An updated iMac is very close to becoming a reality, as a report claims an M6 version will ship before the end of 2026. However, consumers should not expect a major refresh. The device should look like the current M4 generation, though Apple may make some changes to the color options.

According to Mark Gurman, writing in Sunday's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, M6 models are close to launching and should be available before the end of the year. This would be the fifth year for the current design, which was overhauled in 2021 with the M1 model.

The M6 generation is expected to have an unexpectedly short product lifecycle, potentially lasting only six months before a move to the M7 generation in the first half of 2027. While the M6 will bring improved memory bandwidth to 200 gigabytes per second, a new memory architecture, and a 12-core GPU, the rapid shift to M7 is driven by significant improvements to AI processing.