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 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.
As for what to expect aside from the chip upgrade, Gurman says not to expect a major overhaul for the iMac. It should look like the current M4 generation, though Apple may make some changes to the color options.
This would be the fifth year for the current design, after its overhaul in 2021 with the M1 model.
There have been rumors about an OLED iMac, but that is a long way off from being released.
M6 refresh
The M6 generation is expected to last mere months, compared to the usual year-or-more approach of earlier Apple Silicon releases. In July, it was reported that the M6 could just exist for six months, before Apple presses ahead to the M7 generation.
The speculation is that Apple will stick to just the M6 base chip. The Pro, Max, and Ultra versions apparently won’t be released at all.
Instead, the M7 generation will be ushered in during the first half of 2027. The M7 Pro and M7 Max will arrive later in 2027, with an M7 Ultra due in 2028.
The quick change to M7 is due to big improvements to AI processing. While the M6 will bring with it an improved memory bandwidth to 200 gigabytes per second, a new memory architecture, and a 12-core GPU, the M7 stands to give Apple and its customers an even bigger improvement.
This story originally appeared on Appleinsider
