Apple's M6 iMac: A $1,499 All-in-One That Beats a MacBook Pro in Lightroom

Apple's updated iMac with M6 starts at $1,499 with two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, and the four-port configuration tested here runs $1,899 — with 16GB of unified memory and a 512GB SSD. The reviewer's headline number: Lightroom performance lands roughly 10% ahead of the M5 MacBook Pro tested last year, despite that laptop carrying twice the memory.

The design and display carry over unchanged from the M4 iMac released in 2024. The M6 chip is the only substantive upgrade, and it brings Apple's fastest CPU cores to date plus improved AI task performance. That matters for photographers, since Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop remain CPU-reliant and increasingly lean on AI features.

What does the upgrade change for working photographers?

Performance, mostly. The M6 iMac exports slightly slower than Apple's Pro- and Max-series chips but, in the reviewer's words, "barely trails elsewhere." Real-world use feels snappy across the board.

The JPEG export anomaly observed on the M6 Mac mini doesn't appear here, and the iMac actually tests a bit better than the mini in Photoshop. In Premiere, the margin is so small it falls within error bars.

One caveat for video shooters: memory capacity can outweigh chip generation. An M5 MacBook Pro with 32GB of RAM outperforms the M6 with 16GB in Premiere. Anyone serious about Premiere should budget for 24GB or 32GB of unified memory. In DaVinci Resolve, the iMac delivers what the reviewer calls impressive results, possibly aided by Blackmagic Design's Resolve updates since the Mac mini launch.

The machine stayed entirely silent during normal photo importing and editing. The fan only spun up during Premiere and Resolve benchmarks, and even then quietly.

The display compromise

The 24-inch 4.5K Retina panel is unchanged: 4480 x 2520 resolution, LED backlight, 500 nits peak brightness, and P3 wide color gamut. That brightness ceiling is the dividing line.

For photographers who print, 500 nits is arguably more than needed — the reviewer hoped to lock the display to around 120 nits for print workflows, but the iMac doesn't allow setting a specific nit value. You can adjust by eye or calibrate externally. HDR video editors will find the panel insufficiently luminous, and black levels trail MiniLED or OLED screens. The reviewer recommends a dedicated calibration device for serious photography work. A nano-texture glass option costs $200 extra and requires at least 24GB of unified memory.

Ports, peripherals, and pricing tiers

The port situation has real limits. There's no Thunderbolt 5, no built-in SD card slot, and no USB-A ports. The two-port base model uses a 10-core CPU/10-core GPU M6; the four-port version ($1,699) steps up to a 12-core/12-core chip and adds 2.5Gb Ethernet on the power brick.

Configuration ceilings differ too:

• Two-port model: up to 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD
• Four-port model: up to 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD

Both start at 16GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. Accessories include a color-matched Touch ID Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse, with a Magic Trackpad option at $50 and a number-pad keyboard at $30. The stand offers tilt but no height adjustment; a VESA mount adapter is available at no extra cost, but replaces the stand entirely. The magnetic power connection is satisfying but too strong to function as a breakaway safety feature.

The 12MP Center Stage webcam at 1080p and the "studio-quality" three-mic array are serviceable for meetings. Anyone producing podcasts or video should plan on external gear.

Alternatives and verdict

HP's OmniStudio line offers bigger screens on Windows, though budget models carry weak processors. Dell, Acer, and Lenovo sell all-in-ones at various price points, with Dell's lineup requiring careful model-by-model scrutiny.

The reviewer's verdict: buy it. "It's not a 'professional' Mac, but most of us aren't professionals with exacting demands at the very cutting edge of computing." For photographers weighing a Mac mini plus separate display and peripherals against a single-box solution, the iMac's premium buys simplicity — and with the M6 inside, it now buys benchmark wins over more expensive portables too.