The 24-inch iMac is getting a substantial performance upgrade without a redesign. Apple’s new M6 model promises faster processing, improved graphics, quicker storage, and Wi-Fi 7, while keeping the same display and familiar colorful design.
Pre-orders begin October 28, with availability starting November 6. Pricing remains at $1,499, matching the outgoing M4 model but still $200 higher than the iMac cost earlier this year.
M6 brings faster performance and a dual Neural Engine
The M6 chip first appeared in the Mac mini in August, giving us an early indication of its performance.
Geekbench results from the M6 Mac mini suggest roughly 40% faster CPU performance compared with the M4. Apple also claims up to twice the graphics performance and five times faster on-device AI processing than the previous iMac.
Compared with the original M1 iMac, Apple claims CPU performance improvements of up to 12 times.
One of the biggest architectural changes is the inclusion of two 16-core Neural Engines, a first for Apple silicon. Each GPU core also features dedicated Neural Accelerators to speed up AI workloads.
Memory bandwidth increases from 120GB/s to 170GB/s, while PCIe 5.0 support enables SSD read and write speeds roughly twice as fast as before.
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and faster Ethernet
Wireless connectivity gets a welcome upgrade through Apple’s N1 chip, which replaces Wi-Fi 6E with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 with Bluetooth 6.
The entry-level model includes Gigabit Ethernet in its power adapter, with 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet available for an additional $30. Faster Ethernet comes standard on the higher-end configuration.
Here’s how the two starting configurations compare:
| Base iMac | Upgraded iMac | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,499 | $1,699 |
| CPU | 10-core M6 | 12-core M6 |
| GPU | 10-core | 12-core |
| Memory | 16GB | 16GB |
| Storage | 256GB | 256GB |
| Thunderbolt 4 ports | 2 | 4 |
Both models can be configured with up to 32GB of unified memory and 2TB of storage.
Although Apple hasn’t increased the price with this refresh, the $1,499 entry point follows a $200 increase introduced in June. Buyers who remember the previous $1,299 starting price aren’t getting that back.
Same 24-inch display and seven colors
Anyone hoping for a larger screen or a redesigned iMac will have to keep waiting.
The M6 model retains the same 24-inch 4.5K Retina display with 500 nits of brightness, along with all seven existing color options.
Other unchanged features include the 12-megapixel Center Stage camera with Desk View, six-speaker sound system, three microphones, and headphone jack.
Apple also includes the same Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Magic Mouse, 143W power adapter, and USB-C charging cable.
The M6 iMac will be available to pre-order Wednesday, October 28, at 10:10 a.m. Pacific Time, ahead of its November 6 release.
