Apple is making a big change in its Mac chip strategy. According to Bloomberg, the company will skip high-end versions of the upcoming M6 processor and move directly to the more advanced, AI-focused M7 series. This means there will be no M6 Pro or M6 Max chips.
The base M6 chip is still expected to launch later this year for entry-level Mac models. It will offer improved performance with around 200GB/s memory bandwidth, a stronger Neural Engine for AI tasks, better CPU and GPU performance, and faster media processing. However, professional users looking for powerful chips will have to wait for the M7 series.
The M7 family is being designed with a strong focus on artificial intelligence capabilities. Reports suggest the base M7 chip could arrive as early as the first half of 2027, while M7 Pro, M7 Max, and M7 Ultra versions are planned for 2027-28. This decision shows Apple’s desire to speed up AI integration in its laptops and desktops.
Meanwhile, Apple will still release the M5 Ultra chip later this year for a refreshed Mac Studio, featuring up to 36 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores.
This strategic shift is expected to help Apple compete better in the growing AI PC market. By jumping ahead to M7, the company aims to deliver more powerful AI features sooner to professional users and creative professionals.