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An iMac is no small investment, which is why it is wise to spend some time making sure you're getting the iMac that's right for you at the best price. In this article we bring you the best iMac deals available - and with brand new iMacs joining the lineup there's never been a better time to buy!
The team here at Macworld UK is constantly on the look out for the best iMac deals from around the web. We spot the biggest and best deals from UK retailers, and list them all right here in this article.
Amazon is advertising discounts on the 'renewed iMacs for Prime Day (which runs from 21 to 22 June). However, the renewed iMacs are pretty old so we wouldn't advise buying them.
If you were hoping to get a deal on a new iMac for Prime Day bad luck - they are all out of stock right now.
Amazon does have some discounts on 27in iMacs at the moment - although not specific for Prime Day (and in some cases no better than other resellers).
Prime Day discounts are exclusive to Amazon Prime members, so you need to be a Prime member to take advantage. Membership costs £79/US$119/AUD$59 annually, though customers can opt for a £7.99/$12.99/AUD$6.99 monthly subscription instead. A 30-day free trial is also available and you can cancel any time.
What you need to know
Before we tell you about the deals that are available, you should be aware that on 20 April 2021 Apple announced an update to the iMac: the 21.5in model has been replaced with a completely redesigned 24in iMac that comes in a collection of seven different colours and is powered by Apple's M1 Chip. We expect that they will be very popular - and there are already deals to be had (see the section below)! Read the latest on the new iMac 2021.
The arrival of the new 24in iMac doesn't mean you won't be able to buy a 21.5in iMac: Apple is continuing to sell the old 2017 2.3GHz dual-core iMac and other resellers will continue to clear stock of 21.5in iMacs. You may even find the 21.5in iMac on Apple's refurbished store.
Often we find that when Apple stops selling a model the resellers start to drop prices to clear out their stock, so we should start to see some decent discounts on these older models.
That's the smaller iMac, but what of the bigger 27in model? Apple hasn't given that a redesign yet and an Apple-made processor yet, but we expect that will happen later in the year - read about what could be the 32in iMac. The model that Apple is selling right now is the one introduced in August 2020. Here's our 2020 27in iMac review, our review of the 2021 24in iMac, plus a comparison of the 2020 iMacs vs 2019 models.
With Apple transitioning from Intel to its own processors you will also need to consider whether you are ready to make the transition yourself. The M1 Macs got rave reviews, but you might want to stick with an Intel iMac for now. These articles might help: Should I buy an Intel Mac and Should I buy an M1 Mac.
If you want to stick to Intel the good news is that some of the best deals to be had are on the larger iMacs. You can often pick up a great deal on a powerful model that happens to be a few years old and is priced far below lower-specced, but newer, models.
We have also included some discounts for the Mac mini models below, but we also have a dedicated Mac mini deals article. If you're looking for MacBooks, see our round-up of the best MacBook Pro deals and MacBook Air deals. Make sure you check out our complete round up of the best Apple deals we've seen too. Read Mac mini vs iMac to see which is best.
If you want help deciding which Mac is best for you read our Mac buying guide.
And for another way to save money on a new Apple product read about how you can trade in old products at Apple and other resellers and get money off. Read: How Apple trade in works and saves you money.
Best iMac deals right now
We'll explain how you can spot a good deal below, but in case you can't wait here's an overview of some of the best iMac deals you can get right now.
If you are hoping to get a good deal on a new 24in M1 iMac then you are out of luck right now - in fact you will need luck on your side if you are to find one on sale at all as they are selling out fast! However there are a couple of resellers who have stock here in the UK:
Currys/PC World has the 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU 24in iMacs in stock and is promising free delivery in 3-5 working days. Currys is out of stock of the green iMac though and you can't get the 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU models right now.
ao.com promises delivery tomorrow for the 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU 24in iMac in silver. The other colours, and the more expensive 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU models, are not available though.
Before they sold out Amazon had the entry-level M1 iMac, 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 256GB model, in stock for £1,199.97. Plus KRCS has been offering even better discounts on the new M1 iMac.
If it doesn't have to be the new 24in iMac then there are great deals to be had on the 27in iMac models introduced in August 2020:
How much does an iMac cost?
The only way to know if a deal is any good is to identify the actual price that the iMac should sell for (or did sell for) so we will start with the current pricing structure.
There are various models in the current line up: three 24in models and three 27in models. In addition Apple is still selling the old entry-level 21.5in iMac: the 2.3GHz dual-core model with a 7th generation Intel processor. We have been advising against buying that model for years and we will continue to do so as we don't think it represents good value for money even at £1,099/$1,099.
Apple's current and recent pricing is included below. Keep these prices in mind as you evaluate how good each deal is.
Note that when Apple updated the range in August 2020 it increased prices in the UK by £50 per iMac. The prices of the new 24in iMacs seem to have been adjusted back again though, which is great news - read: For once Apple's not ripping off Britain. To find out the official price of the iMac visit Apple's website here.
2021 24in iMac models
| 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 256GB SSD, 4.5K Retina display, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, Magic Keyboard | £1,249 / $1,299/ AU$1,899 |
| 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 256GB SSD, 4.5K Retina display, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, two USB 3 ports, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID | £1,449 / $1,499/ AU$2,199 |
| 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 512GB SSD, 4.5K Retina display, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, two USB 3 ports, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID | £1,649 / $1,699/ AU$2,499 |
For more information about where you can buy the new iMac read: Where you can buy the 24in iMac with M1.
2017 21.5in iMac model
| 2.3GHz dual-core 7th-gen i5, 256GB SSD (was a 1TB HD), Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, Non Retina | £1,099 / $1,099 / AU$1,699 (was £1,049) |
2020 27in iMac models
| 3.1GHz six-core 10th-gen i5, 256GB SSD, Radeon Pro 5300, 5K Retina | £1,799 / $1,799/ AU$2,799 |
| 3.3GHz six-core 10th-gen i5, 512GB SSD, Radeon Pro 5300, 5K Retina | £1,999 / $1,999/ AU$3,099 |
| 3.8GHz eight-core 10th-gen i7, 512GB SSD, Radeon Pro 5500 XT, 5K Retina | £2,299 / $2,299/ AU$3,549 |
Discontinued models
For the sake of comparison, and because good discounts are likely for these models, we'll include the 2019 27in iMac and the old 21.5in iMac models here too:
2019 21.5in iMac models (SSD as standard since 2020)
| 3.6GHz quad-core 8th-gen i3, 256GB SSD (was a 1TB HD), Radeon Pro 555X, 4K Retina | £1,299 / $1,299/ AU$1,999 (was £1,249) |
| 3.0GHz six-core 8th-gen i5, 256GB SSD (was 1TB Fusion Drive), Radeon Pro 560X, 4K Retina | £1,499 / $1,499 / AU$2,299 (was £1,449) |
2019 27in iMac models
| 3.0GHz six-core 8th-gen i5, 1TB Fusion Drive, Radeon Pro 570X, 5K Retina | £1,749 / $1,799/ AU$2,799 |
| 3.1GHz six-core 8th-gen i5, 1TB Fusion Drive, Radeon Pro 575X, 5K Retina | £1,949 / $1,999/ AU$3,099 |
| 3.7GHz six-core 9th-gen i5, 2TB Fusion Drive, Radeon Pro 580X, 5K Retina | £2,249 / $2,299/ AU$3,549 |
These are the prices Apple quotes (or quoted), but you can get some great deals if you shop around... Or you could just keep reading as we've done the hard work for you!
Best iMac deals - current models
You should be able to find some great deals from the likes of KRCS, Currys PC World, John Lewis and Laptops Direct, who usually sell iMac models at a lower price than Apple advertises. Here are some of the best iMac deals around.
One benefit of buying from Apple is you could trade in your old Mac and get money off. We have an article explaining How to get money off with Apple's trade-in program.
24in iMacs (2021 models)
8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 256GB SSD - RRP from £1,249 / $1,299/ AU$1,899
8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 256GB SSD - RRP from £1,449 / $1,499/ AU$2,199
8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 512GB SSD - RRP from £1,649 / $1,699/ AU$2,499
27in iMacs (2020 models)
3.1GHz 6-core, 10th-gen, 2020 - RRP from £1,799 / $1,799/ AU$2,799
3.3GHz 6-core, 10th-gen, 2020 - RRP from £1,999 / $1,999/ AU$3,099
3.8GHz 8-core 10th-gen, 2020 - RRP from £2,299 / $2,299/ AU$3,549
Old 21.5in iMacs (SSDs as standard)
2.3GHz dual-core iMac, 2017 - RRP £1,099 / $1,099 / AU$1,699 - now with SSD
3.6GHz quad-core iMac, 2019 - RRP from £1,299 / $1,299/ AU$1,999 - now with SSD
3.0GHz 6-core iMac, 2019 - RRP from £1,499 / $1,499/ AU$2,299 - now with SSD
iMac Pro
Starts at £4,999 / $4,999 / AU$7,299 - now discontinued
Prior to August 2020 the iMac Pro started at £4,899/$4,999 for a 8-core model - that model was then discontinued with Apple offering the 10-core model in it's place for £4,999/$4,999. However, in March 2021 Apple discontinued the iMac Pro line - you may still be able to pick one up from a reseller for a decent discount though.
Top Mac desktop discounts available now
In this section you will find some of the best deals we've seen for iMacs as well as the Mac mini and other Mac desktops. We update this list frequently, so it should be spot on in terms of how much you can save, give or take a few pounds. (Retailers often make small tweaks to the price, so if it's gone up it might be worth waiting a week or so to see if it comes down again.)
Best refurbished iMac deals
One of the best places to look for iMac deals all year round is the Apple Refurbished Store. There, you'll find huge iMac discounts, sometimes even on the latest models. These iMacs have been returned to Apple for various reasons, and then completely revamped ready for resale. One of the major benefits in buying a refurbished Mac from Apple is that it will come with a one-year warranty so Apple may fix or replace it for free should anything happen to it in that first year.
You won't be able to tell the difference between a refurbished iMac and a brand-new iMac, aside from the box it comes in, which is white to prevent people buying them and attempting to sell them as new. Find out more about buying a refurbished iMac here.
Apple is currently offering a refurbished 21.5in iMac 3.6GHz quad-core i3 for for £1,059, for example. This is the March 2019 model, which cost £1,249 before Apple updated it in March 2020 when it switched to offereing SSDs as standard, but made no other change. Buy it from Apple.
Amazon also has a certified refurbished store for Apple products but we would advise against buying any products that are older than five years - most of the products we see on the Amazon refurbished store are unfortunately very old.
From time to time, Amazon runs lightning deals, which could get you a discount if you act quickly. If you've found that you're missing out on Amazon's Lightning deals, which run for just a few hours and offer limited stock, we'd recommend signing up for Amazon's 30 day free trial of Prime, which will get you access to deals 30 minutes before everyone else. Plus, you'll get free next-day delivery with the Prime trial, as well as access to Prime Instant Video and more. Sign up for Prime here.
Best iMac Student Deals
Another great resource to help you save is the Macworld UK's Student Deals page, particularly the Tech & Mobile section. Right now, Apple is offering up to 10% off Macs as well as up to 50% off Apple Care. You can also save 8% on accessories and 5% on iPads. See the best iPad deals of this month here.
Simply create an account, log in, and verify your student status, and the discount is yours. See all Macworld UK student tech deals here.
If you're looking for deals on more than just iMacs, you can check out our wider guide to the best Apple bargains.
Where to find the best iMac deals
If you want serious savings it's best to look beyond Apple itself. Some Mac retailers offer great discounts on Apple products and Apple accessories, so you should be able to save a few hundred pounds off some iMac configurations.
Beware, though. The Mac listed by the reseller may be an older model than the one Apple currently sells. We've seen resellers advertising Macs with money off based on the price they were previously sold at by Apple, even after Apple has started selling a newer Mac at the same price - so the deal often looks better than it actually is.
To get an idea of what the old model should be worth, take a look at Apple's refurbished store to see what Apple is selling the older version for (and remember that buying from Apple, even if it's refurbished, will mean you get a full year's warranty).
So be careful to check the age and spec of the machine being sold, and don't automatically assume that it's current. For this reason we are careful to list the spec and year of the model in our description.
We tend to find some good deals on new Macs at Apple reseller KRCS. Discounted Macs often include built-to-order configurations, too. Read: Where to buy Apple's new 24in iMac with M1.
For accessories like software, keyboards, or mice, check out all the normal electronics retailers you might consider - see our list below for inspiration - and take a look at our guides to the best keyboards and mice for Macs as well as best Mac printer deals and Mac hard drive deals.
We regularly see Mac-related deals from the following UK and US retailers:
