It has been a while since Apple updated the 24-inch iMac, the last change took place on October 28, 2024. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman shares in his Power On Newsletter that this will change later this year.
According to various sources, Apple is currently busy testing the new 24-inch iMac. This iMac would reportedly be equipped with a new processor and undergo a number of minor changes. The color palette would also receive an update.
Design of the 24-inch iMac remains the same
The colorful and sleek design of the 24-inch iMac will remain the same for the new generation. The screen with white border and wider bottom (chin) will still be present. Well, we can new colours expected so that the iMac again matches the current color range.
Good performance thanks to new chip
The 24-inch model will probably get a new processor, probably the yet unannounced M6 chip. This can be explained by the fact that Apple plans to launch the new iMac at the end of this year. It would be an excellent time to present the new M6 chip, although there is also a possibility that Apple integrates the M5 processor into the iMac.
M6 chip specifications
It is not yet known what the specifications of the M6 ​​chip will be. It is expected to have a 10-core CPU with 4 super cores and 6 efficiency cores as standard. It may contain a 10-core GPU with Neural Accelerators and of course a 16-core Neural Engine.
When you look at these specifications, you will see that they are very similar to the M5 chip, but the innovation lies in the production process. The M6 ​​is manufactured using TSMC’s 2nm process, an advanced chip manufacturing technique in which the transistors are placed even smaller and closer together than with the current 3nm process of the M5 series. This results in a 15% higher density, allowing more computing power to fit into the same space without increasing the size of the chip.
That higher density leads to 10-15% faster performance in CPU and GPU tasks, because signals have a shorter time to travel and there is less energy loss. At the same time, power consumption drops by 20-30%. For Macs, this results in more efficient cooling, less heat development and higher clock speeds without throttling.
N1 network chip
The iMac 2026 is expected to be equipped with the latest N1 chip, an advanced networking chip from Apple that provides wireless connectivity. This chip, which made its debut in the iPhone 17 series, replaces the old Broadcom chips. It supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread network technology. With the integrated controller, efficiency and energy savings are significantly improved, especially for functions such as AirDrop and smart devices. Bluetooth 6 reduces interference and lowers power consumption, while Wi-Fi 7 ensures faster and more stable connections, even in busy environments.
Other innovations
- Possible display with 600 nits brightness (was 500 nits)
- Perhaps standard 512 SSD storage (was 256GB)
- May support Thunderbolt 5 ports (was Thunderbolt 4)
Availability and price
The 24-inch iMac with the M5/M6 chip is not scheduled for release until the fall of 2026. The recommended retail price is not yet known. The current generation iMac has a starting price of $1,519, but with an expected increase in base SSD storage, the price will likely increase by around $100, similar to what we saw with the MacBook Air.
27-inch iMac uncertain
Many users are hoping for the arrival of a 27-inch iMac, but it is uncertain whether a new model will ever appear. There are rumors circulating that a 27-inch variant will be released, which will be called the iMac Pro. The design of this iMac will probably be the same as the 24-inch version, but with some PRO innovations. It is still unclear exactly how large the screen will be, but it is expected that the iMac may be equipped with a 15-core Pro chip and miniLED with ProMotion, although this has not yet been confirmed.