Apple has given the iMac and the 14-inch MacBook Pro its new M6 chip, promising faster performance and more power for AI features. The iMac starts from $1,499 (£1,499), and the MacBook Pro starts from $1,999, with UK pricing not yet announced. Pre-orders open on Wednesday 28 October, and the first deliveries arrive on Friday 6 November.
The iMac skips a generation and jumps to M6
The new iMac goes straight from the M4 chip to M6, so the gains over the outgoing model are bigger than usual. You get up to a 12-core CPU (the main processor) and up to a 12-core GPU (the graphics chip), two more cores each than before.
Apple says that makes everyday apps like Excel up to 1.5 times faster than the M4 iMac and photo editing up to twice as fast. Games with ray tracing, a technique for more realistic lighting, are up to twice as fast too. If you’re coming from an older Intel-based iMac, Apple puts the jump at up to 18 times faster.
The design is unchanged, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s the same thin 24-inch 4.5K Retina screen, now with up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports (fast, versatile USB-C-style sockets) and colour-matched accessories. It comes in seven colours: blue, green, pink, yellow, purple, orange and silver.
Faster Wi-Fi and storage on the iMac
The iMac now supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, the latest wireless standards, so it’s ready for newer routers and accessories. There’s an option for 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet if you prefer a wired connection, and Apple says storage is up to twice as fast, so apps and large files open more quickly.
The MacBook Pro gets a smaller but useful bump
The 14-inch MacBook Pro moves from M5 to M6, with a 12-core CPU and a 12-core GPU, again two more cores each. Apple claims up to 30 percent faster graphics and up to 25 percent faster AI tasks than last year’s model.
The more eye-catching change is battery life: up to 24 hours, which Apple says is the longest ever in a Mac. It also runs just as fast on battery as it does plugged in.
Everything else you’d expect is still here: the Liquid Retina XDR screen with an optional nano-texture finish to cut glare, a 12MP Center Stage camera that keeps you in frame on video calls, six speakers and plenty of ports. Memory starts at 16GB and goes up to 32GB, and it comes in space black or silver.
Built with Siri AI in mind
Both Macs have what Apple calls a Dual 16-core Neural Engine, the part of the chip that handles AI tasks. Apple says it makes the iMac up to five times faster at on-device AI than the M4 model.
That matters for Siri AI, the new, more conversational version of Siri that arrives with macOS 27. It can search across your messages, emails and photos, take actions in apps and answer follow-up questions from Spotlight. On the iMac, a dedicated keyboard shortcut lets you ask Siri about anything on screen, from a chart to a photo. Because much of this runs on the Mac itself rather than online, more of your data stays private.
What it means for you
If you have an Intel-based Mac or an early Apple silicon model with an M1 chip, this is a sensible time to upgrade. The speed difference will be very noticeable, and you’ll be ready for Siri AI and macOS 27. Not sure which chip you have? Go to Apple menu > About This Mac.
If you bought an M4 iMac or an M5 MacBook Pro, there’s little reason to switch. Your Mac is still fast, and the gains won’t change how you use it day to day.
You can check what your current computer is worth with Apple Trade In before pre-orders open. US buyers can also lease the iMac from $28.99 a month or the MacBook Pro from $38.99 a month through Apple Upgrade, and pay in interest-free monthly instalments with Apple Card. Both options are US-only.
The iMac with M6 starts from $1,499 (£1,499), or $1,699 (£1,699) for the 12-core model. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 starts from $1,999, and Apple hasn’t announced UK pricing yet. Pre-orders for both open on Wednesday 28 October, with deliveries and in-store availability from Friday 6 November. The iMac launches on the same dates in the UK; Apple hasn’t yet confirmed UK details for the MacBook Pro.