Apple has started selling its latest desktop Macs in India, bringing the new Mac mini and Mac Studio to Apple Stores, the Apple online store and the Apple Store app.
The new lineup brings Apple’s latest silicon to its compact desktop range, with the Mac mini available with the new M6 and M5 Pro chips, while the Mac Studio gets M5 Max and the all-new M5 Ultra. Both machines also arrive with macOS 27 and a stronger focus on on-device AI.
Apple says the new desktops are designed for a broad range of users, from students and everyday consumers to developers, creative professionals and AI researchers.
Apple Mac mini gets the M6 chip
The new Mac mini is the more compact and accessible option of the two.
With the M6 chip, Apple says the Mac mini delivers up to 40 percent faster CPU performance, up to 2x faster graphics and storage performance, and up to 4x faster AI performance compared with the previous-generation M4 Mac mini under Apple’s stated testing conditions.
The M6 configuration features a 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU with Neural Accelerators and a Dual 16-core Neural Engine. It starts with 16GB of unified memory and can be configured with up to 32GB, while memory bandwidth reaches up to 170GB/s.
Apple is clearly emphasizing AI this generation. The Neural Accelerators built into the GPU cores are designed to accelerate machine-learning workloads directly on the device, reducing reliance on cloud processing for compatible tasks.
For developers, the M6 Mac mini also gets up to 10Gb Ethernet as an option, alongside Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and upgraded 2.5Gb Ethernet.
Mac mini with M5 Pro targets demanding workloads
Users who need more performance can choose the Mac mini with M5 Pro.
This version can be configured with an 18-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU, along with up to 64GB of unified memory and 307GB/s of memory bandwidth. That makes it more suitable for workloads such as video editing, game development, software development and other demanding creative applications.
The key difference between the two Mac mini variants is therefore not the physical design but the amount of computing power available inside the compact enclosure.
Mac Studio moves into another performance class
The Mac Studio is aimed at professional users who need significantly more compute than the Mac mini provides.
Apple offers the desktop with either M5 Max or M5 Ultra.
The M5 Max version features an 18-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU and up to 128GB of unified memory. Apple says the machine is designed for demanding workloads such as 3D rendering, motion graphics, music production, software development and AI workflows.
The M5 Ultra takes things much further.
It can be configured with up to a 36-core CPU, 80-core GPU and 512GB of unified memory, with memory bandwidth reaching 1.2TB/s. That amount of unified memory is particularly relevant to AI researchers and professional users working with extremely large models or complex datasets.
Apple also says the M5 Ultra Mac Studio can handle tasks such as real-time colour grading of uncompressed 8K footage and demanding VFX workloads.
Thunderbolt 5 and multi-Mac Studio workflows
Connectivity is another major part of the Mac Studio proposition.
Both M5 Max and M5 Ultra configurations support Thunderbolt 5, with transfer speeds of up to 120Gb/s. That opens the door to high-speed external storage, PCIe expansion systems and professional hub solutions.
Apple is also supporting Mac Studio clustering for demanding AI workloads. Using Thunderbolt 5 with Remote Direct Memory Access, multiple Mac Studio systems can be connected for distributed AI inference.
Apple says a clustered setup can deliver up to three times the performance of a single system for this particular workload.
For most consumers, that capability will be excessive. For studios, developers and AI teams, however, it provides an unusual way to scale desktop computing without moving immediately to traditional server hardware.
macOS 27 brings AI deeper into the Mac
The new hardware arrives alongside macOS 27, which puts Apple’s latest Apple Intelligence features at the centre of the desktop experience.
One of the headline additions is Siri AI, which Apple says can use personal context to help users find information across messages, emails and photos and perform actions across apps.
Apple has also integrated Siri into Spotlight and systemwide context menus. Users can use Visual Intelligence to ask questions about what is displayed on their screen and use Siri for writing and editing tasks.
For the new Mac mini and Mac Studio, this means AI is not being treated as a separate feature. Apple’s approach is to combine local computing resources, Neural Engines, Neural Accelerators and macOS features to make AI workloads a regular part of desktop use.
Apple Mac mini and Mac Studio India prices
Apple has launched the new desktops at the following starting prices in India:
| Model | Starting price in India |
| Mac mini with M6 | ₹99,900 |
| Mac mini with M5 Pro | ₹2,09,900 |
| Mac Studio with M5 Max | ₹2,79,900 |
| Mac Studio with M5 Ultra | ₹6,29,900 |
Education pricing starts at ₹88,900 for the M6 Mac mini, ₹1,97,900 for the M5 Pro Mac mini, ₹2,56,900 for the M5 Max Mac Studio and ₹5,84,900 for the M5 Ultra Mac Studio.
The Mac Studio configuration with 512GB of unified memory is scheduled to arrive later in October.
Which new Mac is aimed at whom?
The new range is relatively straightforward.
The M6 Mac mini is aimed at everyday users, students, developers and people who want a compact desktop without paying for workstation-level performance.
The M5 Pro Mac mini makes more sense for users whose workloads include heavier development, video production or other professional applications.
The M5 Max Mac Studio moves into professional workstation territory, while the M5 Ultra Mac Studio is designed for extremely demanding production and AI workloads where large memory capacity and high compute throughput matter more than price or size.
That segmentation gives Apple a desktop option across a surprisingly wide range of workloads without dramatically changing the compact Mac design philosophy.
What makes the new Macs significant?
The biggest change isn’t simply another generation of Apple silicon.
Apple is increasingly positioning its desktops as local AI machines. The M6 Mac mini brings AI performance improvements to a relatively small desktop, while the M5 Ultra Mac Studio takes unified memory and compute capabilities into workstation territory.
At the same time, Apple is keeping the familiar compact desktop formats intact.
For Indian buyers, the new Mac mini starts at ₹99,900, while the Mac Studio begins at ₹2,79,900. The range is now available through Apple’s Indian retail and online channels, making the latest Apple silicon desktops accessible without waiting for a later regional launch.
