Apple unveils a new iMac with M4 chip and Apple Intelligence (well almost)

As the latest rumors indicated, Apple has lifted the veil on its latest generation of iMac, powered by the M4 chip and enriched with new Apple Intelligence capabilities.

The integration of the M4 chip first allows to improve the performance of the world’s most famous all-in-one. Compared to the M1 version, this new generation is up to 1.7 times faster for everyday tasks and 2.1 times faster for demanding work like photo editing and gaming. The comparison with the competition is even more striking since the iMac M4 is up to 4.5 times faster than the most popular 24-inch all-in-one PC equipped with the latest Intel Core 7 processor.

The device now has 16 GB of unified memory as standard, expandable up to 32 GB, and benefits from a considerably improved Neural Engine, now three times more efficient than that of the M1 generation. This development positions the iMac as the undisputed benchmark for all-in-one computers for artificial intelligence applications.

Apple Intelligence: the long-awaited revolution

The integration of Apple Intelligence marks the advent of “new era for the Mac”. This personal intelligence system radically transforms the way users work, communicate and express themselves, promises Apple. Major innovations include writing tools that allow you to rephrase, correct and summarize text, as well as a redesigned version of Siri that can naturally switch between voice and written commands.

Even more remarkable, Apple is announcing the integration of ChatGPT into Siri and writing tools starting in December, a feature that will be accessible for free and without creating an account. Privacy protection remains at the heart of concerns, with local data processing and the introduction of “Private Cloud Compute” for more complex tasks.

So much for the promises. The reality is very different for European users since Apple’s AI only works with machines configured in US English. Apple Intelligence is in fact unavailable in our regions. The company promises support for the French by the end of 2025, without further details. It will therefore be necessary to consider the iMac M4 as a hardware evolution rather than a software one.

Always colorful

The new iMac retains its ultra-thin design which makes it original as well as its flashy colors. The 24-inch Retina 4.5K display now offers a nano-textured glass option reducing reflections (inaugurated with the latest iPad Pros), while a new 12 MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support finally improves the quality of video calls.

The connectivity is also quite rich with up to four Thunderbolt 4 portssupport for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. The matching accessories (Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad) are switching to USB-C in order to standardize the ranges (and to meet the legal framework).

Priced from $1,499the new iMac is available for pre-order today for delivery from November 8.

• The iMac M4 delivers up to 2.1x better performance than its M1 predecessor, with 16GB of RAM as standard
• It is compatible with Apple Intelligence but only supports it on US machines
• It is available in 7 colors starting at 1,499 euros