Apple to Skip High-End M6 Chips, Fast-Track AI-Focused M7 Line [Report]

Apple is making one of the biggest changes yet to its Mac silicon roadmap, skipping higher-end versions of the upcoming M6 chip in favor of a new AI-focused M7 generation. The base M6 processor is still expected to debut in entry-level Macs later this year, but the Pro, Max, and Ultra variants will be bypassed entirely.



According to Bloomberg, the unusual shift allows Apple to fast-track technologies originally slated for a later release. The move is intended to help meet growing demand for on-device AI capabilities and increasingly graphics-intensive software. It also arrives as Apple navigates an industrywide memory shortage that recently forced the company to raise prices across its Mac and iPad lineups. If the plans move forward, it would mark the first time Apple has introduced a new M-series generation without accompanying Pro and Max chips.


The base M6 chip, internally codenamed Komodo or H18G, has been tested in a refreshed entry-level MacBook Pro planned for this year. The processor incorporates an updated memory architecture, an upgraded neural engine, and improved performance across all cores. It also includes enhancements for video encoding and decoding, while Apple has tested versions with up to 12 GPU cores, up from a maximum of 10 in the M5. Memory bandwidth is expected to increase to around 200 gigabytes per second, helping accelerate AI, video editing, model training, and graphics-intensive workloads.

Following the M6 launch later this year, Apple plans to roll out the M7 family beginning in the first half of 2027. The base M7, codenamed Delos, is slated to feature memory bandwidth of around 240 gigabytes per second. Higher-end M7 Pro and M7 Max chips, collectively dubbed Andros internally, are targeted for late 2027, with an M7 Ultra expected to follow in 2028. Those Pro and Max chips traditionally power Apple's higher-end MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and Mac Studio models.

Before transitioning to M7, Apple still plans to release one final chip in the M5 family: the M5 Ultra. Codenamed Sotra D, the processor is expected to debut in a refreshed Mac Studio and features around 36 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores. Apple has tested configurations supporting up to 768 gigabytes of memory, though ongoing component constraints could complicate its release. The Mac Studio update was previously postponed due to these supply and cost challenges.

This adjusted silicon strategy falls under Johny Srouji, who recently took over all hardware engineering as Chief Hardware Officer amid John Ternus's transition to CEO. Srouji is also overseeing Apple's broader silicon roadmap, including previously reported 2-nanometer iPhone chips and custom silicon for the company's upcoming foldable iPhone and 20th-anniversary iPhone models.


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