Apple announced a new 14-inch MacBook Pro and an updated 24-inch iMac on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, both built around its new M6 chip, according to TechCrunch and MacRumors. The company presented the release largely in terms of artificial intelligence, describing the M6 MacBook Pro as a more capable machine for running AI models on the device itself. (TechCrunch (opens in a new tab); MacRumors (opens in a new tab))
Apple revealed the two computers one day before its Pro and Tell event, scheduled for Wednesday, and one day after it introduced a new iPad mini, TechCrunch reported. (TechCrunch (opens in a new tab); Android Headlines (opens in a new tab))
What changes inside the M6
The M6 has a 12-core CPU, made up of two super cores, four performance cores and six efficiency cores, according to MacRumors. The M5 it replaces had a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. The M6 GPU also has 12 cores and includes Neural Accelerators, and Apple says it delivers up to 30 percent faster graphics than the M5. (MacRumors (opens in a new tab); The Shortcut (opens in a new tab))
The Neural Engine, the part of the chip dedicated to machine learning tasks, moves from a single 16-core design to a dual 16-core system with 32 cores in total, MacRumors reported. Memory bandwidth rises from 153GB/s to 170GB/s, although MacRumors noted that the higher figure applies only to the 24GB and 32GB configurations. (MacRumors (opens in a new tab))
Apple's AI performance claims
Apple says AI workloads on the new MacBook Pro run up to 25 percent faster than on the M5 model. It also claims that processing prompts for large language models is up to 13 times faster than on the original M1 MacBook Pro, according to TechCrunch. For the iMac, Apple claims up to five times faster on-device AI performance than the M4 version. All of these figures come from Apple and had not been independently tested at the time of the announcement. (TechCrunch (opens in a new tab); Android Headlines (opens in a new tab); The Shortcut (opens in a new tab))
The choice of the M1 as a point of comparison for the 13 times figure is notable. Comparing against a much older chip produces a much larger number than comparing against the M5, and it suggests Apple is aiming its pitch at owners of older Macs who may want to run AI models locally rather than through a cloud service.
Prices, configurations and dates
The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 with 16GB of unified memory, configurable up to 32GB, and storage starting at 1TB, according to TechCrunch and MacRumors. Android Headlines reported that the upgrade to 32GB costs $400. TechCrunch listed 24 hours of battery life, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and MacRumors said the wireless features come from Apple's N1 chip, which is new to this model. The laptop can also drive two external 4K displays at up to 165Hz. (TechCrunch (opens in a new tab); MacRumors (opens in a new tab); Android Headlines (opens in a new tab))
The iMac starts at $1,499 for a model with a 10-core CPU and GPU and two Thunderbolt ports, and $1,699 for a version with a 12-core CPU and GPU and four Thunderbolt ports, according to Android Headlines. It keeps its 4.5K Retina display and comes in seven colors, TechCrunch reported. The Shortcut noted that neither computer has a new design. (TechCrunch (opens in a new tab); Android Headlines (opens in a new tab); The Shortcut (opens in a new tab))
Preorders for both machines open on October 28, and they become available on November 6, according to TechCrunch and Android Headlines. (TechCrunch (opens in a new tab); Android Headlines (opens in a new tab))
