Apple’s iMac refresh with M6 chip and new colors reportedly set for late 2026

Apple's iMac has long stood apart from the rest of the company's lineup by skipping the annual update cycle most other devices follow. The desktop's last refresh came in 2024, when Apple moved it to the M4 chip and introduced new colour options. Now, the company is reportedly working on the machine's next update, expected to arrive before the year is out.The update comes from analyst Mark Gurman, who addressed the topic in a reader Q&A section of his Power On newsletter. Gurman wrote that Apple is developing a new iMac built around the upcoming M6 chip. He was clear, however, that buyers shouldn't expect a dramatic redesign alongside the new silicon.Per Gurman, the changes are likely to be limited to the processor upgrade and a refreshed set of colour choices, with the overall design carried over largely unchanged. He described the update as falling well short of a 'blockbuster overhaul'.A history of long gaps between updatesThe iMac's refresh pattern has consistently lagged behind Apple's other product lines since the shift to in-house silicon. The redesigned 24-inch iMac debuted with the M1 chip in 2021, was updated to M3 in 2023, and moved to M4 in 2024 - with Apple bypassing the M2 and M5 generations for this particular device entirely, stretching gaps between updates to roughly two years each time.The existing iMac, built on Apple's 3-nanometre M4 chip, features a 24-inch 4.5K Retina display with a resolution of 4480x2520 pixels, and can be configured with a nano-texture matte glass finish for reduced glare.It's sold in seven colours - Blue, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple, Silver, and Yellow. Pricing in India starts at Rs. 1,74,900 for the base configuration, which includes an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. A fully loaded variant with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage is priced at Rs. 3,67,900.

Macworld There’s good news and bad news for customers waiting on Apple’s next update to the iMac range. It’s happening soon, but it’s probably not going to be a big deal. In the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman responded to a reader asking when they would be able to buy the new iMac. “If you’ve been holding out for a new iMac, your wait shouldn’t be much longer,” he reassured the reader. “All signs point to the M6 models being close to launch, and you should be able to buy one before the end of the year.” The iMac was last updated in fall 2024, when it was upgraded with Apple’s M4 chipset. But the last time it received a substantive update was way back in 2021, when the machine switched from Intel to Apple silicon and also got a breezy (and colorful) new design. Our wait for the next big update, sadly, is set to continue. Gurman says he “[doesn’t] expect a blockbuster overhaul this year” and predicts that the 2026 refresh will be confined to the chip bump–which is technically a double bump from M4 to M6, but only because it’s been two years since the last model. The external design will be otherwise unchanged, it seems, other than “some new color options.” The iMac has had the same set of colors since 2021, though Apple did introduce “fresh shades” of the same seven colors with the M4 update. It’s unclear whether Gurman means actual new colors will be coming this time. There is some consolation for Apple fans in an earlier report by Gurman claiming we can expect a massive Mac overhaul this fall. This didn’t make any claims about the iMac beyond its M6 upgrade (and J833 and J834 codenames), so his latest response is not contradictory. And on the plus side it pointed to other models getting more interesting treatment, including touchscreens and updated designs.

The iMac is among the very few devices that does not have an yearly release cycle and rarely receives any updates. Apple last updated its all-in-one computer with the M4 chip and a splash of new colour options in 2024. According to a seasoned journalist, the Cupertino-based tech giant is preparing its first new iMac in two years. The next-generation computer could be reportedly set to receive the company's upcoming M6 chipset, although a major redesign is not on the cards.

Apple’s M6 iMac could launch before the end of the year with improved performance and new color options, but few other changes. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Apple is readying new iMac models with an upgraded chip and new color options, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says the new version is likely to be an updated 24-inch model with an M6 chip, replacing the existing M4 model that arrived in October 2024. New colors are also said to be on the menu, though Gurman does not say what they are. The current ‌iMac‌ comes in seven colors, including green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. Otherwise, no major design changes are expected. Apple is reportedly developing a 24-inch ‌iMac‌ with an OLED display, but this won't arrive for several years. "All signs point to the M6 models being close to launch," says Gurman, with the new models expected to arrive before the end of the year.Related Roundup: iMacTag: Mark GurmanBuyer's Guide: iMac (Don't Buy)Related Forum: iMacThis article, "M6 iMac Coming This Year in New Colors" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

An updated iMac is very close to becoming a reality, as a report claims an M6 version will ship before the end of 2026, but don't expect a major refresh.The current 24-inch iMacThe M6 generation of devices is on the way, for an expectedly short product lifecycle before a move to the M7 generation. As for what Mac hardware will use the M6 chip, one of them could well be the iMac.According to Mark Gurman, writing in Sunday's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, an update to the iMac is on the way. M6 models are close to launching, he writes, and that consumers should expect to be able to buy one before the end of the year. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

After a two year hiatus, Apple is working on a new iMac with the M6 chipset and updated color options, per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. It should release “before the end of the year.”