Apple has updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M6 chip
The 16-inch version still runs on either the M5 Pro or M5 Max.
Hot off the release of the iPhone Duo and a big update to the iPad Mini, Apple is looking to keep its momentum going by refreshing the 14-inch MacBook Pro with a faster M6 chip.
Thanks to its new processor, Apple says the latest 14-inch MacBook Pro delivers 30 percent faster graphics compared to an M5-equipped model, along with a 25 percent boost to AI workloads. Other improvements include support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 while still offering strong battery life with a runtime of up to 24 hours on a single charge.
The M6 chip inside the updated MacBook Pro features a 12-core CPU and a 12-core GPU with Neural Accelerators in each core, plus a dual 16-core Neural Engine and faster unified memory. In addition to general performance increases, Apple claims the M6's Neural Engine is 1.9x faster than before while "dramatically" accelerating AI tasks such as image generation, super resolution and upscaling. When using LLMs, the company says the 14-inch M6 MBP offers up to 1.3x faster time to first token performance and 1.3x faster rendering in Blender compared to an M5 model.
Apple
The new M6 MacBook Pro comes with 16GB of unified memory by default, but you can upgrade it to 24GB or 32GB for an extra $200 or $400, respectively. Storage starts at 1TB but can be expanded to 2TB for $500, or 4TB for $1,500. Other features include a Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness, a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera and faster charging when paired with something like Apple's 96W power adapter.
You can also upgrade the M6 MBP's screen with an optional nano-texture finish for $150 to reduce glare and reflections. The Space Black version even comes with an anodized coating to better hide the appearance of fingerprints.
In addition to improved Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the new model has a range of ports and connectivity options including HDMI, MagSafe 3, a total of three Thunderbolt 4 slots, an SDXC card reader and a 3.5mm audio jack. The one downside is that anyone considering a larger 16-inch MacBook Pro is still limited to previous-gen M5 Pro or M5 Max chips instead of newer M6 silicon.
The 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 and comes in two colors: space black and silver. It will be available for pre-order starting tomorrow (October 28), with officials sales slated to begin on November 6.