Apple has unveiled new versions of its Mac mini and Mac Studio computers. The new Mac mini is powered by the M6 and M5 Pro chips, while the Mac Studio comes with the M5 Max and the new M5 Ultra. Pre-orders opened on August 25, with sales beginning on September 22, 2026.
The new Mac mini is among the first Apple devices to feature the M6 chip. According to Apple, the M6 delivers up to 40% faster CPU performance than the previous M4 model, while graphics and storage performance can be up to twice as fast. AI workloads can run up to four times faster.
The M6 features a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, with Neural Accelerators integrated into the GPU. It also includes two 16-core Neural Engines and supports up to 32GB of unified memory.
A more powerful Mac mini configuration comes with the M5 Pro chip, featuring an 18-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU. It supports up to 64GB of unified memory and is aimed at demanding workloads such as video editing, 3D graphics, software development, scientific computing and running AI models locally.
The new Mac mini also supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and 2.5Gb/s Ethernet. The M6 model comes with Thunderbolt 4, while the M5 Pro version features Thunderbolt 5.
Apple has also introduced a new Mac Studio powered by the M5 Max and M5 Ultra. The company describes it as its most powerful Mac to date. The M5 Max configuration offers up to an 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU, with up to 128GB of unified memory. The M5 Ultra goes significantly further, with a 36-core CPU, up to an 80-core GPU and up to 512GB of unified memory.
Apple is positioning the M5 Ultra particularly for AI workloads. The company says the chip can deliver up to 4.3 times higher AI compute performance than the M3 Ultra and up to 9.8 times higher performance than the M1 Ultra. Its memory bandwidth reaches 1.2TB/s.
Apple has also introduced the ability to connect multiple Mac Studio systems through Thunderbolt 5. According to the company, distributed AI inference performance can increase by up to three times compared with a single system.
Pricing
The starting prices in the US are:
| Device | Chip | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Mac mini | M6 | $899 |
| Mac mini | M5 Pro | $1,699 |
| Mac Studio | M5 Max | $2,499 |
| Mac Studio | M5 Ultra | $5,499 |
Education pricing starts at $799 for the M6 Mac mini, $1,599 for the M5 Pro model, $2,299 for the M5 Max Mac Studio and $5,099 for the M5 Ultra configuration.
The new Mac mini is also significantly more expensive than its predecessor. The previous M4 Mac mini started at $599, while the new M6 model starts at $899. The price increase comes amid rising demand for memory and other components, partly driven by the rapid expansion of AI data centers.
Apple doubles down on on-device AI
The biggest change in the new Macs is not just higher processing power. Apple is increasingly positioning its computers as machines capable of handling AI workloads locally.
The M6 Mac mini is designed not only as a compact desktop computer but also as a system for running local AI models and AI agents. The Mac Studio is aimed at significantly heavier workloads, including large language models, AI inference, professional video production, 3D rendering and scientific computing.
Both devices run macOS 27 and support Apple’s latest Apple Intelligence features, including new AI capabilities for Siri.
The new Mac mini and Mac Studio will go on sale on September 22, 2026. The Mac Studio configuration with 512GB of unified memory and the M5 Ultra is expected to begin shipping toward the end of October.
