Apple updated its desktop and portable computer lineup on Tuesday by revealing the new 24-inch iMac and the 14-inch MacBook Pro M6. Both computers gain 2nm silicon without any price hikes [3]. Pre-orders begin on Wednesday, October 28 in 35 countries, and deliveries start on November 6 [2]. The computers keep their familiar outer designs [3].
Hardware Upgrades Under the Hood
The M6 chip brings Apple’s first 2nm processor to the iMac line [3]. Apple first introduced the 2nm silicon earlier this year in the Mac mini desktop. The updated silicon features up to 12 CPU cores and 12 GPU cores, giving users two more cores of each type than the M4 chip found in the prior iMac [2]. Entry-level iMac models come equipped with 10 processor cores and 10 graphics cores [3]. Apple claims the chip delivers the fastest single-core computer processor performance based on company tests [2].
Artificial intelligence tasks receive direct hardware support from two systems on the chip. Each GPU core includes a built-in Neural Accelerator for machine learning work, pairing with a dual 16-core Neural Engine that provides 32 neural cores in total [3]. Local AI tasks run five times faster on the M6 iMac than on the M4 desktop [2].
Apple is targeting computer buyers who still rely on older Intel-based desktops and early Apple Silicon models [1]. Company benchmarks show the M6 iMac runs at up to 18 times the speed of the most widely used Intel iMac models, while delivering 2.5 times faster performance in Microsoft Excel than the original M1 model from 2021 [2]. It has been about six years since Apple Silicon began shipping. Yet many Mac owners have not switched from Intel hardware [1]. Ray-traced games run twice as fast, and file storage reads data at double the speed of previous drives, helping speed up heavy creative workflows. “iMac raises the bar yet again,” said Shelly Goldberg, Apple’s vice president of hardware engineering [2].
MacBook Pro M6 Computing Benchmarks
The entry-level MacBook Pro gains notable computing power from the M6 processor. Mark Wilson and Darren Allan reported for TechRadar that Apple’s 12-core GPU delivers 30% faster graphics speeds than the M5 chip used in the previous base model. Local artificial intelligence workloads run 25% faster. The dual 16-core Neural Engine runs 1.9 times faster than the M5 when generating images in creative applications [3].
Battery life and processing efficiency show measurable steps forward on the 14-inch MacBook Pro M6 [3]. In independent laboratory testing conducted by Jason England, Dave LeClair, and Scott Younker for Tom’s Guide, the previous M5 MacBook Pro ran for 18 hours on a charge [4]. Apple now rates the M6 laptop for up to 24 hours of battery life, crediting the power savings of the 2nm silicon [3]. External tests from the M6 Mac mini illustrate the baseline performance of the chip. In Geekbench 6.7 testing, the M6 chip scored 4,708 in single-core tests and 21,405 in multi-core tests, easily topping the previous M5 MacBook Pro scores of 3,613 and 17,505. The M6 completed a Handbrake video transcode in two minutes and 45 seconds [4].
Software updates arrive on the new computers through the macOS 27 operating system. The release introduces an updated Siri assistant capable of searching messages, photos, and emails, operating in beta with daily usage limits across six supported languages. Tab sorting in Safari and systemwide writing tools round out the operating system release [2].
Display Options and Connectivity
The exterior body of the 24-inch iMac remains unchanged from the previous version. Ana Maria Constantin reported for The Next Web that buyers can select from seven colors: blue, green, pink, yellow, purple, orange, and silver. The 24-inch 4.5K Retina display offers 500 nits of brightness. Customers selecting the 12-core iMac model can choose nano-texture glass to minimize glare in bright work areas. The desktop maintains a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera that keeps users centered during video calls, backed by a six-speaker sound system and three studio-quality microphones [2]. The 14-inch MacBook Pro continues using a Liquid Retina XDR screen [4].
Apple packages a color-matched keyboard and mouse or trackpad with each desktop. Buyers of the 12-core iMac receive a keyboard featuring built-in Touch ID sensors [2]. Meanwhile, the 14-inch MacBook Pro keeps its built-in keyboard, large Force Touch trackpad, and portable chassis layout without any physical changes to ports or exterior buttons [4].
Wireless connections gain speed through the addition of Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 on both machines [3]. Wired internet on the iMac also gets a boost, with base models able to support 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet instead of the older 1 Gigabit standard [4]. The 12-core iMac includes four Thunderbolt 4 ports along with standard 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet and can drive two external 6K displays at once. Those connection options give desktop users plenty of room for high-speed external storage and multi-monitor desktop arrangements [2].
MacBook Pro M6 Retail Configurations
Starting prices for the updated machines match the prior generation. The entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro M6 with 16GB of unified memory starts at $1,999 in the United States, £1,999 in the United Kingdom, and AU$3,199 in Australia [3]. Online pre-orders opened on October 28 at 10:10 am PT ahead of store arrivals on November 6 [4].
Shoppers looking for top-tier portable hardware can select expanded hardware components for the 14-inch MacBook Pro. Choosing nano-texture screen glass, 32GB of system memory, a 4TB solid-state drive, and a 96W wall charger pushes the total to $4,069 on the Apple Store. That build targets professionals handling heavy local files and graphic-intensive tasks. The launch occurred during a busy announcement week where Apple also introduced the iPad mini 8 for $699 with an A20 Pro chip, while releasing a Creator Studio software update that adds MotionVFX tools to Final Cut Pro. Logic Pro, Keynote, Pages, and Numbers also gained smart audio and editing features [4].
The 24-inch iMac base model sells for $1,499 in the US, £1,499 in the UK, and AU$2,399 in Australia [3]. Those figures match recent M4 pricing, but base costs changed earlier in the year. Industry tracking from EveryMac noted Apple raised iMac prices by $200 in June 2026 due to climbing component expenses, after earlier starting at $1,299 [2].
Recycled Build and Power Supply Choices
Apple shared environmental manufacturing details for both computers during the announcement. The company stated that the 14-inch MacBook Pro contains 45% recycled content in its total build. In a company news post, Apple wrote that the laptop was “built with the environment in mind” to support plans to achieve net-zero carbon impact by 2030 [4]. The desktop stand on the iMac uses 100% recycled aluminium, and all magnets inside use 100% recycled rare earth elements [2]. Circuit boards designed by Apple use 100% recycled gold plating and tin solder [4].
Retail packaging reveals different power adapter policies depending on where buyers live. Customers buying a MacBook Pro in the United States can select a 70W or 96W power adapter during online checkout at no added cost. The option gives American buyers a choice of charging speeds without paying extra fees [4].
European and British customers face different conditions because laptops ship without an included wall charger. Buyers in those markets must pay 59 euros for the 70W adapter or 79 euros for the 96W brick if they need a charger, matching the sales policy Apple applied to previous M5 models. Pre-orders remain open at authorized retailers and Apple stores ahead of the November 6 shipping date [4]. Deliveries begin next week in 35 countries [2].
- ONLINE NEWS AppleInsider. (2026, October 27). With the new iMac and MacBook Pro, Apple is targeting stubborn Intel holdouts. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Constantin, A. M. (2026, October 27). Apple puts its M6 chip in a new iMac and entry-level MacBook Pro. The Next Web. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Wilson, M., & Allan, D. (2026, October 27). The iMac M6 and MacBook Pro M6 are official — and they give you more powerful local AI for the same price. TechRadar. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS England, J., LeClair, D., & Younker, S. (2026, October 27). Apple event LIVE: MacBook Pro M6 and iMac M6 just announced ahead of ‘Pro and Tell’. Tom’s Guide. [Article Link]
