Apple's M6 week: new iMac, 14-inch MacBook Pro and an OLED iPad mini go on pre-order today
Quotable summary
Apple put three new devices on pre-order on 28 October 2026: a 24-inch iMac with M6 (from $1,499), a 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 (from $1,999) and an all-new iPad mini with an 8.5-inch OLED display, A20 Pro and an IP67 rating (from $699). All three start arriving Friday, 6 November. Apple’s pitch for every one of them is the same: more on-device AI. The iMac claims up to 5x faster on-device AI than M4, the MacBook Pro claims up to 25% faster AI workloads than M5, and the iPad mini gets Neural Accelerators in every GPU core. Translation: the cheapest Macs and the smallest iPad are now being sold as local-AI machines, and the mini got the biggest glow-up.
What changed
| Device | Chip | Headline changes | Starting price (US) |
|---|---|---|---|
| iMac 24-inch | M6, 10-core CPU/GPU or 12-core CPU/GPU | Two more CPU and GPU cores than before; Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6; up to 2x faster SSD; 2.5 Gb Ethernet and four Thunderbolt 4 ports on 12-core models; seven colors | $1,499 (10-core), $1,699 (12-core) |
| MacBook Pro 14-inch | M6, 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU | Up to 30% faster graphics and 25% faster AI vs M5; Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6; up to 24 hours battery; space black or silver | $1,999 |
| iPad mini | A20 Pro | 8.5-inch OLED (up from 8.3-inch, same footprint); 1,200-nit peak; 5.4 mm thin; IP67; Acoustic Display speakers; N1 wireless chip (Wi-Fi 7); C2 modem on cellular models | $699 Wi-Fi, $849 Wi-Fi + Cellular |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 26 Oct 2026 | iPad mini announced |
| 27 Oct 2026 | iMac and 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 announced |
| 28 Oct 2026 | Pre-orders open for all three |
| 6 Nov 2026 | First deliveries and in-store availability |
Apple’s performance claims
All figures are Apple-reported, measured against Apple’s own previous models.
| Claim | Source device |
|---|---|
| Up to 1.5x faster everyday performance and 2x faster graphics vs M4 | iMac |
| Up to 5x faster on-device AI (LM Studio prompt processing) vs M4 | iMac |
| Up to 30% faster graphics and 25% faster AI vs M5 | MacBook Pro 14-inch |
| More than 2x peak brightness vs previous iPad mini; up to 50% faster cellular data with C2 | iPad mini |
Why it matters
- The iPad mini is the real story. OLED, IP67 water and dust resistance and speakers that play through the display are a bigger jump than the mini has had in years. The trade-off is price: Apple’s own starting figure is now $699.
- “Runs AI locally” is the new spec sheet. Apple leads every press release with on-device AI, from Siri AI to running large language models on the machine. That lines up with a wave of local-model apps on Apple Silicon and is Apple’s privacy pitch against cloud AI.
- The iMac skipped M5. Apple compares the new iMac to M4, so 2024 iMac owners get a full two-generation jump.
- Spec bumps, not redesigns, for the Macs. Same iMac and MacBook Pro shapes; the value is in chips, Wi-Fi 7 and storage speed.
FAQ
When can I order and when will it arrive? Pre-orders open 28 October 2026 on apple.com and the Apple Store app. Apple says deliveries and store availability begin Friday, 6 November.
How much is the new iPad mini? $699 for Wi-Fi and $849 for Wi-Fi + Cellular in the US, or $649 with education pricing, per Apple.
Is the new 14-inch MacBook Pro the touchscreen model? No. Apple’s 27 October release describes the M6 14-inch with a Liquid Retina XDR display and does not mention touch. Ignore social posts claiming otherwise until Apple announces it.
Do I need the 12-core iMac? Only if you want 2.5 Gb Ethernet, four Thunderbolt 4 ports, the nano-texture option or Touch ID as standard. Apple limits those to the 12-core model.
Sources
| Source | Role | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Newsroom | Primary: iMac specs, pricing, dates | Apple — Apple unveils new iMac with M6 |
| Apple Newsroom | Primary: 14-inch MacBook Pro specs, pricing, dates | Apple — new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 |
| Apple Newsroom | Primary: iPad mini specs, pricing, dates | Apple — iPad mini’s biggest update ever |
| Engadget | Secondary: week recap | Engadget — Everything Apple announced this week |