The 2020 27-inch iMac was announced earlier this week with updated 10th-generation Intel chips, new AMD 5000 graphics, a True Tone display and an improved webcam, but unfortunately, there are no design changes to the machine. Apple started shipping ‘iMac’ orders earlier this week and media sites have been publishing their own reviews as the new devices arrive to customers.
Many reviews mention that the new iMac is great for working from home, highlighting the upgraded 1080p webcam, improved speakers and new microphone array as notable features.
True tone display
The iMac features the same 5K display used in previous generations with millions of colors, 14.7 million pixels, and 500 nits of brightness, but it also features True Tone for the first time, which allows adjustments to the display’s color temperature. Ambient light.
Most reviewers didn’t have much to say about True Tone because we’ve been using it for years on other Apple products, but TechCrunch It is said to be a nice addition:
This is the first time the company has brought True Tone technology to the iMac, using light sensors to adjust the screen for more true-to-life colors. It’s a nice addition, and it leads to a screen that positively pops. At the end of a long day, I carry the iMac around and use it to watch movies from my couch.
Nano-textured glass
Apple has added the same nano-texture matte glass option to the iMac that it first introduced with the Pro Display XDR.
Not all reviewers got an iMac with nano-textured glass, but those who did were impressed. from Gizmodo:
I absolutely love this glass, though. No matter what I’m looking at or the ambient light in the room, there is absolutely no glare at any angle. Watching Tom Hanks’ dimly lit drama-on-the-high-seas flick Greyhound (on Apple TV+, natch) was no match for the bright light streaming in from the giant window to my left against the nano-textured glass. The late afternoon sun hitting the display from behind my shoulder didn’t reflect a bit on the screen. I need it on every device in my life.
The Verge The nano-texture is said to be “great,” but unknowns about durability raise questions about whether it’s worth the $500 price tag.
My first two major reservations are, unfortunately, things that can’t be resolved with just two days of testing. One is the price: at $500, this is a very expensive upgrade, and only your glare tolerance can tell you if it’s worth the price. Another thing that can help you decide if it’s worth it is whether the finish is durable. This is my second reservation: I don’t know. […]
I asked Apple about the durability of the finish. I was told that they don’t want to give anyone the impression that it’s fragile, but it is, yes: over time, using something too abrasive can ruin that finish. Unlike other screens, the Nano Finish doesn’t actually have a coating on it; It’s just etched, bare glass.
Mashable The nano-textured glass gives the iMac “an updated look” and is said to be fingerprint resistant.
Although it’s not noticeable unless you physically feel it, it gives the iMac an updated look. More importantly, it reduces glare and reflections and makes everything look much more vibrant. And, unlike standard glossy displays, it’s not a fingerprint magnet.
10th generation processors and Radeon GPUs
Gizmodo was impressed with the performance and called the 10-core iMac a “powerhouse” it tested that would last for years to come.
The few benchmarks I’ve run since the iMac arrived on Tuesday indicate that this desktop is a powerhouse. In the Blender test of CPU performance, the iMac rendered an image in 2 minutes and 19 seconds, which is incredibly fast–more than two minutes faster than when we benchmarked Intel’s 10th-gen Core i9-10900K processor. In Geekbench 4, a synthetic test of overall system performance, the iMac’s single-core score of 6382 and multi-core score of 42417 impressed us all. Joanna Nelius, Gizmodo’s resident PC and processor expert, exclaimed: “What did Intel do to this CPU?” We plan to run more benchmarks in addition to real-world tests, but these early numbers are promising.
Mashable Says its 10-core review unit with 32GB of RAM and Radeon Pro 5700 XT graphics card is plenty strong for everyday use.
My review unit was a little more powerful for my daily tasks: a 3.6 GHz 10-core Intel Core i9 processor, 32GB of storage, and the aforementioned Radeon Pro 5700 X graphics card. I can easily say that it handled everything I threw at it with ease, but my typical work day doesn’t require that much heavy lifting in terms of hardware.
1080p camera
iMac– uses an upgraded 1080p camera that’s also enhanced with the T2 chip, which adds an image signal processor that includes tone mapping, exposure control, and face detection.
TechCrunch Says the camera is clear and “more than acceptable for teleconferencing needs.”
The system sports a number of on-board sensors designed to enhance the experience, including face tracking for better shot framing and enhanced low-light performance.
CNBC Loved the face tracking feature that was included as it keeps your face in focus
Apple has tweaked the camera software so that your face is always in focus, even as you move it around the screen, and it does a good job of keeping you well-lit even in relatively dark environments. This is important, say, when you’re video chatting with your team on a cloudy day and don’t want to look like you’re living in a cave.
The Verge That said, for video conferencers, the 1080p webcam is probably the biggest improvement of the day.
But even in this pandemic year there’s a spec bump out of character for Apple: the webcam quality has finally been improved. If you do a lot of video conferencing, the new 1080p webcam is probably going to be the thing that improves your day the most. I hate to tell you this, but you look more professional to your colleagues if your camera is a little sharper. I don’t think it’s worth upgrading to a new iMac just for the webcam, but I’m glad Apple made it better. I don’t even know that I’d say it’s the best I’ve used, but it’s no longer vaguely embarrassing like Apple’s other webcams.
Microphone and speaker
The microphone has also received a boost, with Apple adding a studio-quality microphone array to the high-end camera, while the speakers benefit from the T2 chip, gaining improved balance, higher fidelity and variable EQ for deeper bass.
TechCrunch The microphone was deemed “clear and perfectly suited for teleconferencing” and the same was said about the speakers.
Speakers also fulfill roughly the same needs. They are perfectly fine for a teleconference, audio playback and even casual movie watching and music listening. As someone who is somewhat obsessed with listening to music, I would probably invest in some external speakers to pair with the desktop in a home setting, but computer audio is perfect for the office.
CNBC: Called the microphone excellent, and said a recording made with the microphone sounded like it came from a studio.
The microphones are excellent. Previous iMacs had two front-facing microphones, but the new 27-inch iMac adds a third rear-facing one to reduce background noise. I did a 90-minute video chat last night with people using the new 27-inch iMac and they sounded really clear. I also heard a demo track recorded by a musician named Mary Spender who recorded herself singing and playing guitar in front of an iMac. I’m no audiophile, but it sounded really clear to me, like it was recorded in a studio.
complaint
There were some complaints about the new ‘iMac’, but almost all focused on the machine’s outdated design. The iMac’s design hasn’t been overhauled since 2012 and continues to feature thick bezels.
Some reviewers also expressed interest in the addition of a Touch ID home button, which is on Macs like the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, but not the new iMac. from The Verge:
One thing that doesn’t feel quite as modern with the 2020 iMac is logging in Unless you have an Apple Watch and use it to unlock your computer, the only way to get in is to type your password like an animal. Apple’s T2 chip controls Touch ID fingerprint login on Mac laptops, but Apple decided not to add a fingerprint sensor to the keyboard or Face ID array on this iMac.
Review the video
Several YouTubers have created hands-on videos with the new iMac for those interested in seeing it in action.
Full review to read: six colors, Mashable, CNBC, TechCrunch, Gizmodo, Pocket-lintAnd The Verge.
