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- Apple’s M6 iMac brings faster processing, graphics and connectivity but keeps the same 24-inch 4.5K display and familiar all-in-one design.
- With up to a 12-core CPU and GPU, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, Apple also claims up to five times faster AI prompt processing than M4 in selected tests.
- Australian prices start at AUD $2,399, with pre-orders opening 29 October and availability from 6 November.
With macOS 27 now the latest operating system, you’d think Apple might actually take the hint and give us a 27-inch iMac. Or even a 32-inch one. We’ve all been asking. But nope, instead the company has unveiled its new M6 iMac, wrapped in the same 24-inch all-in-one design introduced in 2021. Five years later, the colourful desktop is still wearing the same outfit.
Putting the emperor’s robes aside for a moment, Apple has made a few internal upgrades to the iMac. First off is the M6 Apple Silicon chip with more CPU and GPU cores, faster storage, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. As Apple steps into the AI chorus, each GPU core includes Neural Accelerators to speed up AI workloads, including running large language models locally. In Apple’s selected tests, the new iMac delivers up to five times faster on-device AI prompt processing than the M4. All very useful upgrades, even if the exterior doesn’t offer much to the imagination.
Then we arrive at the cost. The new M6 iMac starts at AUD $2,399 in Australia, with a more powerful model featuring two extra Thunderbolt ports for a total of four, starting at AUD $2,699. Pre-orders open on 29 October, with availability from 6 November. Both models still start with 16GB of unified memory and just 256GB of storage. Apple reckons that’s more than enough for everyday tasks, but anyone working with large photo libraries, video projects or other sizeable files will probably want more storage. And if you’re a particularly heavy multitasker, you might want to bump up the memory while you’re at it.
1/3More M6 Muscle, Same 4.5K Display
The entry-level M6 pairs a 10-core CPU with a 10-core GPU and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. Tack on an extra AUD $300, and you get 12 cores apiece, four Thunderbolt 4 ports, options for 32GB of memory, up to 2TB of storage, and even an upgrade to nano-texture glass.
Apple says these new iMacs offer “blazing-fast performance,” which means about 1.5 times the performance of the previous M4 generation in apps like Microsoft Excel, twice the graphics performance in selected creative tasks, and five times faster AI prompt processing. On top of that, these iMacs get faster SSDs and up to 170GB/s of memory bandwidth, which may be the tipping point for anyone upgrading from an M1 or older Intel iMac. Keep in mind, those are Apple’s benchmark figures, not independent test results.
With Apple Intelligence front and centre across virtually every Apple release this year, the iMac M6 has received similar attention. The new Siri AI can find information across your apps, act on what’s onscreen and help with writing. But the beta also works on compatible older Macs, including M1 models. So you don’t need to buy an M6 iMac just to ask Siri a question. Heck, if you’ve got a compatible iPhone, you probably already have it pestering you there, too.
But while you wait for Siri to respond, we have a question for Apple.
1/3Apple, Where’s the Bigger iMac?
The new model keeps the 24-inch 4.5K Retina display, 500 nits of brightness, the 12MP Centre Stage camera, and the same seven colours as its predecessor. On paper, it’s still a capable bit of tech. It’s a tidy all-in-one that puts a gorgeous-looking screen on your desk, with a computer inside, plus a camera that follows your every move, speakers you’d actually want to listen to, all connected with minimal cable clutter. But it’s 2026, and the design hasn’t changed at all since 2021. Let alone the size.
Apple discontinued its last 27-inch Intel iMac in 2022 and confirmed in 2023 that it had no plans for a direct Apple silicon replacement. Instead of giving people what they actually want, it pointed customers towards a Mac mini or Mac Studio paired with one of its Studio Displays. I myself have a Mac mini on my desk at home, paired with a 32-inch LG monitor. But I do miss my old 2011 27-inch iMac, even if it was a heavy bit of kit. And while I certainly prefer the compact footprint of my Mac mini, I just don’t think 24 inches cuts the mustard for the iMac.
1/3What Does the M6 iMac Cost in Australia?
The AUD $2,399 entry-level model still offers a 256GB SSD and two Thunderbolt ports. The AUD $2,699 version adds cores and ports, but configuring it with 32GB of memory, a 2TB SSD, and nano-texture glass brings the total to AUD $4,799. Spend nearly five grand, and you’re still looking at the same 24-inch screen.
Apple iMac with M6 – Key Specs
- Display: 24-inch 4.5K Retina, 500 nits
- Chip: Apple M6, 10-core or 12-core CPU and GPU
- Memory: 16GB standard, up to 32GB
- Storage: 256GB standard, up to 2TB
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, two or four Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Colours: Blue, green, pink, yellow, purple, orange and silver
- Price: From AUD $2,399
- Availability: Pre-orders 29 October; on sale 6 November
Cupertino might be out here claiming to have made the world’s best all-in-one “better”. But it almost feels like Apple dusted off its five-year-old iMac design, dropped in a faster chip, and called it a day. In the words of Brian Tong, “that’s a bad apple” if I’ve ever seen one.
If you’re upgrading from an ageing Intel iMac, which Apple may already classify as vintage or obsolete, the new M6 model will be a major performance boost over your old machine. Even an M1 owner might consider the extra performance. But if you’ve got a recent M4, or you’ve been holding out for a bigger desktop display, the M6 feels more like another internal refresh than the iMac we’ve been waiting for. Apple can keep giving it a faster chip. At some point, it’d be nice if the screen got an upgrade too.
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