Apple did not wait for its own event this time. Two days before the “Pro and tell” experience in Los Angeles on October 28, the company started dropping press releases: an all-new iPad mini with an OLED screen on October 26, then a 14-inch MacBook Pro and a 24-inch iMac, both on the new M6 chip, on October 27. Pre-orders for all three open today, October 28, and the first units reach buyers on Friday, November 6.
If you have been holding off on a Mac or a small tablet, this is decision week. Here is what each product brings, what it costs, and who should pre-order tonight versus who can wait.
The quick answer
- 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6: Rs 2,39,900 in India, $1,999 in the US. 16GB memory standard, up to 24 hours of battery, Wi-Fi 7.
- 24-inch iMac with M6: from Rs 1,74,900 (10-core) or Rs 1,99,900 (12-core). US prices are $1,499 and $1,699.
- iPad mini with A20 Pro: from Rs 82,900 (Wi-Fi) and Rs 1,00,900 (Wi-Fi + Cellular). US price starts at $699.
- Dates: pre-orders on October 28, availability from November 6.
14-inch MacBook Pro with M6: the sensible pro laptop
This is the entry point to the MacBook Pro range, and on paper the update is simple. The M6 chip has a 12-core CPU and a 12-core GPU, two more cores on each side than the M5 model it replaces. Apple says graphics are up to 30 percent faster than M5 and on-device AI work is up to 25 percent faster. Memory starts at 16GB and can be configured up to 32GB, with bandwidth up to 170GB/s.
The bits you will notice daily are less flashy. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 arrive, battery life is rated at up to 24 hours (Apple calls it the longest ever in a Mac), and fast charging reaches 50 percent in about 30 minutes with a higher-wattage USB-C adapter. The rest carries over: the Liquid Retina XDR display, a 12MP Center Stage camera, six speakers, HDMI, MagSafe 3, three Thunderbolt 4 ports and an SDXC slot. Colours are space black and silver.
In India the M6 model starts at Rs 2,39,900, and the nano-texture display adds Rs 18,000, according to India Today. The M5 Pro and M5 Max versions stay on sale above it.
Who should buy it: anyone still on an Intel MacBook or an M1. Apple’s own comparison claims up to 11x faster graphics than the M1 model, plus up to four extra hours of battery. If you already own an M5 MacBook Pro, there is honestly very little here for you. Engadget put it plainly in its round-up: it does not look like a big upgrade for M5 owners.
The touchscreen question
Here is the catch. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that Apple plans to show 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with touch-enabled OLED screens and a Dynamic Island at the Los Angeles event today, running on the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. MacRumors, citing that reporting, said starting prices could be up to $500 higher than the current models. None of that is official until Apple says so.
If you were already eyeing an M5 Pro machine, wait a few hours and see what Apple announces. If you were shopping at the M6 level, the rumoured OLED models will likely sit well above your budget anyway.
24-inch iMac with M6: the family computer gets faster
The iMac keeps its thin design, the 24-inch 4.5K Retina display and the seven colours: blue, green, pink, yellow, purple, orange and silver. Inside, M6 brings up to a 12-core CPU and up to a 12-core GPU with Neural Accelerators in every GPU core. Apple claims up to 1.5x faster performance in apps like Excel compared with the M4 iMac, up to 2x faster graphics, and up to 5x faster on-device AI prompt processing.
You also get Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and storage Apple says is up to twice as fast. The 12-core model adds 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, four Thunderbolt 4 ports and Touch ID as standard.
Indian pricing starts at Rs 1,74,900 for the 10-core model and Rs 1,99,900 for the 12-core model. With education pricing, those come down to Rs 1,68,900 and Rs 1,87,900.
Who should buy it: households, home offices and small shops that want one tidy desk computer for years. If you are choosing between the two versions, the 12-core model makes more sense for anyone who wants wired Ethernet, more ports or Touch ID without paying for an upgrade.
iPad mini with A20 Pro: the biggest change of the three
Apple describes this as the biggest update the iPad mini has ever had, and for once the label fits. The screen moves from LCD to OLED and grows from 8.3 to 8.5 inches inside the same footprint, thanks to bezels that are 24 percent thinner. Peak HDR brightness reaches 1200 nits, more than double the old model, and there is an optional nano-texture finish. The tablet is 5.4 mm thin, carries an IP67 rating for water and dust, and has the front camera on the long edge where it belongs for video calls.
The chip is the A20 Pro, built on a 2-nanometre process. Apple claims up to 2.7x faster graphics and up to 4.5x faster AI performance than the previous mini. There is one detail worth knowing before you pick a storage size: according to Gadgets Now, only the 512GB model gets the 6-core CPU and the Dual 16-core Neural Engine. The 128GB and 256GB models use a 5-core CPU and a single Neural Engine.
The price has moved a lot. The Wi-Fi model starts at Rs 82,900, against Rs 49,900 for the A17 Pro model at its 2024 launch. The cellular version starts at Rs 1,00,900 and uses eSIM only, so check that your operator supports it.
Who should buy it: readers, travellers and note-takers who want a genuinely small tablet. If you mostly watch videos at home, a regular iPad will save you a lot of money.
A few practical tips before you pre-order
- Know the timing. Gadgets Now reports that iPad mini pre-orders in India open at 10:40 PM IST on October 28, just after the Los Angeles event begins at 10:30 PM IST.
- Check card offers. Apple’s India store lists instant cashback and no-cost EMI on eligible cards, so compare the final price with what authorised resellers offer.
- Siri AI has limits. Apple says Siri AI is in beta in macOS 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2 and is available only in some languages, so check that your language and region are supported before buying for it.
So, which one?
For most people upgrading an older laptop, the M6 MacBook Pro is the safe pick. The M6 iMac is a quiet, solid upgrade for families. The iPad mini is the exciting one, and the one whose price will sting most in India.
If you followed our preview of what to expect from Apple’s Pro and Tell event, most of it has now come true. The touchscreen MacBook Pro is the last piece, and we will know tonight.
Featured image: AzureSaturn, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
