Apple debuts 21.5-inch 4K iMac, new Magic Keyboard, Mouse, TrackPad

The new iMac boasts a display capable of showing nearly 10 million pixels while the accessories are now rechargeable thanks to the Lightning port.

As  expected, Apple on Tuesday introduced a higher resolution iMac and three new accessories. Say hello to the 21.5-inch 4K iMac, Magic Keyboard, Mouse 2 and TrackPad 2

 

The highlight of the group is the all-in-one desktop that comes with Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan preloaded.

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And the biggest upgrade is in the display: The smaller of Apple's two iMac models now uses a 4,096 x 2,304 resolution screen, good for 218 pixels per inch.

You'll pay a premium for that viewing experience because the 4K iMac is $1,499, a $400 boost over the base, lower resolution model.

Inside is a fifth-generation Intel Core i5-5675R processor clocked at 3.1 GHz alongside Intel's Iris Pro 6200 graphics, 8 GB of memory, and a 1 TB hard drive. Support for 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0 round out the wireless capabilities. The new iMac retains an SDXC memory card slot and has a pair of Thunderbolt 3.0 ports as well as four USB 3.0 ports and a Ethernet jack.

Apple's new Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2 are included with the new iMac. They may look like the older products they're replacing but Apple decided you won't have to replace their batteries any more.

Instead, both devices -- as well as the optional Magic TrackPad 2 -- have internal rechargeable batteries and Lightning ports.

Simply plug them in to your iMac or a charger for a short time and you're good for a month or so of use. The new Magic TrackPad 2 also adds Force Touch capabilities like Apple's latest Macbook computers have.

CNET already took the new 4K iMac for a spin:

"The pitch for this revamped Apple iMac is pretty simple: Take last year's high-end base configuration, upgrade it to a 4K display and newer (although not the newest) processors, while keeping the price the same. Adding to the appeal are the newly redesigned included accessories, Thunderbolt 2 and more hybrid hard drive options."

It is a bit of a bummer that the new iMacs use Intel's fifth-generation chips considering the laptop line is seeing sixth-gen silicon, aka: Skylake.

But Apple's focus is rightly aimed at the mobile world and of course, it does offer a high-end desktop computing experience with its Mac Pro for those that have the budget. And the company quietly upgraded its current 5K 27-inch iMac lineup with Intel Skylake chips if you want the latest and greatest chips in your desktop.