Best iMac deals: top offers January 2021

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 – yes, you can get money off a new iMac.

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.

Before we tell you about the deals that are available, you should be aware that Apple updated some of its iMac range in August 2020. Apple introduced new 27in models with faster processors and improved graphics. It updated the 21.5in iMacs, but this was a minor update – the processors remain the same but the storage is now SSDs across the range (no more slow hard drives). Here’s our 2020 27in iMac review, plus 2020 iMacs vs 2019 models.

We are seeing some good discounts for these August 2020 models:

3.1GHz 6-core, 10th-gen, 2020 iMac
RRP from £1,799
Now: £1,709.05
Buy it from KRCS

3.3GHz 6-core, 10th-gen, 2020 iMac
RRP from £1,999
Now: £1,899.05
Buy it from KRCS

3.8GHz 8-core 10th-gen, 2020 iMac
RRP from £2,299
Now: £2,184.05
Buy it from KRCS

If you want even better discounts look for the older iMac models – we tend to find that as resellers clear out old stock they offer big discounts. So you might find some great deals on the 2019 models – sometimes powerful models are priced far below lower-specced, but newer, models.

There is another thing to keep in mind: Apple has announced that it will be transitioning from Intel processors in its Macs to its own Apple Silicon chips within the next couple of years. The first M1 Macs have already arrived: Apple has launched the M1 MacBook Air, M1 13in MacBook Pro, and M1 Mac mini. The smaller iMac could be next to get an M1 – with an update expected in early 2021 (and rumour has it the iMac could also get a redesign with a bigger screen). 

This means you need to consider whether to wait for the iMac to gain an M1 chip, or go ahead and update your iMac now. These articles might help: Should I buy an Intel Mac and Should I buy an M1 Mac.

We have also included some discounts for 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. If you want help deciding which Mac is best for you read our Mac buying guide.

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.

Make sure you check out our complete round up of the best Apple deals we’ve seen.

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 21.5in models and three 27in models. Apple’s 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. We’d been anticipating this change for some time, but it’s still disappointing. To find out the official price of the iMac visit Apple’s website here. 

2017 21.5in iMac model (gained SSD in 2020)

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)

2019 21.5in iMac models (gained SSD in 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)

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

For the sake of comparison, and because good discounts are likely, we’ll include the 2019 27in iMac here too:

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, 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.

If you are wondering whether to buy the new iMac we have this article that might help: Should I buy the new iMac?

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

27in iMacs (2019 models)

3.0GHz 6-core, 8th-gen, 2019 – RRP from £1,749 / $1,799/ AU$2,799

3.1GHz 6-core, 8th-gen, 2019 – RRP from £1,949 / $1,999/ AU$3,099

3.7GHz 6-core 9th-gen, 2019 – RRP from £2,249 / $2,299/ AU$3,549

21.5in iMacs (with SSDs)

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

21.5in iMacs (2019 models, without SSD)

2.3GHz dual-core iMac, 2017 – RRP £1,049 / $1,099 / AU$1,699

3.6GHz quad-core iMac, 2019 – RRP from £1,249 / $1,299/ AU$1,999

3.0GHz 6-core iMac, 2019 – RRP from £1,449 / $1,499/ AU$2,299 (if there are deals they’ll appear below)

iMac Pro

Starts at £4,999 / $4,999 / AU$7,299

Prior to August 2020 the iMac Pro started at £4,899/$4,999 for a 8-core model – this model has now been discontinued but expect to see some good deals for it. For example, Currys/PC World has that model on offer for £3,299, which is an astonishing £1,600 off!

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.)

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.

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:

UK

US

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.

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.