Quick Summary
- Apple announced a refreshed 24-inch iMac powered by its M6 chip, with a faster CPU and GPU and additional Neural Accelerators.
- The new desktop includes Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, faster storage, a 4.5K Retina display and up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports.
- In India, the M6 iMac starts at Rs 174,900, with customer availability scheduled to begin on November 6, 2026.
M6 brings a new performance tier to the iMac
Apple’s latest iMac refresh centres on the M6 chip and a stronger emphasis on local AI workloads. The 24-inch all-in-one desktop receives a CPU with up to 12 cores, a GPU with up to 12 cores and Neural Accelerators integrated into each GPU core. Apple says the system can provide up to five times the on-device AI performance of the M4 iMac in selected workloads. Those figures are manufacturer comparisons and depend on the specific task and configuration.
The updated system can handle everyday productivity, creative work and AI applications on the same machine. Apple showed local model use, image editing and video workflows, alongside the new of Apple Intelligence features in macOS 27. Running more AI tasks locally can reduce the need to send some data to remote services, although cloud-based features and applications may still process information online.
The M6 iMac also moves forward in connectivity. Apple lists Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, optional 2.5-gigabit Ethernet and storage that it says can read and write up to twice as fast as the previous generation. The machine supports up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports and can connect to two external 6K displays. These changes matter for users moving large media files or attaching multiple high-resolution peripherals.
A familiar design with updated internal hardware
The iMac retains its 24-inch 4.5K Retina display and slim all-in-one design, with seven colour options: blue, green, pink, yellow, purple, orange and silver. Apple also lists a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, a studio-quality microphone array and a speaker system with Spatial Audio support. The machine continues to bundle colour-matched accessories, including a keyboard and mouse or trackpad, depending on configuration.
The new chip is the main reason to consider an upgrade, especially for owners of older Intel-based systems. Apple claims the M6 model can be substantially faster than older Intel iMacs and improves graphics and AI performance compared with the M4 generation. Such comparisons should be read in Apple’s selected benchmarks rather than treated as a guarantee that every application will show the same improvement.
Memory and storage configurations will influence the machine’s usefulness for professional workloads. Users who plan to run local language models, work with large video timelines or keep many applications open should compare available memory options before ordering. An all-in-one desktop is less flexible to upgrade later than a conventional tower PC, so the initial configuration can have a long-term effect on value.
In India, the new iMac starts at Rs 174,900 for the configuration with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU. A higher configuration with a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU starts at Rs 199,900. Apple lists education pricing separately. Pre-orders began on October 28, while provideies and retail availability are scheduled to start on Friday, November 6.
The update positions the iMac as a desktop option for users who want a single integrated system rather than a separate tower, display and webcam. Its strongest appeal is the combination of a high-resolution screen, a compact design and Apple’s latest silicon. Buyers who already own a recent Apple-silicon Mac should compare the actual performance gains with the cost of replacing a working system.
Availability and real-world performance are still separate questions
Apple says pre-orders begin on October 28 and the new iMac becomes available on November 6. That gives buyers a short period to compare configurations before retail availability, but independent testing will take longer. Apple's speed figures are measured against selected earlier systems and workloads, so they should not be read as a guarantee that every application will run at the same multiple. Memory configuration, storage and the software being used can all affect the experience.
The addition of Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 updates the desktop's wireless connections, while the 24-inch 4.5K display and colour-matched accessories keep the familiar all-in-one format. The practical question for existing owners is whether the faster processor, ports and wireless hardware justify replacing a working machine. For new buyers, the decision will also depend on the price of higher-memory configurations and whether the desktop can handle the creative applications they use every day.