Preorders opened Aug. 25 for an M6 version and a $1,699 M5 Pro version, both due Sept. 22. The base M6 configuration keeps 16GB of memory and 256GB of storage, the same starting capacities as the M4 mini that debuted at $599 in 2024.
Apple is advertising apps that let AI agents carry out work on the Mac itself. The M5 Pro model can be configured with up to 64GB of memory, and its Thunderbolt 5 ports can divide a larger AI model’s work among several compatible Macs.
Apple had already enabled that kind of sharing in software. A larger model can now stay on a group of compact machines at a user’s desk instead of being sent to a cloud service.
Real-world AI speed remains unknown until the machines ship; Apple’s published gains come from task-specific tests on preproduction hardware.
For the buyer who simply wants Apple’s smallest desktop, the immediate change is simpler: getting in now costs $300 more, with no increase in base memory or storage.