Apple's M6 MacBook Pro and iMac arrive at last year's prices, with older Macs in their sights

If your Mac is five or more years old, Apple wrote this week’s news for you. On 27 October, Apple announced the M6 MacBook Pro, a 14-inch laptop, and a new 24-inch iMac with the same M6 chip. It did it by press release, one day before its “Pro and Tell” event on 28 October.

The headline numbers are about speed and AI that runs on the computer itself. But the quieter story is the price. Earlier this year Apple raised prices on some products as chip costs rose. The two new Macs start at the same prices as the models they replace.

What the M6 MacBook Pro and iMac bring

The M6 MacBook Pro has a 12-core CPU and a 12-core GPU, two more cores each than before. The GPU (the part that draws graphics) has small AI units, which Apple calls Neural Accelerators, in every core. Apple also claims the M6 has “the world’s fastest CPU core”.

Here are the other main details from Apple.

• Up to 24 hours of battery life, which Apple calls the longest ever in a Mac.
• 16GB of memory as standard, up to 32GB, and 1TB of storage at the base price.
• Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, in space black or silver.

The iMac keeps its thin design and seven colours. It gets up to a 12-core CPU and GPU, Wi-Fi 7, and up to four Thunderbolt ports.

M6 MacBook Pro price and release date

Pre-orders open on 28 October in 35 countries and regions. Both Macs arrive in stores and at homes from Friday, 6 November. Official starting prices (checked on 27 Oct 2026):

Model	US	UK	India
14-inch MacBook Pro (M6)	$1,999	£1,999	₹2,39,900
iMac (M6, 10-core)	$1,499	£1,499	₹1,74,900
iMac (M6, 12-core)	$1,699	£1,699	₹1,99,900

Students and teachers in the US pay less: from $1,899 for the MacBook Pro and $1,449 for the iMac. In the UAE, The National reports starting prices of Dh8,499 and Dh6,499, in line with the older models.

MacBook Pro M6 vs M5: the honest size of the jump

Every speed number here is Apple’s own. Against last year’s M5 MacBook Pro, Apple claims up to 30% faster graphics and up to 25% faster AI work. Against an M1 laptop, it claims up to 11 times faster graphics and up to 13 times faster AI.

The new iMac skipped the M5 generation, so its jump is bigger. Apple says the M6 iMac is up to five times faster at on-device AI than the M4 model.

Those are lab numbers. Independent reviews, which usually arrive close to launch day, will show how they hold up in daily use.

If you are still on an M1 or Intel Mac

This launch is aimed at you. Apple says people moving from an Intel MacBook gain up to 14 extra hours of battery life, and M1 owners up to four. They also get 16GB of memory to start, an extra Thunderbolt port and much faster on-device AI.

Running AI on the machine itself means some tasks never leave your desk, which helps privacy. We have seen the same idea in Meta’s open AI model running on Mac desktops and in Nvidia’s new AI laptops.

If you already own an M5 Mac, there is little reason to switch. A 25% gain is welcome, but it rarely changes how a working day feels.

Waiting on the Mac M6 release date in India? It is the same as everywhere else. India is one of the 35 launch markets, so delivery starts on 6 November.

Steady prices matter more than new cores

On balance, this is a careful, useful update. Holding prices while chip costs are high is a fair move for buyers, and 1TB of base storage helps people who keep photos and projects for years.

The weaker point is memory. A $1,999 laptop sold as “Pro” still starts with 16GB, which can feel tight for heavy AI work or video. Some buyers will need to pay more to get 32GB.

In our analysis, the M6 MacBook Pro is a sensible buy for people on M1 or Intel Macs, and an easy one to skip for M5 owners.

One more day before you order

Apple’s event is on 28 October. Rumour: pre-event reports expect a touchscreen MacBook Pro with an OLED screen. If you can wait until then, you will know the full line-up before you spend. After a busy month that also brought the iPhone Duo to stores, Apple has one more card to show.