Apple M6: the new MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini — what changed

In late October Apple introduced new versions of the 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac powered by the M6 chip, with deliveries starting on November 6. The M6 itself debuted in the Mac mini in August, making it Apple’s first Mac chip built on a 2-nanometer process.

M6 MacBook Pro: the key numbers

• Price: from $1,999 in the US (16GB memory, 1TB SSD); the 32GB configuration is $2,399
• 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU — Apple says graphics are up to 30% faster than M5
• Dual 16-core Neural Engine — up to 1.9x faster than M5 for AI tasks
• Wi‑Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 (up from Wi‑Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3)
• HDMI, MagSafe 3, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, SD slot, headphone jack and a 12MP Center Stage camera

The design is almost identical to the M5 model: same display, keyboard and ports. The real gains are speed and efficiency from the 2nm process.

Why 2 nanometers matters

Smaller transistors mean more of them fit on a chip and each one uses less power. In practice that translates into longer battery life, less heat and faster local AI models — for example image generation or text analysis running on the laptop itself.

The touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro

Alongside it, Apple introduced its first Mac with a touchscreen: a MacBook Pro with an OLED display. According to MacRumors it starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch. It is a historic move for a company that argued for years that the Mac did not need a touchscreen.

M6 iMac and Mac mini

The new iMac gets the M6 chip, Apple’s N1 wireless chip and faster Ethernet. The Mac mini moved to M6 back in August and remains the most affordable way to get the new chip.

What’s next: M6 MacBook Air and M7

According to Bloomberg and 9to5Mac, Apple is skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max. The expected roadmap:

• Early 2027 (likely March) — M6 MacBook Air with an unchanged design
• Spring 2027 — M6 iPad Pro
• First half of 2027 — a redesigned MacBook Pro with M7, plus M7 Pro and M7 Max

These plans are not official and could shift because of ongoing memory chip shortages.

Who should upgrade?

For anyone on an M1 or M2 Mac, the M6 is a big jump, especially for video editing, software development and AI tools. M4 and M5 owners can wait: the major Pro-level changes are expected with M7 in 2027.