Apple, Creator of '1cm Innovation'... iMac Slimmer Than Ever with M1

Apple's Own System-on-Chip M1 Equipped
Logic Board and Thermal Management Efficiency Improved
Hardware Changes... Available in 7 Colors

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] A new iMac boasting a sleeker side profile that is '11.5mm (1.15cm)' thinner has been unveiled. With the application of Apple's in-house developed system-on-chip (SoC) M1, the iMac has been enhanced in functionality and now features a volume reduced by 50% compared to before. For the first time in iMac history, Touch ID has been applied, making login and Apple Pay payments more convenient.

Compact Design Meets M1

On the 20th (local time), Apple held a special event at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, to unveil the iMac. Greg Joswiak, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, said, "The M1 chip is a giant leap for Mac, and today we are excited to introduce the first new iMac designed around the M1 chip," adding, "The new iMac elevates everything users have loved about iMac to a completely new level."

The most noticeable change is the dramatically different exterior design. Thanks to the system-on-chip architecture and the application of the M1, power efficiency has improved, allowing the logic board and thermal management components to be integrated and significantly reduced in size. The compact design has cut the iMac's volume in half. It is available in vibrant colors including Green, Yellow, Orange, Pink, Purple, Blue, and Silver.

The display features a thin bezel 24-inch 4.5K Retina Display2 with 11.3 million pixels. It delivers vivid images with a wide P3 color gamut, over 1 billion colors, and 500 nits of brightness. True Tone technology automatically adjusts the color temperature according to the surrounding environment, providing a natural viewing experience.

The fundamental change enabling this design is the M1. The M1’s 8-core central processing unit (CPU) includes the fastest CPU cores in a low-power chip, and the 8-core graphics processing unit (GPU) is the fastest integrated graphics processor in a personal computer. It also features a high-efficiency unified memory architecture and a 16-core Apple Neural Engine.

Compared to previous models, the differences are clear. Compared to the previous fastest 21.5-inch iMac base model, CPU performance is up to 85% faster, and apps like Affinity Photo and Photoshop support up to twice as fast GPU performance. In Final Cut Pro, users can edit up to five 4K video streams or one 8K video stream without dropped frames. It also offers up to three times faster app machine learning performance.

Enhanced Immersion for Video Calls and Movie Watching

With video calls becoming commonplace after COVID-19, camera functionality has been improved. The iMac is equipped with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera that can capture high-quality video even in low light. It offers enhanced noise reduction, dynamic range, exposure, and white balance features.

The microphone and sound system have also been upgraded. The highest-level microphone array has been applied to improve both call quality for video calls and voice recording quality. Additionally, the microphones are positioned to minimize feedback from other system components, and directional beamforming technology filters out background noise. Two pairs of force-canceling woofers are placed side by side, delivering powerful and precise bass along with very clear midrange and treble sounds.

For the first time in iMac history, Touch ID has been applied, allowing login with just a touch of a finger. It also enables Apple Pay payments and user profile changes. The Mac operating system applied is 'Big Sur.' The iMac will be available for order in some countries starting on the 30th and is expected to be released after mid-May.