iMac (M4)

For nine years, the Magic Mouse had its charging port underneath, so you could not use it while it charged. However, the iMac with M4 moved the whole set of accessories to USB-C.

Everything else about the outside stayed as it was. Same 24-inch 4.5K screen, same thin chassis, same chin below the display. Apple added two colours, bringing it to green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue and silver, and the keyboard and mouse still arrive matched to whichever one you pick.

The camera was the real upgrade. The iMac with M4 got a 12MP Centre Stage camera that keeps you in frame as you move, along with Desk View, which uses the same lens to show whatever is on the desk in front of you.

You could also pay extra for nano-texture glass, an etched finish that cuts reflections. It had been a Pro Display XDR feature at thousands of pounds, so seeing it on a consumer machine was a surprise.

The M4 chip came in two versions, eight cores or ten, and the cheaper one did without two of the Thunderbolt ports. Apple compared it to the M1 iMac from 2021 rather than the M3 it actually replaced, claiming up to 1.7 times the speed for everyday work.

Memory started at 16GB, double the 8GB Apple had shipped for years, which was the change most buyers noticed.

It was announced on 28 October 2024 with orders opening the same day, and reached customers on 8 November 2024 at $1,299.