What's happened
Apple has announced new Mac Mini and Mac Studio devices powered by the M6 family, including the base M6, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra, delivering stronger CPU/GPU performance, faster AI on-device workloads, and higher connectivity, with prices rising and release timelines starting this September.
What's behind the headline?
Key takeaways
- Apple is pushing on-device AI with the M6 family, aiming to reduce cloud reliance and enhance security.
- The new chips promise substantial gains in CPU, GPU, and AI performance, enabling developers to run larger models locally.
- Pricing moves indicate a shift toward pro-tier devices, potentially narrowing the gap between consumer and enterprise markets.
Questions for readers
- How will on-device AI capabilities affect your workflow?
- Will higher entry prices deter casual buyers or push more users toward professional setups?
Outlook
The rollout signals a broader Apple strategy to differentiate devices through silicon, potentially foreshadowing laptop updates later this year.
How we got here
Apple has refreshed its desktop lineup with the M6-based Mac Mini and Mac Studio, extending the M-series silicon family. The M6 introduces a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, along with Neural Accelerators and faster memory. The M5 Pro variant adds an 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU. Connectivity updates include Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 2.5 Gb Ethernet. Pricing starts at $899 for the Mini and $2,499 for the Studio's high-end configurations; preorder begins August 25 with shipping from September 22.
Our analysis
- Independent: It still looks the same design-wise, with its tiny 5in footprint, but there’s now a new M6 chip on the inside. The new M6 chip features a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU. That’s better than the 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU found on the M4 model from a couple of years ago. Apple says the changes should deliver 40 per cent faster CPU performance, with twice the graphics performance, so it should run even snappier than before. There are also new Neural Accelerators in every GPU core, which Apple says delivers up to four times faster AI performance compared with the previous generation. Storage is also up to twice as fast. You can also get the new Mac mini with Apple’s beefier M5 Pro model. It has an 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU. Apple claims it has up to four times faster LLM processing and 1.4 times faster ray-tracing performance than the previous M4 Pro model. In terms of connectivity, it now comes with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 instead of the older Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, and boasts a 2.5GB ethernet as standard. The regular M6 Mac mini starts at £899, which is an eye-watering £300 hike over the £599 starting price of the M4 model. It’s slightly disappointing given the Mac mini M4 was always one of the best budget PCs, but at £899, its successor is now circling that four-digit price tag. The more powerful M5 Pro model starts at £1,699, again £300 more expensive than before. Available to pre-order now, you can buy both models from 22 September.
Go deeper
- What improvements are most noticeable in daily use?
- Will this shift affect the pricing of older Mac models?
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