Apple has refreshed its desktop lineup with a new Mac mini powered by the all-new M6 and the M5 Pro, alongside a Mac Studio equipped with the M5 Max and the new M5 Ultra chipset. The common thread is hard to miss: Apple is betting big on running increasingly demanding AI workloads directly on your desk, rather than sending everything to the cloud.

The Mac mini gets the biggest silicon jump. The M6 is Apple’s first 2-nanometer chip, with a 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, and dual 16-core Neural Engine. The Cupertino giant says the 2026 mini delivers up to four times faster AI performance, twice the graphics and storage performance, and 40% faster CPU performance than the M4 model. The M5 Pro version goes further for heavier workloads, supporting up to 64GB of unified memory and up to an 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU.

The Mac Studio, meanwhile, is now the heavyweight of the desktop line. The M5 Max brings an 18-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU, and up to 128GB of unified memory, while the M5 Ultra scales all the way to 36 CPU cores, 80 GPU cores, and 512GB of unified memory. Apple says the M5 Ultra delivers up to 4.3 times the peak AI compute performance of the M3 Ultra, with 1.2TB/s of memory bandwidth. That is enough headroom to run huge AI models locally.

The prices, however, have also moved up. Here is a breakdown of the new pricing in the United States compared to the previous generation:

Model (2026)	Starting Price (U.S.)	Previous Generation	Price Difference
Mac mini (M6)	$899	$599 (M4)	+$300
Mac mini (M5 Pro)	$1,699	$1,399 (M4 Pro)	+$300
Mac Studio (M5 Max)	$2,499	$1,999 (M4 Max)	+$500
Mac Studio (M5 Ultra)	$5,499	$3,999 (M3 Ultra)	+$1,500

For buyers based in the Philippines, the generational price jump is similarly significant:

Model (2026)	Starting Price (PH)	Previous Generation	Price Difference
Mac mini (M6)	₱64,990	₱36,990 (M4)	+₱28,000
Mac mini (M5 Pro)	₱119,990	₱84,990 (M4 Pro)	+₱35,000
Mac Studio (M5 Max)	₱169,990	₱129,990 (M4 Max)	+₱40,000
Mac Studio (M5 Ultra)	₱379,990	₱259,990 (M3 Ultra)	+₱120,000

U.S. preorders are already live, with the new Macs set to arrive Sept. 22. In the Philippines, Apple’s online store lists the new configurations but currently asks customers to “check for availability,” so there is no local order date to point to just yet.

But speed alone isn’t really the point of these new Macs. The company is building desktops with enough memory and AI horsepower to handle serious workloads locally. For people who actually need that kind of compute, the new machines could be compelling. For everyone else, the higher entry prices make the older generation suddenly look a lot more interesting.

The 2026 models of the Apple Mac mini and Mac Studio

Apple Mac mini (2026) specs

• Apple M6 processor (2nm, 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, dual 16-core Neural Engine) or Apple M5 Pro processor (up to 18-core CPU, up to 20-core GPU)
• Up to 64GB unified memory (M5 Pro)
• Performance: Up to 4x faster AI, 2x graphics/storage, and 40% faster CPU vs M4
• Availability: Preorders live in the U.S. (Sept. 22 release); “Check for availability” in the Philippines

Apple Mac Studio (2026) specs

• Apple M5 Max processor (18-core CPU, up to 40-core GPU) or Apple M5 Ultra processor (up to 36-core CPU, up to 80-core GPU)
• Up to 128GB (M5 Max) or up to 512GB (M5 Ultra) unified memory
• Performance: Up to 4.3x peak AI compute vs M3 Ultra; 1.2TB/s memory bandwidth (M5 Ultra)
• Availability: Preorders live in the U.S. (Sept. 22 release); “Check for availability” in the Philippines

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