Apple to Skip M6 Pro and Max, Will Launch M7 Early for AI Push
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 lineup, with the first M7 chips launching in 2027. An M5 Ultra chip could also come as soon as this year.
Roadmap reset
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 be the first Apple chip without a Pro or Max version.
Internal timing now points to:
- 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
Why the M6 Pro and Max are gone?
GSMArena summarized the Gurman report this week:
"According to a report from Mark Gurman, Apple is planning a shift in its chip release strategy. The upcoming M6 family of chips will skip the Pro and the Max variants in favor of expediting the M7 series. That means we will only see the base M6 chip running inside iPads and entry-level Macs."
The outlet added:
"Due to the increased demand for AI-capable devices, Apple is forced to change its roadmap and will try to make a quick transition from M6 to the AI-focused M7 series."
Reports also link the move to rival pressure.
Apple plans to skip the M6 Pro and Max tiers and introduce the base M7 processor as early as the first half of 2027. The M7 Pro and M7 Max will follow later in 2027, offering up to 240 gigabytes per second of memory bandwidth.
The primary driver is industry pressure around local AI computing, with competitors including Nvidia, Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD advancing consumer AI hardware.
What M6 and M7 will bring?
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, up from 153GB/s on the base M5. 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.
Previous rumors indicate that the M6 will be the first chip manufactured using TSMC's 2-nanometer process.
The M7 series is described as focused on intense AI workloads, featuring upgraded neural accelerators, graphics enhancements, and increased memory bandwidth.
Which Macs get what?
The base M6 could 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 Mac Studio as soon as this year.
The M5 Ultra will have approximately 36 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores, and a Mac Studio with the chip could have as much as 768GB of unified memory.
Reportedly, the M5 Ultra was postponed due to supply chain and cost challenges but remains in the plan.
Apple is working on a high-end "MacBook Ultra" with an OLED display and touchscreen.
Rumors had pointed to late 2026, but that now looks unlikely with M7 Pro and M7 Max slated for late 2027.
Price hikes land alongside chip shift
News of the updated chip timeline came just after Apple raised prices across Macs and iPads. The company told media:
"We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly," said Apple, in a statement shared with the media.
Apple linked the increases to rising memory and storage chip costs owing to the ongoing AI data center buildout.
