Apple to Unveil 14-Inch M6 MacBook Pro and 24-Inch iMacs in October

Q: Will macOS 27 finally force the last remaining Intel Mac users to abandon their devices this October?

Yes—for major upgrades, macOS 27 effectively ends the line for Intel Macs this fall. Apple has already said macOS 27 Golden Gate will run only on Apple silicon Macs, from the M1 onward. That means any Intel-based Mac will not be able to install the new operating system when it arrives this fall, even though Apple is expected to launch new M6-era Macs around the same period, including a base 14-inch MacBook Pro and a refreshed 24-inch iMac. That does not mean Intel Mac owners must stop using their machines in October. Multiple reports say Intel Macs that remain on macOS 26 Tahoe should continue receiving security updates and Safari patches for roughly two to three years after macOS 27 ships. So the devices are not instantly obsolete, but they are moving out of Apple’s main software roadmap. The practical pressure to upgrade will depend on what users need. They will miss macOS 27 features, including newer Apple Intelligence tools that require Apple silicon, and software support will gradually tighten as app developers target newer macOS versions. Even Apple silicon users face a transition issue: macOS 27 is expected to be the last release with full Rosetta 2 support for Intel-built apps, with broader removal planned in macOS 28. So October is less a hard cutoff than a clear turning point. Intel Mac users are not being forced off their devices immediately, but they are being left behind on major OS upgrades, and the long-term path now clearly favors Apple silicon.

3 articles · Updated · MacRumors · Aug 10

October is shaping up as Apple’s next Mac launch window, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman expecting a refreshed 14-inch base MacBook Pro carrying an M6 chip alongside updated iMacs.
The timing tracks Apple’s usual release cadence and Gurman’s earlier report that the new laptops were being tested with macOS 27.1, which is due to reach consumers at the end of October.
The iMac refresh is likely to center on the 24-inch model, replacing the current M4 version with either an M5 or M6 chip and no major design changes.
Higher-end MacBook Pro models are expected later, with OLED displays and M5 Pro and M5 Max chips potentially arriving from late 2026 into early 2027.
Apple is also developing a 24-inch OLED iMac, but Gurman said that version remains several years away.