Apple announced a new 24-inch iMac and an updated 14-inch MacBook Pro on October 27, both with the M6 chip. The iMac starts at $1,499, unchanged from the last generation, and the MacBook Pro starts at $1,999. Pre-orders open October 28 (the iMac at 10:10 a.m. PT) and both ship November 6. The designs are the same as before; the changes are inside.
What’s new in the iMac
The iMac moves from the M4 (2024) to the M6. According to GSMArena, there are two tiers. The $1,499 model uses a cut-down M6 with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU. The $1,699 model gets the full M6 with 12 cores for both. Each comes with 16GB of memory and a 256GB SSD, with 512GB and 1TB options, and 2TB only on the higher model. Memory goes up to 24GB on the base iMac and 32GB on the top one.
Apple’s own claims against the M4, as reported by 9to5Mac:
- up to 40% faster CPU and up to 2x faster graphics
- up to 2x faster storage
- up to 5x faster on-device AI
- memory bandwidth up to 170GB/s, versus 120GB/s on the M4
These are Apple’s numbers, with no independent testing yet. Wireless also gets an upgrade: the N1 chip brings Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, replacing Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, and 2.5Gb Ethernet is a configurable option.
What’s new in the 14-inch MacBook Pro
The starting point here is the M5 model from 2025. The entry-level M6 version has a 12-core CPU, a 12-core GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core, and a dual 16-core Neural Engine. Apple says, per Digital Trends, that graphics are up to 30% faster, on-device AI is up to 25% faster, and the Neural Engine is 1.9x faster than the M5’s.
The base configuration has 16GB of memory and a 1TB SSD, with 24GB, 32GB, 2TB and 4TB options. The 14.2-inch display is unchanged, at 3024 x 1964 with up to 1,000 nits sustained brightness. The 72.4Wh battery is rated for up to 24 hours of video streaming, and fast charging reaches about 50% in roughly 30 minutes with a 96W or higher adapter. It comes in Space Black and Silver, with the same ports as before: MagSafe 3, three Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, an SDXC slot and a headphone jack.
Should you upgrade?
Your current machine settles it:
| What you have now | Worth upgrading? |
|---|---|
| M4 iMac or older | The M6 iMac is the one with the biggest gap, especially for on-device AI and wireless. Even from the M4 the jump is real, but it only pays off if your work leans on the processor. |
| M5 14-inch MacBook Pro | Not much to gain. Apple cites 30% faster graphics and 25% faster AI, and the design is the same. |
If you’re holding out for the touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro that’s been rumored, our report on the OLED MacBook Pro reportedly being much lighter covers what’s known. The M6 14-inch is the entry model of the current line, with no new display. Apple’s event on Wednesday, which we previewed in Apple Pro and Tell: what to expect, could bring more announcements.
Pricing and availability in the US
All prices above are US list prices. For the MacBook Pro, Digital Trends lists Apple’s financing at $38.99 a month for 36 months. Pre-orders start October 28, and both machines ship November 6, with the MacBook Pro also on shelves at Apple Stores that day. The prices quoted are starting prices, so check the total for the memory and storage you pick.
