Apple M6

Last updated

Apple M6
General information
LaunchedSeptember 22, 2026;36 days ago (2026-09-22)
Designed by Apple
Common manufacturer
Physical specifications
Cores
  • 12 (2 S + 4 P + 6 E)
Memory (RAM)
  • 16, 24 or 32 GB
GPU 12 cores
Co-processor NPU: dual 16-core
Architecture and classification
Application Mac Mini
Technology node 2 nm
History
Predecessor Apple M5

The Apple M6 is an ARM-based system on a chip (SoC) created by Apple Inc., part of the Apple silicon family. It was announced on August 25, 2026, succeeding the Apple M5, and it was released on September 22, 2026. [1] Each chip integrates a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), neural processing unit (NPU), and unified memory in a single package. [2] [3]

Contents

The M6 is the first Apple silicon chip to be manufactured using TSMC's 2 nm process. [1]

History

On June 25, 2026, Bloomberg reported that Apple planned to skip the M6 Pro and M6 Max variants, instead focusing on developing higher-end chips as part of the M7 system-on-chip generation. The move was reportedly intended to accelerate the introduction of technologies designed to improve on-device artificial intelligence capabilities and graphics performance. Consequently, the M6 is expected to be limited to entry-level Macs, making it the first Apple silicon generation to launch with only a base chip. [4]

On August 25, 2026, Apple announced the M6 as the successor to the Apple M5. [1]

Design

Apple M series comparison [5]
ChipCPU cores
GPU cores
RAM
options
(GB)
Displays
Memory
bandwidth
(GB/s)
Introduced
SPE
M1 N/a4488/162682020
M2 N/a44108/16/2421022022
M3 N/a44108/16/2421022023
M4 N/a461016/24/3231202024
M5 4N/a61016/24/3231532025
M6 246121631532026
24/32170

CPU

The M6 CPU features two super cores, four performance cores and six efficiency cores, for a total of 12 cores. [1] It has a total of around 46 billion transistors.

GPU

The M6 GPU features 12 cores and includes Neural Accelerators for artificial intelligence workloads, which Apple says provide a 30% improvement over the M5. [1]

Apple also introduced changes to the shader-core architecture, hardware-accelerated ray tracing and Dynamic Caching. [1]

Neural Engine

The M6 includes a dual 16-core Neural Engine, which Apple claims provides twice the performance for AI-related tasks compared with previous Apple silicon chips. [1]

Memory

The base model Mac Mini with M6 includes 16 GB of unified memory and can be configured with up to 32 GB. [1]

The M6 provides increased memory bandwidth compared with the M5, supporting faster movement of data for AI and other demanding workloads. Apple rates peak unified memory bandwidth at up to 170 GB/s. [1]

Media Engine

The M6 also includes a Media Engine with enhancements to video encoding and decoding. [6]

Additional features

The M6 chip has support for Apple Intelligence, as well as a new and improved AI model for Siri.

Products

M6

Variants

Apple M6 series configurations
VariantCPU coresGPU
cores		MemoryArchitectureUsed in
SPEControllersBandwidth (GB/s)Size (GB)
M6235108153.616Single dieiMac
17024
4612153.616Mac Mini
MacBook Pro (14")
17024 or 32

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Apple introduces M6 and M5 Ultra for a big leap in performance and AI compute". Apple Newsroom (Press release). Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  2. ↑ Christoffel, Ryan (June 19, 2026). "Apple's M6 chip launches this fall, with these new products rumored". 9to5Mac. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  3. ↑ Miller, Chance (June 25, 2026). "Apple will skip M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, new report says". 9to5Mac. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  4. ↑ Gurman, Mark (June 25, 2026). "Apple to Skip High-End M6 Mac Chips in Favor of AI-Focused M7 Line". Bloomberg. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  5. ↑ Cunningham, Andrew (September 21, 2026). "Apple M6 Mac mini review: $300 price hike spoils a nice upgrade". Ars Technica. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Mac mini - Technical Specifications". Apple. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Apple introduces the new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6". Apple Newsroom. Retrieved October 27, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Apple unveils new iMac with M6". Apple Newsroom. Retrieved October 27, 2026.
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