to use the device while it's charging. The Magic Keyboard has a charging point on the top edge, so can easily be used plugged in.