An iMac is no small investment, which is why it can be valuable 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 – including money off the 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.
We’ve found some great discounts on the latest iMac along with some deals on the older models. We find it’s often the case that you can get a great price for the previous generation iMac, with powerful models often priced far below lower-specced new models!
However, there is one factor influencing prices of the iMac right now: with so many people suddenly finding themselves working from home Macs have been flying off the shelves, and as a result the discounts we are seeing aren’t quite as good as the discounts we have seen in the past. We are also finding that stocks sell out quickly, so you may have to act fast, or check again in a week or so.
Another thing to bear in mind before parting with your money is that we expect Apple to update the iMac soon. It’s now been more than a year since the current iMacs were introduced (and even longer since the entry-level iMac was last updated). Because of this we would strongly advise that you wait a month or so to see if Apple updates the iMac – when/if it does many of the current models are likely to see price drops that you can benefit from.
While you will see some discounts for Mac mini models below, 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 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?
It’s important to understand how much an iMac costs before you can evaluate whether a deal is good or not, so we will start with the current pricing structure.
The iMac is available from Apple here. There are various models in the line up: three 21.5in models and three 27in models. Most of these iMacs were updated early in 2019, but the 2.3GHz entry-level model hasn’t been updated since 2017.
Apple’s pricing for the current iMac line up is included below. Keep these prices in mind as you evaluate how good each deal is. Another thing to note is that where Apple usually matches the pricing for UK and US – so $1,299 is £1,299 – in the case of the iMac UK pricing seems lower (something we expect Apple to address with UK price increases soon!)
2017 21.5in iMac model (not updated in 2019)
- 2.3GHz dual-core 7th-gen i5, 1TB, Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, Non Retina £1,049 / $1,099 / AU$1,699
2019 21.5in iMac models
- 3.6GHz quad-core 8th-gen i3, 1TB, Radeon Pro 555X, 4K Retina £1,249 / $1,299/ AU$1,999
- 3.0GHz six-core 8th-gen i5, 1TB Fusion Drive, Radeon Pro 560X, 4K Retina £1,449 / $1,499 / AU$2,299
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 are all selling iMac models at a lower price than Apple advertises. Here are some of the best iMac deals around.
21.5in iMacs
2017 model, RRP £1,049 / $1,099 / AU$1,699
2019 models, RRP from £1,249 / $1,299/ AU$1,999
27in iMacs
RRP from £1,749 / $1,799/ AU$2,799
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.)
1. Apple 27in iMac, 3.7GHz six-core, 5K Retina Display, 2TB Fusion Drive (2019)
From: Amazon Was: £2,249 Now: £2,049 (£200 off) View Deal
This is discount on the top-of-the-range 2019 27in iMac with 9th-gen Intel processors, but we have seen a much better deal for this model at Amazon in the past. (Until recently it was £1,949).
It’s worth comparing it to the Currys/PCWorld (here) and eBuyer (here) as they usually have it at a similar price.
2. Apple 21.5in iMac, 3.4GHz quad-core, 4K Retina Display, 1TB Fusion drive (2017)
From: Laptops Direct Was: £1,449 Now: £1,249.98 (£199.02 off 2017 price) View Deal
This is the 21.5in version of the 2017 3.4GHz iMac model. Laptops Direct say that they constantly check prices to give you the best deal possible – so if you see it cheaper elsewhere they should sell it to you for that price.
Bear in mind that the discount is on the price Apple originally sold this model for – it’s no longer available from Apple as a newer model has replaced it. We’ve seen a better discount on this model previously from Laptops Direct.
You may find a similar deal on Amazon here, but that’s currently out of stock.
3. Apple 21.5in iMac, 3.0GHz six-core, 4K Retina Display, 1TB Fusion Drive (2019)
From: Amazon Was: £1,449 Now: £1,323.98 (£125.02 off) View Deal
You can get money off the 2019 3.0GHz 6-core iMac with this Amazon deal.
Currys PC World (here) and eBuyer (here) often have a similar deal on this Mac.
4. Apple iMac Pro, 3.2GHz, 8-core Xeon, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 5K Retina display (late 2017)
From: KRCS Was: £4,899.00 Now: £4,654.06 (£244.94 off) View Deal
KRCS is offering almost £300 off the iMac Pro. You can also spread the cost with 10 months interest-free credit on Mac’s over £1,000. Check out our iMac Pro review.
5. Apple Mac mini, 3.0GHz 6-core, 256GB (2018)
From: John Lewis Was: £1,099.00 Now: £1,001 (£98 off) View Deal
John Lewis is offering discounts on the 2018 Mac mini models. This option has an 6-core processor. Note that in March 2020 Apple doubled the storage in the range so it’s worth looking to see if you can get a deal on the updated model.
For example, Amazon has a deal on the 2020 3.0GHz 6-core Mac mini here.
6. Apple Mac mini, 3.0GHz 6-core, 512GB (2020)
From: Amazon Was: £1,099 Now: £1,019.52 (£79.48 off) View Deal
Amazon has money off the new 2020 6-core Mac mini with 512GB storage.
7. Apple Mac mini, 3.6GHz quad-core, 256GB (2020)
Now: £741.21 (£57.97 off) View Deal
This is a small but decent saving on the price of the 2020 quad-core 3.6GHz Mac mini.
8. Apple Refurbished Mac Store (Discounted iMacs, MacBooks and more)
You can get a Mac from Apple at much lower prices if you buy from the Refurbished Store. Apple will have thoroughly tested the model and will offer you a full warranty so it can be a great way to get a good deal. Find out more about Refurbished Macs here.
9. Apple 21.5in iMac, 2.3GHz dual-core, 1TB HD (2017)
From: Amazon Was: £1,049 Now: £939 (£110 off) View Deal
Get the entry-level iMac for less than £1,000 with this Amazon deal. But remember, this model lacks a Retina display and hasn’t been updated since 2017 – and if you look for a discount on a different model from the 2017 iMac range you will be getting a much better deal.
Currys usually has a similar deal here.
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.
Via MACWORLD