Apple Announces Lighter, Thinner iMac Models with Fusion Drive - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Announces Lighter, Thinner iMac Models with Fusion Drive

Apple today updated its iMac lineup, dramatically reducing the thickness of the desktop machines and adding a brand new Fusion Drive that combines flash storage and a traditional disk-based hard drive to maximize both speed and capacity.

Newimc
The iMac will come with both 21.5-inch and 27-inch displays, and includes a new fully laminated design to improve optical quality and a new anti-reflective coating.

Redesigned from the inside out, the new iMac packs high-performance technology into an aluminum and glass enclosure with up to 40 percent less volume than its predecessor and an edge that measures just 5 mm thin. Built with an unprecedented level of fit and finish, the new iMac delivers an amazing desktop experience in a gorgeous design. The new iMac also features a completely reengineered display that reduces reflection by 75 percent while maintaining brilliant color and contrast. In the new design, the cover glass is fully laminated to the LCD and an anti-reflective coating is applied using a high-precision plasma deposition process. Every iMac display is individually color calibrated using an advanced spectroradiometer.

The 21.5-inch iMac starts at $1,299 in the US, and includes a with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB hard drive. The 21.5" model should begin shipping in November.

The 27-inch iMac starts with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, 8 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB hard drive starting at $1,799 and shipping in December.

Related Roundup: iMac
Buyer's Guide: iMac (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iMac

Popular Stories

Black Apple Event Logo

Apple Now Inviting Media to October 28 'Launch Experience'

Thursday October 15, 2026 4:13 am PDT by
Apple has begun inviting selected members of the media to a product launch experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a post on X, Gurman described the gathering as an "all-day product launch experience" for touchscreen MacBooks, a new iPad mini, and Macs equipped with M6 chips. Gurman previously reported that Apple would introduce the...
iPad mini 7 Review Thumb 1 sans text

Apple Expected to Release New Products on Next Four Fridays

Sunday October 18, 2026 11:01 am PDT by
Apple likely plans to release MacBook Pro models with OLED displays, 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac models with M6 chips, and/or an iPad mini 8 with an OLED display on Friday, November 6, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The devices are expected to be announced on Tuesday, October 27 or Wednesday, October 28. If this timeframe proves to be accurate, then Apple will be releasing new...
M5 MacBook Pro

Apple Plans Two-Day Event to Showcase Trio of New Macs and iPad Mini

Monday October 12, 2026 9:15 am PDT by
Apple is planning to invite content creators to a two-day product showcase in Los Angeles on October 27 and October 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Do not expect a traditional Apple Event with a live-streamed video on either of those days, as Gurman said that these will be "experiences" for content creators, similar to one that Apple is holding in New York this Tuesday, October 13. ...

Top Rated Comments

183 months ago
My 2011 iMac thinks it has a weight problem.
Score: 106 Votes (Like | Disagree)
183 months ago
Why does my desktop need to be lighter? I'm not using it on my lap... Give me an optical drive please.
Score: 88 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Thunderbird Avatar
183 months ago
Epic fail.

It's not a new design, it's just thinner. There's no optical drive, which kills it for me. When I use Windows on Bootcamp it means having to have an external optical drive on my desk to load certain programs or play DVD or BD movies in my collection, thus defeating the purpose of having an all-in-one machine. Another external device to add to my modem, external HDD, speakers, etc.

No optical drive

No new stand design

No retina display

No upgradability

No touch screen

No exterior design change (e.g. same chin)

No difference in available sizes

This is essentially little more than a spec bump with a thinner screen. I don't need a thinner screen. The only possible appealing feature is the 75% less reflective AG coating.

FAIL.
Score: 84 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Battlefield Fan Avatar
183 months ago
When Phil swapped the photo from the 2012 iMac to the older 2011 iMac my jaw dropped into my neighbors apartment.
Score: 60 Votes (Like | Disagree)
drummingcraig Avatar
183 months ago
The new iMac is indeed gorgeous. However I wonder how many folks are aware that the Fusion drive isn't exactly a brand new concept. A quick google search revealed several posts on blogs and social media that were lauding Apple for its "innovation" of the Fusion concept, yet I've had a Momentus XT hybrid drive in my MBP for almost two years.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
183 months ago
Epic fail.

No optical drive

No new stand design

No retina display

No upgradability

No touch screen

No exterior design change (e.g. same chin)

No difference in available sizes

FAIL.

Ugh... really...

You can get a separate optical drive. You're complaining because the stand is the same? really!?? Saying fail and epic fail just makes you sound like a 12 year old.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
18 hours ago
Reminder: Apple's Big Discount on Beats 360 Ear Cushions Ends Today
Reminder: Apple's Big Discount on Beats 360 Ear Cushions Ends Today
18 hours ago
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
18 hours ago
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
19 hours ago
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
21 hours ago
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
1 day ago
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
1 day ago
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
1 day ago
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
1 day ago
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
2 days ago
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
2 days ago
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
2 days ago
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
2 days ago
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
2 days ago
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
2 days ago
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
2 days ago
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
2 days ago
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
2 days ago
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
2 days ago
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
2 days ago
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
2 days ago
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
2 days ago
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
2 days ago
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
2 days ago
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
2 days ago
Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores
Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores
2 days ago
Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Ship 1.5M Units in 2027
Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Ship 1.5M Units in 2027
2 days ago
New Apple TV 4K and iPad Mini: RAM Amounts Revealed
New Apple TV 4K and iPad Mini: RAM Amounts Revealed
2 days ago
Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display
Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display
3 days ago
Here's a Hands-On Look at HomePod Mini 2's New Two-Tone Colors
Here's a Hands-On Look at HomePod Mini 2's New Two-Tone Colors
3 days ago

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors