The iMac (2021) is the biggest design change in the iMac lineup since 2012, but the new design wasn't the only thing turning head when Apple announced the new computer at its 'Spring Loaded' event. Apple will give customers seven different colors to choose from when selecting the iMac (2021), including blue, green, pink, orange, yellow, purple, and silver. It's the largest array of colors for the iMac lineup since the launch of the iMac G3 way back in '98.
While choosing which color to buy for your iMac (2021) is mostly personal preference, there are some things you should know about the colors to ensure you get the best Mac for you.
Not all colors available for all configurations
While there are seven colors in total, those colors are more limited if you choose to buy the cheapest model.
If you choose to get the base level iMac (2021) — that's the one with only two Thunderbolt ports and 256GB of storage — your color options are limited to blue, green, pink, or sliver. It's only when you opt for the more expensive models with two Thunderbolt ports, two USB-C ports, and Gigabit Ethernet that you get access to the full array of color options.
Two-toned colors on the iMac (2021)
Source: Apple
The first thing you need to be aware of when getting the iMac (2021) is that all the bright and vibrant colored models are actually two-toned. As you can see in the pictures up above, the back of the iMac is a darker and deeper color, while the metal stand and the chin on the front of the iMac are a lighter shade.
Silver is all one color
The only iMac (2021) model that's different is the silver version which is all one color. The back, front, and stand are all uniform and should look the same.
If you want to see all the iMac (2021) colors, check out the Apple website so high-resolution photos of each color.
Media viewing
Typically, I would suggest that if you really care about watch movies or media on your devices, you should go with the darkest color as it will be the least distracting when viewing content fullscreen.
Apple made the odd decision of making the iMac (2021) have white bezels around the screen, which will likely stick out like a sore thumb while watching content. Unfortunately, the white bezel is on every model regardless of which color you get, so you can't really avoid it.
I'm not confident that any iMac (2021) color will offer a better viewing experience over another color, so it's all about your preference.
Wear and tear
With Apple products, I've always noticed that darker colors tend to show scratches, scuffs, and other little marks much more easily than lighter colors. My space gray MacBook Air definitely has a few small but noticeable scratches on the outside casing that I haven't noticed on sliver MacBooks.
The silver aluminum that Apple uses in its Macs has always been better at hiding little nicks from the human eye than its darker colors, and I would imagine that the same would be true with the iMac (2021).
Now, keep in mind, your iMac (2021) isn't a laptop. You won't be carrying it around and taking it with you everywhere you go, so the chances of scratching it are way slimmer. Unless you're very concerned about scratches, you likely can get any color of the iMac (2021) without having to worry too much.
Which color are you getting?
Do you plan on getting an iMac (2021)? Let us know which one by answering our poll!
