Apple's M6 iMac Starts at $1,499 With a Familiar Body and a New Chip
Apple's latest 24-inch iMac, equipped with the M6 chip, starts at $1,499 in the U.S. Apple announced the machine on October 27, 2026, and The Verge has now tested it, with its review published November 5.
Apple described the new iMac as offering more performance and AI capabilities than its predecessor. It includes Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, the newer wireless standards that succeed Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5. A configuration with a 10-core CPU (the general-purpose processing cores) and a 10-core GPU (the graphics cores) is available. Both base models ship with 16GB of unified memory, which the CPU and GPU share, and a 256GB SSD. Education buyers can purchase the base model for $1,449 with education savings, while the four-port model starts at $1,699, according to Macworld.
The external design carries over. The 2026 model keeps the same colors as the M4 version, along with thick white bezels (the borders around the screen) and a large chin beneath the display. The 12-megapixel camera with Center Stage, which keeps the subject framed as they move, is also retained. The display is a 24-inch 4.5K panel with a peak brightness of 500 nits, a measure of how bright a screen can get. The Verge reviewed the M4 iMac two years ago, and the M3 iMac it reviewed in 2023 used the same design as the version before it. The chassis has therefore stayed largely unchanged across several chip generations.
The M6 arrives after a run of announcements. Apple introduced the M6 and M5 Ultra chips in August 2026, and it unveiled a Mac mini with the M6 and M5 Pro that month. Apple said the Mac mini delivers up to 4x faster AI performance, 2x faster storage and graphics, and 40 percent faster CPU performance. Those comparisons were drawn from testing in August 2026 on a preproduction Mac mini with a 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU and 32GB of memory. The Verge later reported that the Mac mini was the first Mac to receive the M6, and that it has more cores, and more kinds of cores, than the outgoing M4 model.
Apple also issued press releases on October 27 and 28, 2026, for a 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 and a MacBook Pro with a PROLED XDR display. Bloomberg previously reported that Apple's next major MacBook Pro revision would add touch screens and OLED displays in late 2026 or early 2027. Separately, Apple is reportedly working on a revamped entry-level MacBook Pro that could launch as soon as the first half of 2027.
In my view, the iMac update is best read as a silicon and connectivity refresh rather than a redesign. The buyer gets a new processor tier, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and a higher starting memory and storage baseline in the base configurations, while the case, colors and display hardware remain familiar. For users with existing desk setups, that continuity has practical value. The 500-nit ceiling and the bezel geometry are the parts of the package that will matter most to anyone comparing it against newer panels.
The broader pattern across the Mac line is consistent. Apple is moving the M6 generation through its desktop and portable lineup in stages, with the performance and AI gains arriving first in the machines that can most readily absorb them. The iMac adds a mainstream all-in-one that receives the new silicon without asking the buyer to adopt a new form factor.
