On October 28, Apple announced the upcoming release of their next desktop computer: the iMac with M4 chip.

The new 24-inch iMac enables Apple Intelligence natural language commands and, when the operating system updates in December, AI photo editing. The tech giant says the new device offers the “world’s best all-in-one desktop features,” including tons of new colors and a cutting-edge camera, packed into a slim design.

“iMac is loved by millions of users, from stay-at-home families to hard-working entrepreneurs,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, in a press release. “With the incredible features of Apple Intelligence and the powerful performance of Apple silicon, the new iMac changes the game again.”

Starting at $1,299, the iMac is scheduled for release on November 8.

SEE: Our Apple intelligence with our cheat sheet shows how AI is changing Apple navigation, graphic design capabilities and more.

M4 chip differentiates Apple CPU from Intel

Apple said the M4 chip enables the following:

• Faster performance, 1.7 times faster than the 2021 iMac with the M1 chip.
• Faster and smoother photo editing and gaming.
• A standard of 16 GB of unified memory, with configurations up to 32 GB. The 32GB version requires the 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, which costs a bit more, starting at $1,499.
• A neural engine three times faster than the first generation M1, enabling today’s generative AI.
• 2.1 times faster photo and video editing performance in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro compared to iMac with M1.

Apple fans can already find M4 chips in the 2024 iPad Pro. Apple claimed the M4 iMac is six times faster than the Intel Core i5-based 21.5-inch iMac.

Upgraded display option and lots of USB-C ports

For professional graphic designers, the iMac’s 4.5K Retina display with an optional nanotextured glass will provide high-resolution images. Nanotextured glass is designed to look vibrant, even in bright, sunny spaces, such as an office with a window or a storefront. It’s only available on the 10-core GPU premium build, $200 more than the base model.

The 2024 iMac has up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports and USB-C accessories, as opposed to Lightning ports. A 12 MP webcam makes meetings sharp and clear.

2024 iMac boasts new colors, camera and Safari features

The rainbow of device colors caught my eye when I visited an Apple store recently, and the 2024 iMac continues the trend. It comes in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue and silver. Keyboards, mice and trackpads with USB-C ports will be available in colors that coordinate with the computing machine.

Apple built the 12MP Center Stage camera for FaceTime and DeskView, Apple’s simultaneous overhead and face views. The second corner allows teachers or content creators to simultaneously show a desktop view while the second window focuses on their faces.

The new iMac is designed for MacOS Sequoia, which brings new features to Safari; iPhone mirroring; Distraction control to block ads, videos or other parts of a website; the new Passwords app; and contemporary play.

The 2024 iMac supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

Apple Intelligence-enhanced Siri can help navigate the iMac

Apple Intelligence generative AI – technically still in beta – will be available on iMac in US English with macOS Sequoia 15.1.

Apple demonstrated using Siri to send messages and control other aspects of the desktop from a single window. Video: Apple

Apple Intelligence will introduce writing assistance and use the revamped Siri to answer questions and perform commands across iOS. These initial capabilities will be expanded in December with features such as:

• Image playground, for AI image generation.
• More autonomy for Siri and greater capabilities for Siri to learn from individual users’ preferences.
• ChatGPT integration for Siri and writing tools.

To secure information that users can share with generative AI, Apple silos data either on each individual device or on the Private Cloud Compute service. Users of ChatGPT on iMac do not need to create an account with OpenAI to use the chatbot. Users can choose to link their accounts if they prefer.