M6 MacBook Pro and iMac: Price, Specs and Release Date

Apple's newest Macs are here, and preorders open today. On Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, Apple announced a 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M6 chip starting at $1,999 and a 24-inch iMac with M6 starting at $1,499. "Apple event" is trending on Google Trends in the U.S., and Apple's MacBook Pro announcement is among Google News' top U.S. tech stories, ahead of Apple's "Pro and Tell" showcase in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Here is what is new, what it costs and when you can get one.

What Apple announced

Both computers get the M6, the 2-nanometer chip, per The Verge, that first appeared in the Mac mini. Neither gets a redesign. Ars Technica says both "look exactly the same as their immediate predecessors."

Sources: Apple, Apple, Ars Technica.

14-inch MacBook Pro with M6

The entry-level MacBook Pro moves up one generation, from M5 to M6. Apple says the chip has a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, two more cores of each than before, plus Neural Accelerators in each GPU core and a Dual 16-core Neural Engine. Memory starts at 16GB, configurable up to 32GB, with memory bandwidth up to 170GB/s.

Apple's performance claims

Compared with the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5, Apple claims:

• Up to 30% faster graphics and up to 25% faster on-device AI workloads, such as large language model (LLM) prompt processing.
• A Neural Engine that is up to 1.9x faster.
• About 1.2x to 1.3x faster results in tasks like Blender rendering, Affinity image processing and Xcode builds.

Against the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1, Apple's numbers jump to up to 11x faster graphics and up to 13x faster AI performance. These figures come from Apple's own testing, so independent reviews will matter.

Battery, display and ports

Apple rates battery life at up to 24 hours, which it calls the longest ever in a Mac. The laptop also supports fast charging to 50% in about 30 minutes with a 96W or other compatible higher-wattage adapter, Apple says.

The rest is familiar: a Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness and an optional nano-texture finish, a 12MP Center Stage camera, a six-speaker sound system, and ports including HDMI, MagSafe 3, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an SDXC card slot and a headphone jack. It supports up to two external displays. Ars Technica notes there is still no Ethernet port.

iMac with M6

The iMac gets a bigger jump. It skips the M5 entirely and moves from M4 to M6, as both The Verge and Ars Technica point out.

Apple sells two versions. Ars Technica reports the two-port model has a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU and tops out at 24GB of memory and 1TB of storage, while the four-port model has 12 cores of each and tops out at 32GB and 2TB.

Compared with the M4 iMac, Apple claims:

• Up to 5x faster on-device AI performance for prompt processing in LM Studio.
• Up to 2x faster graphics and up to 2x higher gaming performance with ray tracing.
• Up to 1.5x faster performance in apps like Microsoft Excel.
• Up to 2x faster SSD read and write speeds.

New connectivity includes Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and optional 2.5Gb Ethernet, which Apple's footnotes say is limited to the 12-core models. The 24-inch 4.5K Retina display (23.5 inches diagonally), 12MP Center Stage camera and color-matched keyboard and mouse carry over. Touch ID comes standard only on the 12-core model.

Price and preorder time

Preorders open Wednesday, Oct. 28, on apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 35 countries and regions, including the U.S. The Verge reports they begin at 1:10 p.m. Eastern (10:10 a.m. Pacific). Both Macs begin arriving to customers and in Apple Stores on Friday, Nov. 6.

U.S. pricing from Apple:

• MacBook Pro 14-inch (M6): from $1,999; $1,899 for education. Lease through Apple Upgrade from $38.99 a month for 36 months.
• iMac (M6, 10-core): from $1,499; $1,449 for education.
• iMac (M6, 12-core): from $1,699; $1,599 for education. Lease from $28.99 a month for 36 months, based on the $1,499 model.

Apple Upgrade leases are provided by Klarna and require credit approval, and Apple notes you do not own the device at the end of a lease unless you pay the purchase option. Paying with Apple Card Monthly Installments is a 0% APR option, also subject to credit approval.

Software: macOS 27 and Siri AI

Both Macs ship with macOS 27 Golden Gate, which includes Siri AI, Apple's more conversational assistant, plus Apple Intelligence tools in Safari, Shortcuts and Photos. Apple's fine print says Siri AI is in beta in macOS 27.2, works in six languages including English, and is not available to users under 13. Some server-based features have daily usage limits, and Apple says expanded access "will be available for a fee in the future."

What to expect at Apple's 'Pro and Tell' event

Apple is hosting an invitation-only "Pro and Tell" hands-on event in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. Pacific (1 p.m. Eastern) on Oct. 28, and MacRumors reports that Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects Apple to unveil 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with touch-enabled OLED screens that day. Gurman has reported they will use the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, weigh less, and have a Dynamic Island instead of a notch.

Treat those details as reports until Apple confirms them. Bloomberg describes the M6 iMac and MacBook Pro as part of an "end-to-end overhaul" of Apple's computer line. Bloomberg has also reported that Apple is betting MacBook Pro buyers will pay more for touch screens, so any touchscreen model would likely cost more than the $1,999 M6 version.

It is not Apple's only launch this week. On Monday, the company unveiled an OLED iPad mini; see our guide to the new iPad mini's price, specs and release date. For a look at Apple's foldable phone, read about the iPhone Duo screen-crack reports.

Should you buy the M6 MacBook Pro or iMac?

If you have an M5 MacBook Pro, the M6 is a modest step. Apple's own numbers show gains of about 20% to 30% in most tasks, and the design is unchanged.

If you have an M1 or Intel Mac, the upgrade is far bigger. Apple says Intel upgraders get up to 14 more hours of battery life on the MacBook Pro and up to 18x faster performance on the iMac.

If you want a touchscreen or OLED Mac, it makes sense to wait a few hours. Reports point to a separate MacBook Pro being shown on Oct. 28, and hands-on impressions should follow quickly.

If you are buying an iMac, note that 2.5Gb Ethernet, four Thunderbolt 4 ports and standard Touch ID require the $1,699 12-core model.

The bottom line

The M6 MacBook Pro ($1,999) and M6 iMac ($1,499) are speed and connectivity upgrades in familiar bodies. Preorders open Oct. 28 at 1:10 p.m. ET, and both ship Nov. 6. The bigger Apple story may still be coming: a touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro that Bloomberg expects on Wednesday. We will update this post if Apple confirms it.