If you’re staring at the current iMac and hovering over the buy button, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has timely advice buried in his latest reporting: new iMac models — internally coded J833 and J834 — are finished and headed to market before the end of 2026. They bring an M6 chip and a refreshed color palette. Spending $1,300-plus on the M4 model right now is the hardware equivalent of buying a concert ticket the day before the tour gets rescheduled. Apple’s custom silicon roadmap continues to accelerate across its entire product lineup.
A Chip Jump Two Years in the Making
A double-generation leap powered by Apple’s first 2nm Mac chip makes this update worth your patience.
Apple passed over both M2 and M5 for the iMac entirely, treating it as a periodic rather than annual update. The M6 represents a double-generation leap from the current M4. According to Bloomberg, it’s Apple’s first Mac chip built on a 2nm process — which should deliver better performance-per-watt than the M4. No independent benchmarks exist yet. What’s confirmed is the node transition, and that matters for longevity.
Here’s the catch. Bloomberg reports Apple has no plans for M6 Pro, Max, or Ultra variants. The company is fast-tracking the M7 family for high-end roles instead, using M6 strictly as a base chip — a timeline corroborated by MacRumors. The iMac sits firmly in the mainstream consumer tier. If your workload involves heavy video editing or 3D rendering, Mac Studio remains the smarter call.
“You should be able to buy one before the end of the year.” — Mark Gurman, Bloomberg
New Colors, Same Frame
The aesthetic refresh is real, but don’t expect a redesign — the 24-inch aluminum chassis stays put.
For anyone hoping for a structural redesign: this isn’t it. Gurman writes that he doesn’t expect a “blockbuster overhaul.” The slim 24-inch aluminum chassis stays. No larger display. No OLED, which remains a conversation for 2028 at the earliest. Think of the color update as the Mac equivalent of a Spotify Wrapped rebrand — same structure, new wrapper. Gurman flagged the palette refresh as early as March 2026; specific shades remain unknown.
The M6 iMac is part of a broader fall 2026 Mac cycle that Bloomberg and MacRumors report will eventually span 11 new models. It shares the spotlight with:
- An entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro
- New Mac Studios running M5 Max and M5 Ultra
- A possible Mac mini refresh
Not all models land simultaneously. Gurman describes the overall season as “pretty major.” Knowing where the iMac sits — mainstream, integrated, design-forward — helps clarify whether it’s the right machine before you open your wallet.
The Verdict Is Already Written
If an all-in-one Mac fits your life, a few months of patience buys you a meaningfully better machine.
PCMag’s advice is blunt: don’t buy an iMac right now. The reporting backs that up. This refresh isn’t a reinvention — it’s a meaningful efficiency upgrade, a longer macOS support horizon, and fresh color options on a chassis that has held up well since 2021. That’s actually enough. Wait, and buy the better version.
