5 Reasons to Buy the 2020 iMac & 3 Reasons Not To Buy

Should I buy the 2020 iMac? It’s finally here, and it’s packing a lot of important upgrades. Apple focuses on the 27-inch iMac for 2020, but there are key upgrades to the 21.5-inch iMac and iMac Pro.

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If you are shopping for the 27-inch iMac this is a great time to consider buying, but if you want the iMac Pro or the smaller iMac you may want to hold off until next year.

The base 2020 iMac 27-inch comes with a six-core CPU, Radeon Pro 5300 PGU, 8GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD. It starts at $1,799 and is available at Apple and at B&H Photo.

Upgrade for More Power

The 2020 iMac 27-inch is available with up to a 10-core Intel 10th Gen processor, double the memory as the previous model and new AMD graphics.

This means you can expect faster performance in professional apps. Upgraded specs can deliver the following boosts according to Apple;

• Up to 65 percent more plug-ins in Logic Pro X.
• Up to 40 percent faster 8K ProRes transcode in Final Cut Pro X.
• Up to 35 percent faster rendering with Arnold in Autodesk Maya.
• Up to 25 percent faster build time in Xcode.

That’s just from the new processor. When you factor in the new AMD GPU options, you can see;

• Up to 55 percent faster rendering in Maxon Cinema 4D ProRender.
• Up to 50 percent faster demo fly-through in Unity Editor.
• Up to 45 percent faster performance in “Total War: Three Kingdoms.”
• Up to 30 percent faster timeline rendering in Final Cut Pro X.

In short, this is a powerful iMac that is read to handle what you throw at it.

Upgrade for a New Display

The 27-inch iMac gets a new True Tone display that is similar to what you will find on the MacBook Pro and iPhone lineups. This delivers better color accuracy and better looking white balance based on the current lighting.

You can opt for a nano-texture matte finish on the 27-inch iMac for the first time. This is handy if you need to fight glare on your iMac screen.

Upgrade for T2 Benefits

The new iMac features a T2 chip. This chip offers better security on your Mac. It helps prevent malware and delivers encryption on your Mac without slowing it down.

This is an underappreciated part of many Apple products and it’s nice to see it in the iMac.

Upgrade for a Better Webcam

We’re working from home more this year, and webcams are more important than ever.

Apple doesn’t typically deliver amazing webcams, but this is a nice upgrade to a 1080P webcam. This also includes face detection and exposure control.

While it isn’t a reason alone to upgrade, it’s a nice cherry on top.

Upgrade for Better Mics and Speakers

Apple upgrades the speakers on the 2020 iMac, which delivers better performance overall. The T2 chip plays a role here. Apple says that it enables a “variable EQ for better balance, higher fidelity, and deeper bass.”

The new microphones enable better audio capture and better quality for FaceTime and video calls.

Wait for the 2021 iMac with a New Design

While this is an important upgrade for the iMac in 2020, it is not a new design.

We expect to see a redesigned iMac, potentially along with Apple Silicon in 2021. Bloomberg reports that Apple is set to announce an Apple Silicon powered device in October 2020, but we expect that it will be a portable device. Still, you may want to wait and see what happens there. It will allow you to see the potential speed improvements and may help you decide if you want to wait for the new iMac.

If you want something that is new-new, then you should wait for the 2021 iMac.

Wait for a Substantial 21.5-inch iMac Upgrade

The 21.5-inch iMac now features an SSD on the base model, which is wonderful, but that’s the only real change.

We could see a 23-inch iMac replace this model in 2021, and that is something that is worth waiting for, especially with the lack of additional upgrades to this model.

Wait for 2020 iMac Deals

If you want the 2020 iMac at Apple, you can save as a student or educator, but that is about it.

Within the next few weeks, we expect to see at least $100 off the new iMac, and that could be a bigger discount on select models.

Last update on 2024-04-17. This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to read our disclosure policy for more details. Images via Amazon API