Apple Skips High-End M6 Chips to Fast-Track AI-Focused M7 for 2027 Macs

2027 Macs to Get AI-Focused M7 Chips as Apple Skips High-End M6

Apple is changing its Apple silicon launch timeline to speed up the debut of chips designed for artificial intelligence workloads, reports Bloomberg. Apple plans to release an M6 chip for entry-level Macs as soon as this year, but it has canceled plans for higher-end M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. Instead, Apple's next Pro and Max chips will be part of its M7 chip lineup, with the first M7 chips launching in 2027. An M5 Ultra chip could also come as soon as this year. * M5 Ultra - Late 2026 * M6 - Late 2026 * M7 - First half of 2027 * M7 Pro - End of 2027 * M7 Max - End of 2027 * M7 Ultra - 2028 Apple is speeding up development on M7 chips because they have technologies supporting on-device AI and GPU-intensive software. Since the launch of the first Apple silicon chips, Apple has always had at least three variants, including the base M-series chip, a Pro version, and a Max version. The M6 will mark the first time that Apple is not coming out with a Pro or Max chip for the line. Apple could update the entry-level MacBook Pro with an M6 chip as soon as this year. It is expected to have around 200GB/s memory bandwidth for better graphics and faster AI processing and video editing. The base M5 chip has 153GB/s memory bandwidth, and the base M7 chip could have 240GB/s bandwidth. Bloomberg says the M6 will also include an updated memory architecture and an upgraded Neural Engine, along with performance improvements across all of the processor cores and a redesigned GPU with up to 12 cores. Prior rumors have suggested the M6 will be the first built on Apple's new 2-nanometer process. The base M6 could also be used in the entry-level Mac mini and iMac, along with upcoming iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The higher-end MacBook Pro models and higher-end Mac mini will use the M7 Pro and M7 Max. The Mac Studio will use the M7 Max and M7 Ultra. Bloomberg says Apple still plans to release an M5 Ultra for a refreshed version of the Mac Studio as soon as this year. The M5 Ultra will have approximately 36 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores. An M5 Ultra Mac Studio could have as much as 768GB of unified memory. Apple is working on a high-end "MacBook Ultra" with an OLED display and a touchscreen, and rumors suggested it could come as soon as late 2026. That seems unlikely now with the M7 Pro and M7 Max chips slated for late 2027, unless Apple equips the high-end MacBook Pro with an M6, the M5 Max, or the M5 Ultra chip. News of Apple's updated chip launch timeline comes just after the company raised prices across all of its Macs and iPads.

AppleInsider.com

Apple is rumored to skip M6 Pro and M6 Max Apple Silicon chips in favor of new, AI-first M7 chips, according to a new report. Apple is expected to launch its first M6 MacBook Pro laptops later in 2026, but while there would normally be M6 Pro and M6 Max variants, these chips are rumored to not see the light of day. That's according to a Bloomberg report, which claims the entry-level M6 chip will focus on improved memory bandwidth when compared to the M5 it will replace. The move not to launch an M6 Pro or M6 Max would be notable for Apple. It would be the first time that it hasn't done so since the move to Apple Silicon. It's unclear whether it will set a precedent or be a one-off. M6, coming in hot If the report is correct, Apple will bump the M5's 153 gigabytes per second memory bandwidth to 200 gigabytes per second with the M6. It'll do that by bringing a new memory architecture to the chip alongside an upgraded Neural Engine. The same report notes that Apple has tested M6 chips with up to 12 GPU cores, an increase over the M5's 10-core GPU. It's thought that the new M6 will be particularly performant when handling AI, graphics, and related tasks. However, while Apple isn't expected to launch an M6 Pro or M6 Max, there are still plans for an M5 Ultra. This chip will have around 36 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores, and will be offered in the Mac Studio. M7 to follow According to the report, the M7 will follow the M6 in "relatively quick succession," rather than the usual year or longer timeframe. It's thought Apple could debut the M7 as soon as the first half of 2027. Following M7, Apple will also introduce M7 Pro, M7 Max, and M7 Ultra versions for users who have more complex workflows. The Pro and Max aren't expected until the end of 2027, while the M7 Ultra is on track for 2028. It's believed that the M7 line of chips will be designed to offer notable improvements to on-device AI processing. An increase in memory bandwidth to around 240 gigabytes per second is also thought to be part of the equation.