Apple has updated the colorful line of iMacs to the Apple M4 chip, in what (if rumors are to be believed) is a big week for the Mac.
The current lineup of iMacs hasn’t been really known as a powerhouse machine for video editing (like the iMac Pro was back in the day) but there are folks out there who have taken advantage of the affordability of the iMac, as well as the built-in display, as their video editing machine of choice. This new lineup takes that up a notch.
There are a few notable items that video editors might be interested in that I see in the release of these new iMacs:
- Of course, the Apple M4 chip, which can be specced with up to a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
- Four Thunderbolt 4 ports are available on the rear, which also double as USB-C ports for all the SSDs editors use
- RAM that can be configured up to 32 GBs
- Up to 2 TBs of fast internal SSD storage
- A Nano-texture glass options
Those are a few new options that feel to me like the iMac has taken a small step forward in the video editing spec sheet. That can push the iMac close to $3,000, but given the performance we’ve seen out of Apple silicon (over the old Intel Macs) since the introduction of the M1 chips, this new M4 iMac could be a bit of a sleeper when it comes to light to moderate video editing. Heck, if you’re still cooking an Intel Mac with a limited upgrade budget and not a lot of desk space the M4 iMac might be a sweet spot in price and performance.
The chip in the new iMacs is an M4, just the M4 variety and not a Pro or a Max. While advice to video editors would be to step up to a Pro or, better yet, a Max chip you can still get a lot of work done in the regular M4 chip. A comparable Mac mini with similar specs and an M2 Pro will set you back about $2,300 and that is without a display. But there might be a new M4 Mac mini coming this week, so we’ll revisit this if that happens.
And those colors just look cool.
The iMac’s all-in-one design is also convenient, thanks to features like the built-in 12 MP Center Stage camera, Apple Intelligence, a 4.5K Retina display, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
We’ve done a lot of testing with the Apple Silicon Macs since they arrived a couple of years ago. The Mac Studio is still a powerhouse machine for videos editors that is hard to beat but it does come at a much higher price than these new iMacs. But while the rapid update schedules of the Apple M chips might make it seem like your M Mac purchase is out of date way sooner than it used to be, Apple silicon is proving to have good longevity, so an investment in a new M-series Mac will last for years. Many video editors still want the portability of something like the MacBook Pro, and that’s understandable, but if you’re a video editor on a budget who doesn’t need that portability, then give the new M4 iMacs a look. Maybe we can get Jeff to update his Professional’s Guide to Buying an M Series Mac for this new, interesting machine.