Continuing its staggered hardware launch schedule following the 2026 iPad mini announcement, Apple has officially introduced its updated 24-inch iMac powered by the M6 processor. The upgrade focuses heavily on expanded core counts, increased memory bandwidth, and targeted neural processing capabilities for desktop performance.
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The new iMac incorporates the M6 system-on-a-chip, previously introduced in the Mac mini and Mac Studio lineups. The M6 configuration scales up to a 12-core CPU, a 12-core GPU, and a dual 16-core Neural Engine paired with 170GB/s of unified memory bandwidth. Base models launch with 16GB of unified memory, with optional configurations for 24GB and 32GB.
Apple highlights significant performance gains over prior generations:
- Graphics & Gaming: Up to double the graphics speed and ray-tracing performance compared to the iMac M4.
- Productivity: Up to 50% faster processing in productivity applications like Microsoft Excel over the M4 generation, and up to 2.5 times faster than the original M1 iMac.
- On-Device AI Acceleration: Up to five times faster prompt processing in local LLMs compared to the M4 model, and up to 12 times faster than the M1 model, driven by dedicated per-core Neural Accelerators.
The all-in-one desktop retains its 24-inch 4.5K Retina display output, featuring 500 nits of brightness and P3 wide colour gamut coverage.
Network connectivity sees an upgrade via Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 integration, alongside a standard 2.5Gb Ethernet port that provides a 250% speed increase over previous networking hardware. While the device maintains Thunderbolt 4 support rather than upgrading to Thunderbolt 5, the GPU pipeline supports up to two external 6K displays.
Additional hardware features include a 12MP Centre Stage front-facing camera, colour-matched Touch ID peripherals, and an array of seven standard colour finishes.
The machine operates on macOS 27, integrating expanded Apple Intelligence and Siri AI capabilities directly into system utilities such as Spotlight search and mail indexing.
Pre-orders open on 28 October 2026, with baseline pricing starting at $1,499 (approx. R28,200 local pricing before taxes and duties) for the 10-core CPU/10-core GPU variant with 16GB RAM. The higher-tier 12-core CPU/12-core GPU variant with 16GB RAM starts at $1,699 (approx. R32,000).
