Apple Unveils M6 MacBook Pro and iMac With Faster On-Device AI

Apple has unveiled a new 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac powered by its latest M6 chip, putting faster on-device artificial intelligence at the centre of its latest Mac launch. The announcement, made on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, is aimed squarely at buyers who want AI features to run directly on their computer rather than relying entirely on remote servers.

The launch arrives at a moment when AI is dominating the technology industry’s agenda, from new model releases to heavy spending on the infrastructure behind them. Apple’s message is a practical one: a faster chip should make everyday AI tasks feel quicker, smoother and more responsive on the machine in front of you.

What Apple Announced

Apple introduced two machines in the same launch: a new 14-inch MacBook Pro and a new iMac, both powered by the M6 chip. The company is presenting the M6 as a step forward for running AI tasks directly on the device, a trend the industry calls on-device AI.

On-device AI matters because it changes where the work happens. Instead of sending every request away to be processed elsewhere, more of it can be handled locally on the computer itself. For users, that can mean faster responses for supported tasks and a machine that feels more capable even when it is working on AI-powered features.

The pitch is simple: more AI work done on the machine itself, rather than sent elsewhere.

The timing also fits a busy week for technology markets. AI optimism has already lifted tech stocks this week, and investors are watching closely to see whether the latest AI hardware and infrastructure bets translate into products people actually want to buy.

The New 14-Inch MacBook Pro

The new 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999. According to Apple, the M6 MacBook Pro delivers up to 30% faster graphics and up to 25% faster AI performance than its M5 predecessor, along with up to 24 hours of battery life, which the company describes as the longest ever in a Mac.

Those headline figures are Apple’s own claims, and they frame the MacBook Pro as a machine for demanding work. Faster graphics matter for creative tasks such as photo and video work, while faster AI performance matters for the growing set of features that use machine learning on the device, from image and audio tools to smarter search and assistance.

Battery life is the other part of the pitch. A laptop that can last through a long working day without hunting for a charger is a practical advantage, and Apple is positioning the claimed 24-hour battery life as a record for the Mac line.

The New iMac

The new iMac starts at $1,499. Apple says the new iMac delivers up to 5x faster on-device AI performance than the previous M4 model, a comparison that underlines how quickly the company wants buyers to see AI capability improving from one generation to the next.

As an all-in-one desktop, the iMac plays a different role from the MacBook Pro. It is the machine that sits on a desk at home or in an office, and the AI pitch here is about making that everyday computer feel faster at the tasks people now expect it to handle, without needing to think about the chip inside.

Both machines are part of the same strategy: bring the newest silicon to both portable and desktop Macs at the same time, so buyers do not have to choose between mobility and the latest AI performance.

Why On-Device AI Is the Headline

For years, the most powerful AI features depended on large servers in data centres. That is still true for many of the biggest models, but chipmakers have been pushing more capability onto phones and computers themselves. The benefit is speed and responsiveness for tasks that can run locally, and a smoother experience when AI features are woven into everyday software.

That shift is also driving major investment across the industry. Chipmakers are expanding production for AI and data-centre demand, while big technology companies are raising large sums to fund AI infrastructure. Apple’s M6 launch sits inside that wider race, but its argument is about the device in front of the user, not just the data centre behind it.

• 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999; iMac starts at $1,499
• Pre-orders open Wednesday in 35 countries and regions, including the US
• Availability starts November 6
• M6 MacBook Pro: up to 30% faster graphics and up to 25% faster AI performance than the M5 predecessor, per Apple
• iMac: up to 5x faster on-device AI performance than the previous M4 model, per Apple

Pricing and Availability

Customers can pre-order the two products from Wednesday in 35 countries and regions, including the US, with availability starting November 6. That short gap between announcement and availability means buyers will not have to wait long to see the new machines in stores, and early reviews and hands-on reports are likely to follow quickly once pre-orders open.

Pricing positions the two machines at different ends of the Mac range. The MacBook Pro, at $1,999, is the premium portable option, while the iMac, at $1,499, offers the new chip in a desktop form. Both prices are starting prices, as is usual for Apple’s range.

What to Watch Next

The launches come a day before Apple hosts an event in Los Angeles on October 28, which Bloomberg News has reported is expected to feature Apple’s first touch-screen MacBook Pro. That report remains unconfirmed by Apple, but it means the M6 announcement may not be the last Mac news of the week.

What to watch next is therefore straightforward: whether the October 28 event brings further Mac announcements, how the new M6 machines perform in independent testing once they reach buyers from November 6, and whether faster on-device AI proves to be the feature that persuades people to upgrade. The chip claims are Apple’s own for now, and real-world performance will be the test that matters.