Apple To Launch M6 iMac This Fall?
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After skipping an M5 iMac last year, it probably shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that Apple is planning an M6 refresh. But the good news is that’s likely coming in the next couple of months.
When Apple shifted to Apple silicon six years ago, it also used the opportunity to introduce a fully redesigned 24-inch iMac in April 2021 (and eventually kill off 27-inch model entirely). However, that also began the start of a less-than-regular update cycle.
The M1 iMac remained on the market for over two years. Even as Apple released an upgraded M2 chip in the MacBook Air, old-school 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, the iMac skipped the M2 generation entirely.
Consequently, it wasn’t until October 2023 that we saw a refresh, when Apple unveiled a full lineup of M3 chips all at once, with new MacBooks and an iMac to go with them.
That was followed by a week of Mac announcements in October 2024 that saw a similar hit parade for the M4 chip, with the full M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max arriving simultaneously in new MacBook Pro models, a smaller Mac mini, and a new 24-inch iMac.
At that point, many assumed the M2 was an aberration, and that the Mac mini and iMac were snapping back onto an annual refresh cycle. However, when the M5 chip debuted last fall almost exclusively in a base MacBook Pro — the only Mac to get the new chip, although it also came to the iPad Pro and Vision Pro — the iMac once again felt like a forgotten child.
At this point, it’s a safe bet the M5 generation is entirely over. By all reports, Apple is on the cusp of debuting its M6 chips, and if the scuttlebutt is true, we could see a repeat of the 2023 and 2024 launches — at least for the base chip.
Most already believed that the iMac would stick with a fall refresh cycle, but that was far from certain. After all, the original model came in the spring, and with a 30-month run between that and its M3 successor, it was plausible Apple might shift back to a spring release cycle.
However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is confident it’s just around the corner. In his latest Power On newsletter, he writes that anyone waiting for a new model “should be able to buy one before the end of the year.”
Don’t expect much from this year’s refresh, though. While Apple is working on an OLED refresh for the iMac, that’s still a couple years away. This year’s M6 iMac is likely to be little more than a new chip inside.
As Gurman notes, not much has changed since the first 2021 model debuted. The current M4 version gained four full Thunderbolt 4 ports (in the four-port model), and there’s a non-zero chance the M6 model could step that up to Thunderbolt 5 — although we wouldn’t bet on it, as Apple has thus far limited the faster ports to its Pro and Max chips, even in the current M5 generation.
Apple has also changed up the color finishes a few times over the years, so it’s likely the M6 iMac will get some new hues, but it’s definitely not going to be a “blockbuster overhaul” this year.
The jury is out on whether we’ll see a Mac mini. Apple skipped an M5 refresh for that smaller model, but the M6 puts it in an awkward position, since by all reports there won’t be an M6 Pro or M6 Max chip as Apple plans to skip those in favor of the M7 lineup. That leaves Apple with a choice to either release only an M6 Mac mini and leave the M4 Pro model on the market for those who want more power, or simply wait until the M7 generation is ready. Considering the level of demand for the Mac mini right now from AI companies, Apple may not be in a huge hurry to release a new one, as it’s still selling like hotcakes, and it can probably do without the supply chain pressure gobbling up M6 chips that could be better used in other new Macs.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
