New iMac review: Apple’s 2021 computer is gorgeous and ludicrously powerful

APPLE has dropped a gorgeous revamp of the iMac – and it’s a computing beast to boot.

I’ve been testing the next-gen machine to find out what’s what.

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Many of you will recall a time when Macs were bright and colourful.

Apple eventually ditched the rainbow aesthetic for the silver iMac – much safer, but with a little less charm.

Now eye-popping colours are back with a 2021 iMac that comes in no fewer than SEVEN paintjobs.

It’s arguably the biggest exterior change to an Apple product in years, so I couldn’t wait to eyeball it.

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Perhaps foolishly, I grabbed a pair of scissors when it arrived, ready to unlock the cardboard’s secrets.

But the box folds out like magic with no cutting, slicing or jabbing required.

Inside was a truly gorgeous orange iMac, which has some delightful coppery tones that will please…well, anyone with eyes.

This iMac is much slimmer than its predecessor. In fact, it’s more like a giant iPad, instantly making the previous-gen iMac look like a relic.

Accessories are colour-matched: my shipment included a wireless keyboard (now with fingerprint-scanning Touch ID), mouse, trackpad, power cord and USBC-to-Lightning cable.

Setup is a breeze: macOS Big Sur guides you through it in minutes, adding Siri, theme settings, Apple Pay and more.

Aside from the iMac’s jaw-dropping looks, the big breakthrough here is performance.

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It’s running on Apple’s brand new M1 chip – a custom-built processor designed in-house.

This replaces the Intel chips of yore, meaning Apple controls the hardware, the software and the processor. Just like on the iPhone, or the new M1 MacBooks.

The result is blisteringly quick performance, especially on Apple apps (like Pages

And third-party apps like Photoshop run like a dream too. I’ve edited giant photos with dozens of layers without a hitch.

Perhaps most importantly, you can have loads of Safari tabs open at once without the browser crumbling under the weight of your epic workload (or online shopping extravaganza?).

The chip is powerful enough to play any App Store game, and you’ll get away with lighter titles like Fortnite.

But the iMac still isn’t a machine for the most hardened gamers, who will find better luck with high-graphics game support on Windows.

For casual gamers, the iMac is totally fine.

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The screen is a generous 24 inches with fairly minimal bezel – though the “chin” is sizeable.

You can spec it right up to a 4.5K Retina display, which is sharp enough to use it for watching great movies.

That’s helped by the fact that it supports a P3 wide colour gamut and 500 nits of brightness, so the picture looks fantastic.

Chances are that the display is higher quality than your living room telly, unless you’ve upgraded recently.

The new 1080p FaceTime camera is better than ever, with some back-end computational wizardry to make us all look less terrible on video calls.

Better yet, the six-speaker array is exceptional.

You can crank it up very loud, and you’ll even be whomped by bass – unusual for a built-in desktop audio system.

The iMac runs on Apple’s own macOS Big Sur software.

Of course, Big Sur isn’t exclusive to the new iMac, but it’s a treat to use nonetheless.

You can run iPhone apps on the iMac, and enjoy an easy-on-the-eyes Dark Mode.

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And if you’ve got an iPhone or iPad, you can take advantage of all the cross-device synergy Apple provides.

You can pick up phone calls on the iMac, copy and paste content between devices, and even use an iPad as a second screen with the Sidecar feature.

Now onto the price: you’re looking at a minimum of £1,249.

But this can rise north of £2,500 if you spec it to the high heavens.

Of course, this is a seriously powerful machine that will be sufficient for all but the most “pro” users.

It’s also possibly the most beautiful all-in-one desktop on the market today.

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And remember that the iMac can take on the role of a family computer in a way that a MacBook wouldn’t.

So it can serve multiple people, fits well in almost any room (don’t stick one in the loo, mind), and looks pretty enough to be an ornament even if you never used it.

The benefit is that when you do use it, the 2021 iMac is a total beast, powering through almost anything you throw at it.

Apple’s combination of craftsmanship, hardware and software make this one of the best computers in the world.

The Sun says: A powerhouse computer that’s more beautiful than ever, the 2021 iMac is a steal at £1,249. 5/5

The new iMac will begin arriving for customers from Friday, May 21.

All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed. Always do your own research before making any purchase.

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In other news, check out our live coverage of the Apple Spring event.

And take a look at the big updates from the event here:

• New iMac 2021 – a colourful update to the iMac with the powerful M1 chip on board
• New iPad Pro 2021 – a better screen, support for 5G internet, and the speedy M1 chip at its heart
• Apple AirTags – location-tracking tags that strap onto your keys or luggage, to be monitored using Apple’s Find My app on your iPhone

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