Apple accelerates chip releases, skips M6 Pro and Max to fast-track AI-focused M7 lineup

Apple Is Reportedly Accelerating Chip Releases Due to AI Pressure

Omar Gallaga has covered technology, digital culture and other topics for outlets including CNET, NPR, WIRED, Texas Monthly, MSNBC, Consumer Reports, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic and the Austin American-Statesman, where he was a longtime tech reporter, editor and podcaster. He lives in the Texas Hill Country. Apple is changing the way it will handle the release of its next flagship M processors going forward, according to a report from Bloomberg's Power On newsletter. Power On author Mark Gurman wrote that in a race to get to its M7 generation of processors, which use neural processing to improve AI performance, Apple will skip some iterations of processors along the way. For instance, whereas Apple may have released Pro, Max and Ultra versions of some M-series processors, it may not do so for the next one in line, M6, due out this fall. Apple's M5 processors for desktop and laptop Mac computers, as well as some iPads, started becoming available in those products in the fall of 2025. Bloomberg previously reported anticipated changes in the M6 roadmap in June, but is now reporting how Apple's plans for its processor lineup, up to the M8, are being influenced by artificial intelligence, including competition from companies like Nvidia. Gurman points to the development of advanced AI performance for the M7 Ultra processor as one reason for accelerating the chip-release roadmap. An even more advanced M8 processor codenamed Soko is also in the works, according to the report. A representative for Apple didn't respond to a request for comment. Apple's long game on AI Apple has not been as overtly aggressive with its AI efforts as other tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Meta and OpenAI. But as Gurman suggests in his report, it has been quietly laying the groundwork for its long-term AI goals using technology it developed, even on failed projects such as the canceled Apple Car. The company has delayed versions of its Siri assistant to refine its AI capabilities while continuing to develop processors that can handle the high demands of on-device AI rather than offloading processing to data centers, as many AI services do. This strategy has served Apple well in the past: Wait for others to introduce new technology, learn from their mistakes, and then release its own products that are more refined. It's how Apple dominated headphones with its AirPods and what it did in wearables with the Apple Watch. But with AI, Apple is battling competitors -- including partners like Google -- on several fronts. And that is requiring the company to shift its strategy in several ways. With its processors, Apple is pushing for improvements in memory bandwidth and Neural Engine improvements, said Mahdi Eslamimehr. executive vice president at Quandary Peak Research. "Skipping the M6 Pro, Max and Ultra to pull the M7 generation forward is the clearest signal yet that AI has displaced CPU and graphics as the organizing principle of Apple's chip roadmap," Eslamimehr told CNET. That move, he said, is bolstered by the company's hardware chief, John Ternus, taking over as CEO in the fall. "That silicon-first bet now has backing at the very top of the company," Eslamimehr said. Apple, he said, won't be competing with Nvidia on the data center side of the AI business where it dominates with its processors, but will instead focus on making devices that excel as private, on-device AI computing powerhouses that eventually "would push local performance toward workstation class." The payoff for Apple power users, he said, will be more powerful hardware-native AI, but it might not be until late 2027 before they get their hands on top-tier Apple M7 hardware.

Apple is reportedly skipping M6 Pro, Max, and Ultra chips to fast-track AI-focused M7 Macs

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. Rumor mill: Apple is overhauling its Mac chip roadmap to place artificial intelligence at the center of its hardware strategy. Instead of completing the M6 lineup with the usual Pro, Max, and Ultra variants, the company is reportedly moving directly to the M7 generation and planning significantly larger Neural Engine upgrades, according to people familiar with the plans. This fall's Macs are still expected to debut with a base M6 chip. Under Apple's traditional release pattern, that chip would be followed by M6 Pro and M6 Max variants for higher-end laptops, along with an M6 Ultra for desktop-class machines. This time, that sequence will reportedly stop after the entry-level chip. The company has already moved on to the M7 design, taping it out only about six months after the M6 reached the same stage. The compressed timeline highlights how urgently Apple wants its Macs to handle increasingly demanding AI workloads. According to the internal roadmap, the first M7 Macs are scheduled to launch in the first half of 2027. Higher-end M7 Pro and M7 Max systems are expected later that year, while the M7 Ultra is targeted for 2028. Apple has skipped an Ultra chip before - the M4 family did not include one - but abandoning every high-end M6 variant at once would mark a first. People briefed on the plans say Apple determined that the M7's AI-focused upgrades were significant enough to justify skipping further M6 development. At the center of those changes is the Neural Engine, Apple's dedicated on-chip AI hardware that powers on-device generative models, accelerated inference, and Apple Intelligence features. Apple has refined the Neural Engine with every Mac chip generation since the M1 debuted in 2020, and the M4 represented one of the biggest improvements to date. The company now wants the M7, particularly the M7 Ultra, to approach the level of performance developers expect from dedicated AI accelerators rather than traditional general-purpose desktop processors. Memory support is a major part of that effort. The M7 Ultra is being designed to support up to 1.5 terabytes of unified memory. That is roughly double the capacity planned for the upcoming M5 Ultra server chip and matches the maximum RAM configuration available on Apple's 2019 Intel-based Mac Pro. With that much memory, significantly larger AI models can remain in memory, reducing bottlenecks and limiting the need to rely on external storage or cloud-based compute. Whether Apple ships Macs with the full 1.5TB configuration will depend on memory availability, as supply constraints and elevated prices remain concerns. These desktop plans tie directly into Apple's server strategy. The company is preparing a more powerful AI server based on the M5 Ultra, known internally as J246. Engineers are already working on a successor built around an M7 Ultra-derived server chip, with a launch window targeted for around 2029. In other words, the same architecture expected to power Apple's highest-end Macs could also underpin the next generation of servers running Apple Intelligence in the cloud. Beyond the M7 family, Apple is developing an M8 generation with even more AI-focused silicon. The lineup reportedly includes a processor code-named Soko, targeted for 2028, along with other chips for high-end Macs under the Cardinal name. The 2028 chips are planned for a 1.4-nanometer process, which should deliver another leap in efficiency. The shift comes as AI chips encounter increasing power and cooling constraints, pushing Apple to prioritize more transistors for neural processing units and memory bandwidth rather than simply expanding CPU and GPU cores. All of this hardware development comes alongside a more mixed picture on the software side. Apple has struggled to deliver AI-powered services at the pace many expected. Apple Intelligence and the redesigned Siri have rolled out more slowly than planned, forcing the company to adjust expectations along the way. Still, Apple's hardware teams have spent more than a decade building the foundation for this moment, often through projects that never reached consumers. The most notable example is the company's abandoned self-driving car initiative. From the beginning, Apple targeted full Level 5 autonomy and invested heavily in machine learning and custom silicon capable of processing massive amounts of AI workloads in real time. The car project never reached the market, but the chip development work directly contributed to the Neural Engine architecture that first appeared in the iPhone X in 2017 before expanding to Macs and other devices. That same hardware foundation now sits at the center of Apple's AI strategy. With the M7 and M8 families, Apple is treating AI as the primary driver of its chip designs rather than simply an additional feature. AI workloads are now shaping which chips get developed, when they launch, and how their architectures are built.

Here's Why Apple is Reportedly Skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max Chips

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will be releasing a regular M6 chip, but it has no plans to offer higher-end M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. In his Power On newsletter today, he said the reason for this break in tradition is AI. "Apple had been planning major neural-processing upgrades for the M7 family and ultimately decided those improvements were important enough to justify accelerating the next generation rather than completing the M6 lineup," he explained. There won't be an M6 Ultra chip either, he said. A new 14-inch MacBook Pro with a base M6 chip will be released later this year, and then Apple plans to move on to releasing the base M7 chip in the first half of 2027, M7 Pro and M7 Max chips in late 2027, and an M7 Ultra chip in 2028. He said the M7 Ultra chip in particular "dramatically upgrades AI performance," and that it may power Apple Intelligence servers starting in 2029. "AI is no longer just another feature Apple's chips need to support," said Gurman. "It is now shaping how those products are designed and when they are shipped." The current M5 Pro and M5 Max chips launched in March, and Gurman still expects an M5 Ultra chip to debut in the Mac Studio as early as this year.

AppleInsider.com

It takes years to tape out a chip and bring it to market, with overall industry seismic shifts taking much less time. Nothing will demonstrate that better than the rumored six-month gap between the M6 processor debut and the AI-focused M7. Apple's chip lines have gradually become more AI-centric, and that will be the same in the future too. However, rather than sticking to an established release format, Apple's intending to skip ahead to the bits it wants the public to use. In Sunday's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman revives a late June report that the M6 Pro and M6 Max chips won't exist. Instead, it is putting the work into the development of AI-first chips for the M7 generation. The fall cycle will include the usual base chip release, consisting of the M6. But there won't be an M6 Pro, M6 Max, or even an M6 Ultra following months later. Apple's intended schedule is to instead bring the base M7 chip line a mere six months after the M6. That would make it a release in the first half of 2027. The M7 Pro and M7 Max are thought to arrive at the end of 2027. That will then be followed by the M7 Ultra sometime in 2028. Skipping to the good part Gurman doesn't really explain why Apple is moving to get M6 out of the way in favor of the M7 generation on Sunday. However, he did a better job doing so in June. The M6 will improve the memory bandwidth from 153 gigabytes per second in the M5 to a massive 200 gigabytes per second. That will be by introducing a new memory architecture, as well as boosting the Neural Engine and using 12 GPU cores instead of ten. While memory bandwidth is important, the M7 generation will have a much bigger focus on AI processing. This should help the prospective users of the M7 Pro, M7 Max, and M7 Ultra, who will have more complex workflows and could benefit from AI. Even in the M7, memory bandwidth will also be increased, going up to around 240 gigabytes per second in the base chip. The massive improvements in the M7 range are deemed by Apple to be sufficient enough to skip most of a chip generation.

Apple to skip M6 Pro and Max chips, fast-tracks M7 lineup for AI focus

Apple will forgo the launch of the M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, opting instead to release an M6-powered MacBook Pro and move directly to the M7 Pro and M7 Max chips in 2027. This marks a significant departure from Apple's typical chip release strategy, which since the debut of the M1 has included Pro and Max variants with each generation. A Bloomberg report from late June 2026 indicated that the redesigned MacBook Pros will instead utilize existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. As part of this change in strategy, Apple has expedited the launch of the upcoming M7 chips. Mark Gurman, in his Power On newsletter, stated that Apple is planning considerable upgrades to the Neural Engine for the M7 family of chips. The enhancements to the Neural Engine are critical for improving artificial intelligence (AI) performance, which is increasingly central to Apple's strategy. As a result, the company decided to accelerate the release of the M7 chips. Gurman noted that while exact performance improvements are not detailed, they are expected to be significant. Specifically, the M7 Ultra chip is anticipated to enhance AI performance "dramatically." Such an upgrade could lead to the M7 Ultra being used to power Apple Intelligence servers as early as 2029. In further details about the M7 Ultra, Gurman mentioned that it could support up to 1.5TB of RAM, which is double the capacity of the forthcoming M5 Ultra. This would align the RAM capacity with that of the 2019 Mac Pro. However, there is uncertainty regarding whether the M7 Ultra models will be equipped with 1.5TB of RAM due to ongoing shortages of DRAM and NAND flash memory and rising prices in the memory market. The current M3 Ultra supports a maximum of 512GB of RAM, but users are limited to configuring it with only 96GB due to discontinued higher-end RAM options resulting from DRAM shortages.

Apple Finalized The M7 Chip Design Just Six Months After The M6, As AI Pressures Company To Bring Neural Processing Upgrades Into Overdrive Mode

* 0-20%: Unlikely - Lacks credible sources * 21-40%: Questionable - Some concerns remain * 41-60%: Plausible - Reasonable evidence * 61-80%: Probable - Strong evidence * 81-100%: Highly Likely - Multiple reliable sources The proliferation of AI has certainly caused a long-term crisis in the computing landscape, but if there's one positive to gain from all of this, it's that companies are aggressively pushing towards designing chips of superior capabilities to tackle the competition at a fiercer pace. Unsurprisingly, one of those companies is Apple, which reportedly taped out the M7 just six months after the same process was completed for the M6. This would explain why the M6 Pro and M6 Max won't arrive at all, as they will instead be replaced by the M7 Pro and M7 Max. The M7 will offer a massive unified memory upgrade over the M5, as Apple prioritizes on-device AI prowess for its upcoming SoCs The M7 is expected to arrive in the first half of 2027 and will likely power a redesigned MacBook Pro with a vapor chamber upgrade. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, in the latest edition of 'Power On,' the faster and significantly capable M7 Pro and M7 Max are scheduled to arrive by the end of 2027, followed by the M7 Ultra in 2028. We've previously reported that the new workstation-class silicon will not only be found in an internally redesigned Mac Studio but will also feature up to 1.5TB of unified memory. "For the first time, though, the company is skipping the high-end chips for a new generation. Instead of completing the M6 family with Pro, Max and Ultra variants, Apple is moving directly to M7. In fact, Apple started taping out the M7 -- the stage where it finalizes a chip's design -- just six months after undertaking that process for the M6. That means that the M7 should arrive in the first half of 2027, followed by the M7 Pro and M7 Max at the end of 2027 and an M7 Ultra in 2028." Gurman mentions that Apple is breaking the cycle with its SoC releases starting with the M6 because it wants the AI-focused upgrades to arrive sooner, hence why the M7 lineup is launching earlier than expected. For instance, the base chipset is said to support a unified memory bandwidth of 240GB/s, making it 56 percent higher than the 153GB/s limit on the M5. In short, Apple is adamant about bringing much-needed on-device AI improvements. "The reason for this break with tradition: AI. Apple had been planning major neural-processing upgrades for the M7 family and ultimately decided those improvements were important enough to justify accelerating the next generation rather than completing the M6 lineup. Those changes go into high gear with the M7 Ultra. I'm told the processor dramatically upgrades AI performance, bringing it closer to the class of dedicated AI accelerators such as Nvidia Corp.'s Blackwell." This isn't the only time that AI has forced Apple to accelerate its silicon launch plans. The M8 is also said to be in development, with the Cupertino firm reportedly sticking with TSMC's 2nm process for only two generations before it moves to the 1.4nm node because the existing supply will quickly be swept up by AI chip manufacturers. The silver lining in all of this is that consumers will get a taste of Apple's finest work in just a few months, leading to a higher upgrade frequency, despite the rising memory prices. News Source: Bloomberg Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.

Apple's Chipset Development Is Unparalleled As Company Is Already Working On The M8, Flaunting Superior AI Capabilities Not To Mention Enhanced Efficiency

* 0-20%: Unlikely - Lacks credible sources * 21-40%: Questionable - Some concerns remain * 41-60%: Plausible - Reasonable evidence * 61-80%: Probable - Strong evidence * 81-100%: Highly Likely - Multiple reliable sources In the AI race, Apple isn't the first name that you'd expect to be ahead of its rivals, but when it comes to chipsets that are tailor-made to tackle the aforementioned workloads, we doubt other names come to mind. While we have reported that the M7 is being designed to bring even better on-device AI performance to the table, the M8 is expected to surpass its predecessor in this aspect, while also being one of the company's first silicon range to leverage a new manufacturing process. M8 could be Apple's first 1.4nm SoC designed for powerful computing, bringing superior efficiency metrics to the table The specification details aren't mentioned in Mark Gurman's latest edition of 'Power On' newsletter, but the report states that the M8 will be mass produced on TSMC's 1.4nm process. The Cupertino giant is also said to be developing a processor named "Soko," which will arrive in 2028, but the specifics aren't mentioned. As the Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer aims to begin 1.4nm wafer production in 2028, Apple is once more expected to have priority on the first batch. "Beyond the M7, Apple is already developing M8 chips with even greater AI capabilities, including a processor code-named Soko arriving by 2028. There are also other new chips in the works for higher-end Macs under the name Cardinal. The 2028 generation processors are moving to a 1.4-nanometer manufacturing process, delivering another leap in efficiency." When it comes to 1.4nm SoCs, Apple's M8 won't be the only recipient of this technology because the A22 Pro for the 2028 lineup of iPhones is also reportedly getting treated to this lithography. While it's disappointing that Gurman hasn't shared any of the M8's technical specifications, the M7 should give us an idea of its AI prowess. For instance, the M7 is said to ship with 240GB/s of unified memory bandwidth, making it 56 percent higher than the M5's bandwidth at 153GB/s. The M6 has been reported to be getting tested with 12 GPU cores, so it's possible that the M8 arrives with a significantly better configuration. Of course, since Apple's 1.4nm SoC is still a couple of years away, a lot can change, so it's prudent to treat this information with a pinch of salt and await future updates. News Source: Bloomberg Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.

Apple's M6, M7 and M8 chip roadmap shifts focus toward AI: Report

Apple is reportedly reshaping its Mac chip roadmap to prioritize artificial intelligence (AI), with future M-series processors designed around stronger AI capabilities instead of following the company's traditional release cycle. According to the latest report by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple's canceled self-driving car project laid the foundation for many of the AI technologies now used across its devices. The project, canceled in 2024, reportedly involved thousands of employees, hundreds of patents, specialized facilities and more than $10 billion in spending. Although it never resulted in a commercial vehicle, the technologies developed during the project later became part of Apple's AI hardware strategy. Apple Car project laid the AI foundation The report says Apple originally planned a fully autonomous Level 5 self-driving vehicle, requiring major advances in machine learning and custom silicon. Although the processor designed for the vehicle was never completed, the underlying technologies eventually contributed to the creation of the Neural Engine. Introduced with the iPhone X in 2017, the Neural Engine later expanded across Apple's product lineup. Since the M1 debuted in 2020, every Mac has included a Neural Engine, enabling on-device AI processing. The technology has also influenced: * Ultra-class Mac chips * Apple Intelligence server processors * Apple's broader on-device AI strategy Apple has continued improving the Neural Engine, including significant gains with the M4. While the company has faced delays with Siri and Apple Intelligence, the report says its long-term investment in AI hardware is becoming increasingly important as more AI workloads move to devices. Apple changing its M-series roadmap The report says Apple's next Mac chip generation will begin with the base M6 later this year. Instead of introducing the usual M6 Pro, M6 Max and M6 Ultra variants, Apple is reportedly moving directly to the M7 family. Expected roadmap: * M6: Later this year * M7: First half of 2027 * M7 Pro: Late 2027 * M7 Max: Late 2027 * M7 Ultra: 2028 Apple reportedly finalized the M7 design just six months after beginning work on the M6. While the company has skipped Ultra chips before, the report says skipping an entire generation of Pro, Max and Ultra chips would be a first. AI driving future chips According to the report, Apple accelerated the M7 family to bring major AI improvements sooner. The M7 Ultra is expected to: * Deliver a significant increase in AI performance * Approach the capabilities of dedicated AI accelerators such as Nvidia's Blackwell * Form the basis of a next-generation AI server planned for around 2029 Before that, Apple is reportedly preparing a more powerful AI server based on the M5 Ultra under the internal codename J246. The M7 Ultra is also being designed to support up to 1.5TB of memory, roughly double the capacity planned for the M5 Ultra. However, the final configuration could depend on memory availability, as industry-wide shortages have increased costs and limited supply. M8 chips already in development The report adds that Apple is also developing the M8 generation with even stronger AI capabilities. Key details include: * A chip codenamed Soko is expected in 2028 * Another high-end Mac processor project is internally known as Cardinal * The 2028 chip generation is expected to use a 1.4nm manufacturing process for improved performance and power efficiency AI becoming central to Apple's chip strategy According to the report, AI is now becoming the primary factor influencing Apple's future chip development, replacing the traditional emphasis on CPU performance, graphics, battery life, and thinner designs. Although the Apple Car project never reached production, the technologies developed during the program have become an important part of Apple's long-term AI hardware and silicon strategy.

Apple may not launch M6 Pro and M6 Max chips afterall: Here is why

Ever since Apple started making M-series of chips for laptops, the launch has followed a pattern of sorts. We first get the base M-series chip (M1, M2, M3 etc), then the more powerful chips for users who need more power (M1 Pro, M2 Pro, M3 Pro), and finally the top-of-the-line chips that are for those who need immense compute power (M1 Pro Max, M2 Pro Max etc). But for the last couple of days, there have been reports suggesting that this time, Apple might do something none of us predicted. The Cupertino-based tech giant might not launch the M6 Pro or the M6 Pro Max chip at all. And Bloomberg's Mark Gurman might just know the reason behind it all. Also read: 3 months with Nvidia GeForce Now: I completed 5 AAA games and here is how it went Apple's U-turn on M6 Pro and M6 Max chips According to Gurman, Apple is planning to launch the standard M6 chip later this year, but it has no plans to introduce the M6 Pro, M6 Max or even the M6 Ultra chip. As mentioned already, this is a major shift from the company's usual release strategy, where every base M-series chip is followed by more powerful Pro, Max and Ultra variants. But this time, Apple is reportedly planning to move directly to the M7 family of chips. Gurman says the company is expected to launch the base M7 chip in the first half of 2027, followed by the M7 Pro and M7 Max later that year. The M7 Ultra chip is then expected to arrive in 2028. PS: We might still be getting the M5 Ultra chip later this year. Why is Apple making this move? Now, why is Apple deciding to shake things up at all. The reason, apparently, is AI. Gurman claims Apple had been working on major upgrades for the Neural Engine in the M7 family and decided those improvements were important enough to prioritise the next generation instead of completing the M6 lineup. That said, the upcoming M7 Ultra chip is expected to deliver a major boost in AI performance and could eventually power Apple Intelligence servers starting in 2029. What do you think of this move by Apple? Do let us know and keep watching this space for more such updates.