Apple unveils new iMac with M6 — here are the all the upgrades

Apple is continuing its "Pro and tell" announcements this week with an all-new iMac to follow yesterday's iPad mini 8 reveal. As expected, Apple has upgraded its colorful all-in-one with the M6 chip that will turbocharge performance in a similar vein to the Mac mini we reviewed back in September. The iMac 2026 will also ship with macOS 27 Golden Gate, which includes the next version of Apple Intelligence and Siri AI. It also comes in 7 distinct colors.Here's everything we know about the new M6 iMacM6 iMac: Price and release date(Image credit: Apple)The new M6 iMac with a 10-core CPU/GPU starts at $1,499 ($1,449 for education). iMac with a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU starts at $1,699 (U.S.) and $1,599 for education.It's hardly surprising, but that's a step up in pricing over the $1,299 entry-level pricing that the M4 iMac launched with back in 2024. As with its other devices, Apple increased prices in June to a new starting price of $1,499 so if you view it through that lens, it's not as bad. But it just reinforces that even Apple isn't immune from the effects of RAMaggeddon. Shipping will begin on November 6, the same date as the new iPad mini 8.M6 iMac: Performance(Image credit: Apple)The biggest overhaul for the new iMac is in performance, thanks to the addition of the M6 chip. We won't know precisely how this chip pairs with the iMac hardware until we test it for ourselves — but we can get a good idea from our time with the M6 Mac mini. In our review of that machine, the M6 chip "really shone" and "didn't miss a beat" even when we put it under some serious pressure. Here's how the chip held up against the same benchmarking tests as the M5 and M5 Pro chips inside a MacBook Pro.Performance BenchmarksMac mini M6MacBook Pro M5MacBook Pro M5 ProGeekbench 6.7 single-core470836133701Geekbench 6.7 multi-core214051750529411Handbrake (Mins:Secs)2:453:311:45If we see similar performance from the new iMac, it will make this a much more powerful computer than its predecessor. Apple introduced the M6 in August, and like the A20 Pro in the iPhone Duo, it's built on a 2-nanometer process. It should easily outclass the 3-nanometer architecture used in the M4, particularly in AI processing, thanks to a Dual 16-core Neural Engine specifically for AI and machine learning tasks.This means if you plan to use Apple's desktop for running local AI language models or experimenting with local agents — as well as creative tools — you could see a big improvement. M6 iMac: Design(Image credit: Future)The new iMac keeps the same overall design and display specs as its predecessor. That's by no means a bad thing, but considering the design hasn't changed meaningfully since 2021, a few extra flourishes wouldn't have gone amiss. The front of the computer is still a 24-inch 4.5k Retina display with a 4,480 x 2,520 pixel resolution and 500 nits of peak brightness. With the iPad mini 8 getting the OLED treatment, it would have been nice to see it here too but Apple is sticking with the LED-backlit LCD technology from the M4 iMac.The iMac comes in seven colors blue, green, pink, yellow, purple, orange, and silver.M6 iMac: Networking(Image credit: Apple)Alongside the new M6 chip's performance, the 2026 iMac gets a networking boost that improves wireless connectivity and includes both Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 out of the box.The jump to Wi-Fi 7 will be welcomed by most users as it grants you access to the faster 6 GHz band and protocol features like Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which (my colleague Anthony tells me) aggregates multiple bands simultaneously for lower latency and higher throughput.And having Bluetooth 6 will give you more accurate distance tracking, better power efficiency and lower-latency wireless audio if you happen to have a pair of AirPods Max 2 on your desk.M6 iMac: Outlook(Image credit: Tom's Guide)The iMac was due for an upgrade and its good to see it joining its smaller brother in the ranks of Apple devices equipped with a 2-nanometer chip. If you're using an older iMac then the jump to M6 alone may be enough to warrant an upgrade — especially if you plan on doing a lot of AI-related work on your desktop.The sticking point may be that the design and display remain unchanged. And, of course, there's a price rise to factor in as well. We'll retain final judgement until we've reviewed it, but Apple's new iMac looks set to take the crown of the best all-in-one PC for 2026 without too much trouble. More from Tom's GuideApple iPhone Duo 2 with Face ID is reportedly being tested even before the first foldable hits shelvesI put the iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Fold 8 through a 10-round photo face-off — and there's a clear winner'Polished but rough': The common flaws in the iPhone Duo found by nine different reviewers