Apple has quietly given the M4 iMac some hidden upgrades – here are the ones you might have missed
- Apple has made a handful of interesting changes to the M4 iMac
- That includes upgrades to the iMac’s external display support
- The device’s USB-C accessories have spread to other Macs as well
After many months of speculation, Apple yesterday unveiled a new iMac, complete with the M4 chip. It became the first Apple computer to be loaded with this piece of silicon, but there were a few other interesting tidbits you might have missed in the announcement.
For starters, the M4 iMac is now the first Mac that can support an external display with 8K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. That’s a fantastic selling point for anyone who wants to work on an incredibly detailed monitor with an ultra-smooth frame rate.
It’s easy to miss this detail: Apple didn’t mention it in the iMac’s press release, and it only really becomes apparent when you visit the computer’s specs page. Interestingly, it doesn’t appear on Apple’s US website. The specifications page states that the iMac supports one 8K screen with a refresh rate of 60 Hz.
But try other regional websites (like Apple’s Canada or UK pages) and you’ll see 8K at 120Hz listed. It’s unclear if this is a typo on Apple’s part or if there are real regional differences in the new iMac’s external display support. We’ve asked Apple for confirmation and will update this story if we hear back.
We hope you can actually get 8K resolutions at 120Hz on the new computer, as that would be a significant upgrade for Mac fans.
More viewing bonuses
Speaking of displays, the M4 iMac can support up to two external displays, provided you choose a model with a 10-core M4 chip. That’s a remarkable step forward, considering there aren’t many Macs that actually work with two external monitors.
The M3 MacBook Air and M3 MacBook Pro can support two external displays, but only when the laptop lid is closed. However, the 10-core iMac has no limitations to worry about. And if those connected monitors can each have up to 6K resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate, as Apple’s specs page states, that’s a hell of a lot of extra screen real estate to work with.
And there’s another lesser-known detail surrounding the M4 iMac that you may have missed. While it’s well documented that the iMac’s accessories – the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad – now come with USB-C connectivity instead of Lightning, the same goes for these peripherals if you order them with the Mac Pro .
You can see this for yourself when you order a Mac Pro – in the ‘What’s in the box’ section at the bottom of the buying page, Apple says the computer comes with a USB-C charging cable for its Magic peripherals.
All in all, the iMac has undergone a major update this month. Not only does it now come with Apple’s latest M4 chip, but Apple has also equipped it with new colors, Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, a nano-textured glass option, and more.
With further announcements from Apple this week, including upgrades to the MacBook Pro and Mac mini, there’s even more to look out for in the coming days.