Apple unveils M6 chip: new 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac put on-device AI front and centre

Apple on October 27 unveiled its next-generation in-house chip, the M6, and launched two new products powered by it: a 14-inch MacBook Pro and a new iMac. On-device AI performance is the headline pitch for both, which run macOS 27 with the new Siri AI. Pre-orders open October 28, with availability from November 6 in 35 countries and regions.

14-inch MacBook Pro: 24-hour battery, from $1,999

The new 14-inch MacBook Pro pairs a 12-core CPU with a 12-core GPU, adds Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and offers up to 24 hours of battery life, which Apple calls the longest ever in a Mac. Compared with the M5, graphics run up to 30% faster and on-device AI up to 25% faster. The base model ships with 16GB of unified memory and 1TB of storage as standard, priced from $1,999 in the US ($1,899 for education), configurable up to 32GB of memory and 4TB of storage.

New iMac: 24-inch 4.5K display, from C$2,099 in Canada

The new iMac keeps its 24-inch 4.5K Retina display and seven-colour design, with up to a 12-core CPU and GPU, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and 2.5Gb Ethernet. Apple says on-device AI performance is up to 5 times faster than the M4 model, and graphics up to 2 times faster. In Canada it starts at C$2,099 for the 10-core version and C$2,299 for the 12-core version; in the US it starts at $1,499.

AI is the through-line, and another event follows tomorrow

Both machines emphasise running AI models locally, including using Siri AI to find information and take actions across apps, and to ask questions from Spotlight. Apple also hosts a 'Pro and tell' event in Los Angeles on October 28, which Bloomberg has previously reported will feature a touchscreen MacBook Pro — if so, a major shift for the Mac line, and one worth watching.