Apple has announced refreshes for the iMac and the entry-level, 14-inch MacBook Pro, both now powered by the M6 chip. The M6 was first introduced in the Mac mini several weeks ago. The new machines were revealed alongside Apple's "Pro and Tell" event in Los Angeles, according to Engadget.
For the iMac, this is a bigger jump: its previous update brought the M4, and Apple skipped the M5 entirely. The entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro moves up just one generation, from the M5. Both computers also gain the N1 chip for wireless connectivity, which means Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.
M6 iMac specs and configurations
The iMac comes with two M6 variants. The "M6 chip with two Thunderbolt ports" option has a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, while the "M6 chip with four Thunderbolt ports" option has 12 cores for each. The two-port model maxes out at 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, while the four-port version goes up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.
Apple says the M6 brings up to 40 percent faster CPU performance, up to double graphics performance, and nearly five times faster on-device AI compared to the M4. The new iMac should also see up to double SSD read/write performance versus the M4 model. The iMac is now configurable with up to 2.5Gb Ethernet. There are no outward design changes, so it looks the same as the M4 iMac.
- M6 chip with two Thunderbolt ports: 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, up to 24GB RAM, up to 1TB storage
- M6 chip with four Thunderbolt ports: 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, up to 32GB RAM, up to 2TB storage
- Up to 2.5Gb Ethernet on iMac
