Apple’s new iMac adds the M6 chip, faster storage and upgraded wireless connections while retaining its familiar 24-inch design.
Prices start at $1,499, with preorders opening October 28 and availability beginning November 6.
Early coverage highlights the internal upgrades, but independent testing is still needed to determine whether current iMac owners should upgrade.
Apple has introduced a new iMac, updating its colorful desktop computer with an M6 processor, faster storage and improved connectivity as it heads into the holiday shopping season.
The computer retains the thin, all-in-one design that combines the display and computing hardware in a single enclosure. Apple is emphasizing improvements inside the machine, particularly for photo editing, multitasking and artificial intelligence applications.
The M6 offers configurations with up to a 12-core central processor and 12-core graphics processor. Apple says selected productivity tasks run up to 1.5 times faster than on the M4 iMac, while certain graphics workloads can perform up to twice as fast. Selected on-device AI tasks can run up to five times faster, according to the company.
Those are Apple’s performance claims, with results dependent on the application and configuration. They should not be interpreted as equivalent speed increases across every task.
Other upgrades include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, optional 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet and storage that Apple says delivers up to twice the previous model’s performance. The computer runs macOS 27 and supports Apple Intelligence and Siri AI.
The iMac continues to offer a 24-inch 4.5K Retina display and color-matched accessories. Buyers can choose blue, green, pink, yellow, purple, orange or silver. Apple lists support for up to 32GB of unified memory, which the processor and graphics system share.
For consumers considering the entry-level model, configuration differences deserve attention. MacRumors reports that the $1,499 version includes a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU and two Thunderbolt 4 ports.
What reviewers are saying so far
At announcement time, the available coverage is primarily launch reporting and early analysis, rather than a completed round of independent reviews.
AppleInsider’s William Gallagher questioned whether the improvement over the M4 model would be substantial enough to justify replacing it, saying testing would help settle that question. His assessment identified owners of Intel-based iMacs, and potentially the original M1 version, as the more likely upgrade audience.
Reviews of the previous model help explain the appeal of the design Apple is keeping. Tom’s Guide praised the M4 iMac’s display, webcam, speakers and suitability as a family computer. Its reservations included the stand’s lack of height adjustment. Those findings concern the older model and do not establish how the new M6 performs.
For prospective buyers, the unresolved question is how much the faster hardware improves everyday use. Independent reviews will be needed to assess real-world speed, value and whether the new model offers a compelling reason to replace a recent iMac.