M6 MacBook Pro Reportedly Arriving This Month With a Dual Neural Engine and 12-Core CPU
Apple is expected to launch a 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro later this month, with 9to5Mac reporting a dual 16-core Neural Engine, a 12-core CPU and GPU, and a 2nm process as the chip's main changes.
The first is a Dual 16-core Neural Engine, up from the standard 16-core version used in the M5 and earlier chips. Apple says the design provides up to twice the peak compute of previous generations and makes on-device AI workflows run faster, and that system frameworks can use both engines simultaneously so applications execute models more quickly. The report links the upgrade to macOS 27's AI features, which it says will put on-device processing into more users' workflows.
The second change is a 12-core CPU paired with a 12-core GPU on the base M6, compared with 10 cores each on the M5. The CPU is the first base-tier Apple chip to carry three distinct core types: two super cores, four performance cores and six efficiency cores. Apple describes super cores as built to blaze through single-threaded workloads, performance cores as using less power while joining the super cores on demanding multithreaded work, and efficiency cores as handling everyday background tasks. Super cores and performance cores previously appeared together only in the M5 Pro, M5 Max and M5 Ultra, so the report characterizes the M6 as moving a Pro-level configuration down to standard-chip buyers.
The third change concerns manufacturing and power. The M6 is the first Apple chip built on a 2nm process, which the company says delivers a major leap in performance and power efficiency. The only product currently using an M6 is the new Mac mini, a desktop that does not run on a battery, so that gain has yet to appear in runtime figures. In the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and other M6 machines expected to follow, the report says the improved efficiency is likely to enable longer battery life, though it notes Apple could instead shrink the physical battery to hold performance at previous levels.
The report presents these as expected features of an unannounced machine rather than confirmed specifications, and it does not give pricing, memory configurations, display details or a specific launch date for the new MacBook Pro.