Apple has announced the new iMac powered by its M6 chip, bringing upgraded performance, expanded AI capabilities, faster connectivity, and the latest macOS 27 software to its 24-inch all-in-one desktop. Announced today, October 27, 2026, the new iMac retains its slim design and seven color options while introducing a faster processor, an upgraded graphics architecture, and Apple’s next-generation Siri AI experience.

The new iMac is designed for everyday productivity, creative workflows, and AI-powered tasks, targeting families, students, creators, and small businesses. Apple says the M6-powered desktop delivers up to five times faster on-device AI performance than the previous M4-powered model, alongside improvements to graphics performance, storage speeds, and wireless connectivity.

iMac gets Apple’s new M6 chip

The new iMac features Apple’s M6 chip with configurations offering up to a 12-core CPU and a 12-core GPU. Both components gain two additional cores compared with their counterparts in the previous generation, while each GPU core includes a Neural Accelerator to improve performance for graphics-intensive and AI workloads.

Apple says the new iMac delivers up to 1.5 times faster performance in productivity apps such as Microsoft Excel compared with the M4-powered iMac. Graphics performance can reach up to twice the previous generation’s level in supported workloads, including photo editing, while gaming performance with ray tracing can improve by up to two times.

The M6 also introduces a Dual 16-core Neural Engine, which Apple says delivers up to twice the AI computing performance of the previous generation. Combined with memory bandwidth of up to 170GB/s, the chip is designed to handle on-device AI models and demanding creative applications more efficiently.

For users upgrading from an M1-powered iMac, Apple claims up to 2.5 times faster performance in Excel, up to 3.3 times faster graphics performance in Affinity, and up to 12 times faster on-device AI prompt processing in LM Studio. Apple also claims up to 18 times faster performance than its most popular Intel-based iMac, although actual results will depend on the tasks and configurations being compared.

Built-in Siri AI brings Apple Intelligence to the desktop

One of the biggest additions to the new iMac is Siri AI, powered by the next generation of Apple Intelligence in macOS 27. Apple describes the updated assistant as more conversational and personal, with the ability to answer questions, find information across messages, emails, and photos, and take actions across supported apps.

Siri AI is integrated into Spotlight, allowing users to search for information, ask follow-up questions, and interact with the assistant without relying solely on traditional file and app searches.

The new iMac also supports Visual Intelligence, which lets users ask Siri about content displayed on their screen. For example, users can seek help understanding a chart in a spreadsheet or ask questions about an image in a browser tab. Writing and editing tools are available across many text fields, while Siri can help users compose messages in Mail and Messages that reflect their usual writing style.

Apple Intelligence also introduces additional capabilities across macOS apps. Safari can organize tabs into topics and notify users about website changes, including product restocks and price drops. Users can also create Shortcuts automations by describing what they want to accomplish and access AI-powered photo editing tools.

Apple says the new iMac can run compatible AI models locally, helping users perform certain tasks without sending their data to cloud services. However, some Apple Intelligence features rely on server-side models and are subject to daily usage limits.

Siri AI is available in beta with macOS 27.2 and supports English, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. Availability and supported features vary by language and region.

24-inch 4.5K Retina display and seven colors

The new iMac retains its 24-inch 4.5K Retina display, which offers 500 nits of brightness and support for the P3 wide color gamut with more than one billion colors. The display remains a central part of the all-in-one design, providing space for multitasking, photo and video editing, and everyday work.

Apple continues to offer the iMac in seven colors: blue, green, pink, yellow, purple, orange, and silver. The color-matched accessories include a Magic Keyboard and a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad, depending on the configuration.

The desktop also features a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera for video calls, with Desk View support for sharing a top-down view of a workspace. Its audio system includes force-cancelling woofers, tweeters, Spatial Audio, and Dolby Atmos support, alongside a three-microphone array.

Selected configurations support Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, allowing users to unlock the computer, switch between user accounts, and authorize Apple Pay purchases.

Faster connectivity and storage

Apple has upgraded the iMac’s wireless connectivity to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Selected configurations also offer 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, which Apple says provides up to 2.5 times faster wired connectivity than the previous generation.

The new desktop offers up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports on configurations with a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU. These ports support high-speed data transfers and connections to external storage, docks, and other accessories. Users can also connect up to two external 6K displays.

Apple says the new iMac’s SSD delivers up to twice the read and write performance of the previous generation under its specified comparison conditions. Faster storage can help applications launch more quickly and reduce waiting times when opening large photo libraries, video projects, and other files.

The iMac continues to integrate with the iPhone through Apple’s Continuity features, allowing users to share files and photos, hand off tasks between devices, and control a compatible iPhone from the Mac.

macOS 27 comes preinstalled

The new iMac runs macOS 27, which brings Siri AI and Apple Intelligence together with software refinements across the desktop experience.

Apple has updated its Liquid Glass interface with a new slider in Settings that lets users adjust the appearance from a more transparent look to a fully tinted interface. The update also introduces sharper app icons and other refinements intended to make the operating system more focused and responsive.

iMac with M6 pricing and availability

Apple will open preorders for the new iMac on Wednesday, October 28, at 10:10 am Pacific Time through its online store and the Apple Store app. The desktop will be available from Friday, November 6, with deliveries and in-store availability at Apple Stores and authorized resellers beginning on that date.

In the US, the iMac with M6 starts at $1,499 for the configuration with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU. The model with a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU starts at $1,699. Eligible education customers can purchase the configurations starting at $1,449 and $1,599, respectively.

Apple also offers its Apple Upgrade leasing program for eligible US customers, with the new iMac available from $28.99 per month for 36 months, excluding taxes and any trade-in credit.

Buyers can configure their iMac with different memory and storage options, with available configurations including up to 32GB of unified memory. Certain higher-end configurations also offer optional nano-texture glass and 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet.

The new iMac represents a substantial update to Apple’s all-in-one desktop, combining the M6 chip with upgraded connectivity, faster storage, and a more integrated AI experience. While its familiar display and colorful design remain, the addition of Siri AI and the new processor makes this generation particularly relevant for users looking to upgrade from older Intel- or M1-based iMacs.