M1 iMac reviews and unboxing videos round-up

M1 iMac reviews and unboxing videos have started pouring in, just before their general availability starting on Friday, May 21. Early impressions are super positive, with reviewers praising the choice of colors, performance, and display. Others have pointed out some concerns with the lack of ports, upgradability, and value for money. Check out some of the best reviews that we have come across so far.

M1 iMac reviews and unboxing videos

The first and perhaps the most interesting unboxing video is by iJustine. She got her hands on all 7 colors of the new M1 iMac and unboxed all of them.

iJustine also did a review of the red M1 iMac:

MKBHD’s review was highly critical of the design, price, and other aspects of the M1 iMac such as the glossy display and white bezels.

Dave2D had a nicely detailed review of the Teal/dark green iMac. He was one of the few people who loved the white bezels, design, and performance. Dave wished that the performance was better as the M1 is not in a portable computer, but Apple has continued to focus on efficiency.

Rene Ritchie calls the M1 iMac the MacBook Air of iMacs. He praised the colors, performance, and its iconic design. It’s definitely not for workstation workflows or portable usage, but for everything else, such as home, school, or offices, it is able to handle everything you can throw at it.

The Verge praised the M1 iMac’s design and performance but not its selection of ports which is even more limited than previous iMacs. The webcam also works great now, but the price value is questionable, especially for the base model.

“Could Apple have done more with this iMac? Of course. I was hoping to see a 30-inch, 6K iMac with a powerhouse 12-core workstation chip this month as much as the next person. But I have faith that we’ll get one in the future — and in the meantime, I’m glad Apple released this. It’s not earth-shattering in its design; it doesn’t redefine its category. But it’s fun. It improves upon the 21.5-inch iMac to offer a simple, attractive, and very functional device for users across all kinds of categories. It’s not the iMac to beat — but it is the iMac for most people to buy.”

Tyler Stalman called the new M1 iMac good enough for professionals, while everyone else believes that a more powerful workstation iMac is just around the corner with faster internals.

The Guardian gave it 5 out 5 stars and called it the best all-in-one computer currently available despite its imperfections.

The bold new 24in iMac is a big upgrade in almost every way from its predecessor. The burst of colour is refreshing, the screen is bigger and very good indeed, and the M1 chip is powerful and efficient, meaning it runs more or less silently.

There’s no doubt this is the best 24in all-in-one computer available and one of the very best Macs you can buy. But it is not perfect. The lack of USB-A ports and an SD card slot will mean users require adapters for older gear, but it is the fact that Apple still hasn’t made the iMac height adjustable that is the most irritating.

Jason Snell said that the iMac is just a low-end model but it is powerful enough to handle multiple streams of 4K video.

The iMac is not a laptop. But it occurs to me that by cladding the iMac in bright colors and making it thinner and lighter, Apple is trying to make it more fun, more mobile, and more likely to find itself a home. It doesn’t need to be the right Mac for everyone, but it does need to be flexible enough to slide into a kitchen or onto a makeshift workspace in the corner of a bedroom.

I can’t say that you’ll find a use for the 24-inch iMac. I can’t say that I can find a use for one, either. But it’s a charismatic, fun Mac that I have enjoyed using immensely. If there’s a place for one in your life, I suspect you’ll enjoy it, too.

Our take

The common theme so far in all the reviews has been the following:

• Design is subjective. You will either love it or hate it. Maybe people who will actually buy and use these new M1 iMacs should have reviewed them too.
• The display, performance, speakers, webcam are all amazing.
• Despite the amazing performance, this is a ‘low-end’ iMac.
• Base model iMac skips on too many features that require you to pay more money.
• Port selection is an issue but MacBook users should have gotten used to it by now.

Will you be getting one of the new iMacs? Let us know in the comments below!