Apple has officially unleashed its latest iMac, and if you've been holding off upgrading your desktop computer, this might just be the perfect excuse. The brand-new 24-inch iMac, powered by Apple's latest M6 chip, is now available to buy, with prices starting at £1,499 in the UK and $1,499 in the US.
It brings a substantial performance boost, improved connectivity, and some rather impressive creative capabilities, all wrapped up in Apple's wonderfully colorful all-in-one design.
I've always thought the iMac was one of Apple's most appealing computers, particularly for photographers who want a capable editing machine without filling their desks with monitors, cables, and accessories. The beauty of the iMac is its simplicity. You get a computer, an excellent display, and everything you need to get working in one beautifully designed package. And while the exterior hasn't dramatically changed, what Apple has managed to squeeze inside this latest generation is arguably far more exciting.
At the heart of the new iMac is Apple's M6 chip, available with either a 10-core or 12-core CPU and GPU configuration, depending on which model you choose. Apple claims graphics performance is now up to twice as fast as the previous M4 generation in certain tasks, including photo editing, which is particularly interesting for photographers working with large RAW files, complex edits, or demanding creative software. For those still using an older Intel-powered iMac, Apple is promising an even more substantial jump in performance.
However, it's the display that continues to make the iMac such an attractive proposition for photographers. The 24-inch 4.5K Retina display offers 500 nits of brightness and P3 wide color support, making it a compelling screen for editing everything from everyday photographs to professional portfolios. There's also an optional nano-texture display for those who work in particularly bright environments, which could make a real difference when trying to edit images without distracting reflections.
The new iMac also features up to 32GB of unified memory, faster storage, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports, depending on the configuration. These are welcome additions for photographers who regularly transfer large image libraries, connect external SSDs, or work with additional displays. You also get a 12MP Center Stage camera, an impressive six-speaker audio system, and Apple's latest macOS 27 software, complete with enhanced Apple Intelligence capabilities.
Of course, Apple hasn't forgotten what makes the iMac so recognizable. The new model is available in seven colors, including blue, green, pink, yellow, orange, purple, and silver, with matching accessories completing the package. It's refreshing to see a desktop computer that doesn't simply resemble another black or silver box, and there's something rather appealing about having a machine that looks just as good sitting on your desk as the photographs you're editing on it.
The entry-level iMac starts at £1,499 / $1,499, offering the M6 chip with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 256GB of storage. For £1,699 / $1,699, you can step up to the more powerful 12-core CPU and GPU configuration. Personally, if you're buying this primarily for photography, I'd consider upgrading the storage or investing in a good external SSD, as 256GB can disappear remarkably quickly once you start working with large RAW files and creative applications.
The new M6 iMac is available now directly from Apple's US store, as well as Apple's UK store and authorized retailers. It's certainly not the cheapest way to get into desktop computing, but when you consider the quality of the display, the performance on offer, and the convenience of having everything integrated into one machine, I can certainly understand its appeal. For photographers looking to refresh their editing setup, this could be one of the most interesting desktop launches of the year.
