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Amazon's 2026 Labor Day sale has begun offering the first small cash discounts on the base and mid-tier configurations of Apple's newly announced M6 Mac mini, ahead of its September 22 release. The sale also includes $50 off AirPods Pro 3, AirTag 2 for as low as $20, the 44mm Apple Watch SE 3 at $200, and discounts from Anker and Bose.
Apple introduced the M6 chip, launching first in a new Mac mini, alongside the M5 Ultra. The M6 marks the first base-tier Apple silicon chip built on a 2-nanometer process and the first to combine three core types—two super cores, four performance cores, and six efficiency cores—a mix previously limited to the pricier M5 Pro and M5 Max.
Amazon has kicked off its 2026 Labor Day Sale with widespread discounts across Apple products, including $50 off AirPods Pro 3, AirTag 2 units as low as $20, and Apple Watch SE 3 hitting a record $200 price point. Renewed Premium iPhone 17 Pro units are discounted up to $290, and even the newly released M6 Mac mini is seeing early price cuts on its two entry configurations.
Apple unexpectedly updated its Mac Mini and Mac Studio desktops this week, timing the release alongside the teaser for its September 9 iPhone event themed 'Surprise and Shine.' The move deviates from Apple's usual September pattern, coinciding with John Ternus taking over as CEO. Separately, Walmart began accepting Apple Pay across US stores, marking another win for Apple this week.
The Vergecast team discussed Apple's refreshed Mac Mini, Mac Studio, and new M6/M5 Ultra chips, questioning whether Apple's AI inference claims are more marketing than substance. They also previewed Apple's newly announced event, expecting no iPhone 18 but debating whether the foldable form factor is ready for an iPhone Fold, and examined Meta's settlement imposing new restrictions on teen accounts.
Apple has launched a new promotional video for the Mac mini built entirely using claymation, a stop-motion technique using physical clay figures rather than digital animation. The ad depicts the Mac mini transforming into several clay characters, including a bodybuilder, a race car, and a rocket ship, to visually represent the device's performance and versatility.
Apple this week rolled out updated Mac mini and Mac Studio models and sent out official invitations for its September event, where the iPhone 18 Pro lineup is expected to debut. Reports also point to additional fall product announcements still to come, alongside a small round of layoffs affecting roughly 200 employees.
Following Apple's announcement of refreshed Mac Studio and Mac mini lineups with M6 and M5 Pro/Max/Ultra chips, retailers Amazon and Best Buy began accepting pre-orders the same day. Pricing starts at $899 for the base Mac mini and $2,499 for the Mac Studio, alongside an updated Magic Keyboard and a cheaper $9 Polishing Cloth.
Apple's newly unveiled Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro chips carries several specs the company didn't spotlight at launch. Memory bandwidth actually varies by RAM configuration, topping out only with the M5 Pro model, and the machine includes an Apple-designed N1 chip enabling Thread smart-home support. Additionally, units will ship with the unreleased macOS Golden Gate already installed.
A worldwide shortage of memory chips, driven largely by demand for AI infrastructure, is squeezing hardware manufacturers just as major companies prepare new product launches. Apple has already unveiled Mac minis and Mac Studios with new M6 chips, with an iPhone event expected in September featuring the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, a foldable iPhone, and new Apple Watches. Makers are responding to rising component costs by either raising prices on devices or reducing memory and storage specifications to keep costs down.
A tech roundup recommends external displays for buyers of Apple's newly released Mac mini and Mac Studio, highlighting Apple's own Studio Display and the newer Studio Display XDR as standout choices. The Studio Display offers a 27-inch 5K panel, a 12MP Center Stage webcam, True Tone technology, and Thunderbolt 5 ports, while the XDR variant adds mini-LED technology and a 120Hz refresh rate.
Apple's Mac mini lineup includes both the newer M6 chip and the older M5 Pro, but the M5 Pro model is priced higher because it targets a different performance tier. The M5 Pro offers more CPU and GPU cores, higher RAM ceilings up to 64GB, and storage options up to 8TB, compared to the M6's maximum 12-core CPU, 32GB RAM, and 2TB storage.