Apple is breaking its own playbook. It will skip the high-end versions of its M6 chip and jump to the AI-focused M7 line. Apple M7 chips, not the M6, will power its flagship Macs from 2027.
Apple has changed how it releases Mac chips, and the change is bigger than it sounds. The company will release the base M6 processor early this year for entry-level Macs. For the first time, however, it won’t make Pro or Max versions of that chip.
Those high-end parts will arrive in 2027 as part of the new generation M7, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the plans. Apple, currently on its M5 series, declined to comment.
The change is significant because it breaks the pattern Apple has held since 2020. The entire family from M1 to M5 is shipped in Pro and Max variants. The M1, M2 and M3 even achieved a high-end Ultra. The M series generation with only the basic chip is the first.
The split is important because which machines use which chip. Apple’s Pro and Max segments drive its high-end Mac minis, Mac Studios and MacBook Pros. The base chips power MacBook Pros, cheaper Mac minis and iMacs, as well as the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. Skipping the high-end M6, then, is slowing down Apple’s most sought-after computers, not their cheapness.
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Why Apple is jumping around
The official concept is speed. Apple wants to accelerate the technology that it planned later. The aim is to meet the demand for on-device AI and heavy graphics work. The M7 line, the people said, is primarily built around an AI processor.
There are some flattering readings, too. The entire industry is grappling with chip and memory shortages that have driven up costs, squeezed margins and forced delays. Apple has raised prices on all current Macs and iPads on the same day this leak happened. The neat story of the “AI fast track” is also a convenient framework for a roadmap reshaped by scarcity.
What the M6 actually delivers
The Base M6 is not a minor update. Apple tested the entry-level refreshed MacBook Pro, codenamed J804, and built it to lead its category. Inside, the chip runs on Komodo. The headline benefit is memory bandwidth, a measure of how fast a chip can move data, which is more important than ever in AI.
The M6 is set to reach around 200GB/s, up from around 153GB/s in the M5. It pairs that with a new memory architecture, an improved neural engine for AI functions, and faster cores across the board. The redesigned graphics processor adds up to 12 cores, two more than the M5, to combine AI and rendering at the same time.
Long wait for Pro power
To hold time. Apple plans to launch the M7 in the first half of 2027. The M7 Pro and Max could follow later that year. The M7 Ultra, the chip behind the most powerful Mac Studio, isn’t due until 2028. The base M7 is scheduled for around 240GB/s of bandwidth.
So anyone looking for Apple’s fastest silicon is in for a real wait. A buyer looking for a high-end MacBook Pro or Mac Studio has two options. Get yourself an M5-era machine, or stick to 2027, and 2028 with the Ultra.
One stop left. Apple is still planning the M5 Ultra. It should arrive early this year on the new Mac Studio, which has slipped due to supply and cost pressures. The chip is no slouch, with 36 processing cores and 80 graphics cores. Apple tested it with up to 768GB of memory. Yet the pressure is real. Apple has cut new orders for the existing M3 Ultra Mac Studio from 512GB to just 96GB.
Betting on the inner silicon of AI
Reorganization occurs at a critical time. Apple’s chips are its sharpest edge over rivals that rely on Intel and Qualcomm. The silicon team now reports to Johny Srouji, who was recently promoted to chief hardware officer. John Ternus, on the other hand, is headed for the CEO position.
Mac is only part of it. Apple is said to move iPhone chips to a 2-nanometer process. The new silicon is coming with a foldable phone due this year, as well as the 20th anniversary iPhones in 2027. Designing its own chips remains the company’s core business, which is why it’s worth looking at the roadmap.
The straight line is AI. Apple is rebuilding its chip system around the in-device intelligence. It does this while the shortage fixes what it can send, and when. Whether that leaves Pro users impatient or frustrated is a question that will be answered in the next two years.
