Features that Apple will upgrade in the new iMac M4

Apple is expected to hold a major event this fall, likely in late October, where it could announce updates to several Mac and iPad models, including the iMac. Here are the upgrades Apple could bring to this year's iMac:

Illustration photo.

Upgrade to new M4 chip

The last iMac update was last October, when Apple upgraded the M1 chip to the M3 chip. This year, the iMac is expected to get the M4 chip, which is based on TSMC's second-generation 3nm manufacturing process. This upgrade will take the iMac from an 8-core CPU to a 10-core CPU, bringing a performance increase of about 20-25%.

Switch to USB-C port

While there's no official word yet, Apple is likely to switch all new devices from Lightning to USB-C by the end of the year to comply with European regulations. So, you can expect to see USB-C ports on the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad that come with the new iMacs.

Increase standard RAM capacity

According to Bloomberg, all M4-powered Macs will start with at least 16GB of RAM. This also applies to the M4 iMac, which comes standard with 16GB of RAM and can be upgraded to 32GB. Previously, the M3-powered iMacs maxed out at 24GB of RAM.

The new iMac M4 will have upgrades in features and performance.

More Thunderbolt ports

The current 24-inch iMac has some oddities when it comes to ports. The lower-end model only has two Thunderbolt ports, while the higher-end model has two USB-C ports. While there's no confirmation yet, it's possible that the higher-end iMac will have four Thunderbolt ports, rather than split between Thunderbolt and USB-C.

According to analysis from images shared on X (Twitter), the M4 chip can be equipped with 4 Thunderbolt controllers, compared to only 2 on the M3 chip.

Wi-Fi 7 support

Apple is also likely to equip the iMac M4 with the Wi-Fi 7 standard, similar to the iPhone 16 series. Wi-Fi 7 supports speeds of up to 46 Gbps, 5 times faster than Wi-Fi 6E, and operates on 320 MHz channels and the 6 GHz band, helping to reduce interference and signal congestion.

While it's a small upgrade, these improvements are still worth noting for anyone considering a new iMac. However, there's currently no indication that Apple is working on a larger iMac or a Pro version of the device.

According to Apple, the 24-inch iMac will be the only version produced in the near future, which may disappoint many people if they don't like the current size or design of this model.

Samuel Daniel

Update 10 February 2025