The new iMac gets a color shock in Apple’s first redesign in 2012

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Apple, Tuesday, at Spring Loaded event introduced the newest line of iMacs, a rare refresh of what was one of the company’s most important products.

All-in-ones are a major redesign of current models, with thinner edges around the screen and a flat back. The new model has a 24-inch screen, from 21 inches, and an improved camera, microphone and speakers. Updated iMacs start at $ 1,299 ($ ​​1,249, $ 1,899) for four colors, including blue and red, and $ 1,499 ($ ​​1,449, $ 2,199) for a wider range of colors, including yellow, orange, and purple, and more features. Pre-orders start on April 30, and the devices will be available in the second half of May.

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A new 1080p camera is adapted for video calling, a key feature as millions of people around the world have been forced to work from home in the middle Covid-19 pandemic. Apple said the camera has a larger sensor that helps it work better in low light conditions. The iMac keyboard also comes with Touch ID, the company’s fingerprint security sensor.

Computers are the newest devices in Apple’s product line that use the M1 chip, Apple’s own internally built processor. Apple debuted the chips last year with its Mac laptops, a milestone for the company, which aims to design the brains of its products, as well as their industrial design and software.

Apple introduced the new devices every year spring event, took place practically, where the company also revealed new versions of it iPad Pro and Apple TV streaming box.

The new iMacs are the first major redesign of the product in 2012. The new splash of color returns to the original candy-colored iMacs first unveiled by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in 1998. The product has earned Apple a cult following and paved the way for to run a historical product that would include iPod and iPhone.

IMacs will test the limits of Apple’s internal chips. With the M1, Apple has become the only major PC maker that no longer have to rely on external companies such as Intel, AMD or Nvidia to create microprocessors to power its devices. But M1 is new and unproven, and switching microprocessors is an important undertaking. (Even though Apple has switched to its own chips for its new 24-inch iMac entry level, it still uses Intel processors for its 27-inch iMac, which did not receive any updates on Tuesday.)

Most people may not care about a change in a component of their Mac computers. But Apple’s moves could mean big changes for both its Macs and the technology industry. To create the M1, Apple used at least $ 1 billion to buy more than half a dozen companies, in addition to spending more than a decade on research and development. Now, says Apple, its chips are more powerful and energy efficient than the Intel chips it previously relied on. This could result in smaller and thinner models, longer battery life and new technologies.

By building its own chips, Apple is able to better control the features it launches, as well as better manage the timeline for the introduction of new devices. And it is able to offer much better battery life than cars powered by Intel chips. When it comes to its own Mac processors, Apple started with its state-of-the-art computers. The first M1 Macs, which went on sale last year, included the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air.

CNET’s Ian Sherr and Shara Tibken contributed to the report.

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