In late 2024, Apple once again upgraded its all-in-one desktop lineup, launching a new iMac with a stunningly thin design, nano-texture display options, multiple new colors, the M4 chip, a 12MP Center Stage camera, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. With nearly two years having passed, it's about time for the iMac product line to receive an update.
According to VideoCardz, Apple is preparing to release a new iMac later this year, featuring the M6 chip and expected new color options. Since transitioning to its own silicon, iMac updates have been more regular compared to the MacBook series. The 24-inch model was redesigned in 2021 with the M1 chip, then skipped the M2 to adopt the M3, followed by an internal redesign with the M4. Now skipping the M5 for the M6, the new model will retain the current overall design, representing another minor update.
Rumors suggest that the M6 series will be among Apple's first chips manufactured using TSMC's 2nm process, the same technology used for this year's A20 series chips in iPhones, promising significant improvements in performance and energy efficiency. Unlike previous generations, it is rumored that the M6 series will only offer a base version, with the M6 Pro and M6 Max canceled, and high-end chips jumping directly to the M7 series.
Apple has previously tested the M6 chip in the base-model MacBook Pro, incorporating several improvements in CPU microarchitecture and NPU design to support on-device AI processing. Unified memory bandwidth is expected to increase further from the M5's 153GB/s, likely reaching 200GB/s, while the number of GPU cores will also rise from 10 to 12.