Initial iFixit teardown of M1 iMac reveals big changes, tiny parts
A few days after the official launch of the M1 iMac, iFixit has published an initial teardown of the new 24-inch model, revealing quite a few changes from past iterations of the all-in-one desktop.

Credit: Andrew O'Hara, AppleInsider
The repair specialists are in the middle of tearing down a midrange M1 iMac equipped with an 8-core CPU/8-core GPU and 8GB of RAM. The internals on this particular machine will look different than the 7-core model, since the two have different cooling systems.
Before taking apart the device, iFixit noted that the iMac "looks alarmingly like an iPad on a stand." It also carried out an x-ray scan of the iMac together with Creative Electron. The x-ray images show off two metal plates that dominate the interior, as well as the fact that the built-in antenna is no longer Apple-shaped.

Credit: iFixit
Nearly all of the internal silicon is concentrated into two narrow horizontal strips at the top and bottom of the devices. iFixit also spotted two circular components that look, at first glance, like coin cell batteries.
According to iFixit, the new iMac is sealed with "classic iMac adhesive," which the site says isn't as goopy as the adhesives used on Apple's iPad lineup. Unlike previous iMacs, the new model is a single sheet of glass with no metal chin to block access to its internal components.
The M1 iMac is cooled by a pair of internal fans which blow inward across the logic board. A heatsink also draws heat away from the M1 chip with a copper heat pipe and two short heatsinks. Additionally, iFixit notes that the M1 iMac's internals appear to be secured with screws instead of glue.

Credit: iFixit
Compared to iMacs equipped with Intel chips, the logic board in the M1 is the smallest yet. iFixit does note that the logic board appears to have a mysterious button with three LEDs beneath it.
As mentioned earlier, iFixit is still carrying out its teardown of the new 24-inch iMac. The second part of the teardown, which will be coming soon, will dive deeper into the device's circular components, speakers, and the Touch ID sensor on the Magic Keyboard.
Stay on top of all Apple news right from your HomePod. Say, "Hey, Siri, play AppleInsider," and you'll get latest AppleInsider Podcast. Or ask your HomePod mini for "AppleInsider Daily" instead and you'll hear a fast update direct from our news team. And, if you're interested in Apple-centric home automation, say "Hey, Siri, play HomeKit Insider," and you'll be listening to our newest specialized podcast in moments.

Credit: Andrew O'Hara, AppleInsider
The repair specialists are in the middle of tearing down a midrange M1 iMac equipped with an 8-core CPU/8-core GPU and 8GB of RAM. The internals on this particular machine will look different than the 7-core model, since the two have different cooling systems.
Before taking apart the device, iFixit noted that the iMac "looks alarmingly like an iPad on a stand." It also carried out an x-ray scan of the iMac together with Creative Electron. The x-ray images show off two metal plates that dominate the interior, as well as the fact that the built-in antenna is no longer Apple-shaped.

Credit: iFixit
Nearly all of the internal silicon is concentrated into two narrow horizontal strips at the top and bottom of the devices. iFixit also spotted two circular components that look, at first glance, like coin cell batteries.
According to iFixit, the new iMac is sealed with "classic iMac adhesive," which the site says isn't as goopy as the adhesives used on Apple's iPad lineup. Unlike previous iMacs, the new model is a single sheet of glass with no metal chin to block access to its internal components.
The M1 iMac is cooled by a pair of internal fans which blow inward across the logic board. A heatsink also draws heat away from the M1 chip with a copper heat pipe and two short heatsinks. Additionally, iFixit notes that the M1 iMac's internals appear to be secured with screws instead of glue.

Credit: iFixit
Compared to iMacs equipped with Intel chips, the logic board in the M1 is the smallest yet. iFixit does note that the logic board appears to have a mysterious button with three LEDs beneath it.
As mentioned earlier, iFixit is still carrying out its teardown of the new 24-inch iMac. The second part of the teardown, which will be coming soon, will dive deeper into the device's circular components, speakers, and the Touch ID sensor on the Magic Keyboard.
Stay on top of all Apple news right from your HomePod. Say, "Hey, Siri, play AppleInsider," and you'll get latest AppleInsider Podcast. Or ask your HomePod mini for "AppleInsider Daily" instead and you'll hear a fast update direct from our news team. And, if you're interested in Apple-centric home automation, say "Hey, Siri, play HomeKit Insider," and you'll be listening to our newest specialized podcast in moments.
Comments
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2389+PRAM+Battery+Replacement/6292
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063
"Settings that can be stored in NVRAM include sound volume, display resolution, startup-disk selection, time zone, and recent kernel panic information."
It would have been a nice addition to have a Macbook style battery as a UPS in an iMac. Even a small 5-10Wh battery would allow safe shutdown in the event of a power outage and it avoids any problems with the power cable being pulled during a system update.
Mid-Year? Holiday-shopping season? 2022?
E.
Better still why doesn't Apple move to Hybrid RAM should improve battery life in the laptops would make power failure an annoyance not a data loose event.
So disappointed tear down cut just as it was getting interesting.
Finally I wonder if the larger iMac will be the same physical Aluminium shell as the 24 just allow the glass to overhang the edges to get a larger 28" screen. Lower hinging point should allow the weight to self balance compared to centre pivot of old machine. They'd have to do something tricky with backlighting. Still one complex unit of production then services 2 products. 3 if they redesign the Mac mini to use the same base motherboard with it's own USB-c sub-card.
Wut? What precisely is so "alarming" about this?
https://www.amazon.com/Jackery-Portable-Power-Station-Generator/dp/B07D29QNMJ/
https://us.anker.com/collections/portable-power/products/a1701
Maybe a company like Anker could make a more compact one given the low power of the Macs. Old iMacs used 100W+ of power but the M1 models must use a lot less.
Non-volatile RAM would certainly help avoid data loss but there can still be damage during a system update and it's useful to be able to get online in a power cut to find out what happened. With a laptop you can use it as normal and connect to a mobile network via iPhone tethering or a mobile internet device. It's even possible to keep watching Netflix over it with the bandwidth dropped down.
With the amount of power in laptops now, they effectively give this setup. A Macbook Air in a dock hooked up to a nice 24"/27" display would be a good alternative to an iMac:
If I had to guess, late fall, into mid-November.
That’s similar to what I have. The main problem is the TB/USB C monitor connection isn’t always recognized, nor is the BT keyboard and mouse, so it’s not as simple as plugging it in and getting to work. Yet another reason I wish Apple offered a wired keyboard.
Adding a battery is a neat idea but it would be extra cost, space and expense for something many people don’t really need. An auxiliary/3rd party adapter would be perfect, although it probably wouldn’t have the same level of integration as a built-in option from. Apple
That's why I was hoping that the battery may at least provide an immediate "hibernation" so no data is lost.
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1212738P/command-outdoor-light-clips-17017clr-awc.jpg
APC Back-UPS 650
Set when your Mac shuts down when using a UPS