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 chip lineup, with the first M7 chips launching in 2027. An M5 Ultra chip could also come as soon as this year.
- 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
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 mark the first time that Apple is not coming out with a Pro or Max chip for the line.
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 and video editing. The base M5 chip has 153GB/s memory bandwidth, and 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. Prior rumors have suggested the M6 will be the first built on Apple's new 2-nanometer process.
The base M6 could also 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 version of the Mac Studio as soon as this year. The M5 Ultra will have approximately 36 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores. An M5 Ultra Mac Studio could have as much as 768GB of unified memory.
Apple is working on a high-end "MacBook Ultra" with an OLED display and a touchscreen, and rumors suggested it could come as soon as late 2026. That seems unlikely now with the M7 Pro and M7 Max chips slated for late 2027, unless Apple equips the high-end MacBook Pro with an M6, the M5 Max, or the M5 Ultra chip.
News of Apple's updated chip launch timeline comes just after the company raised prices across all of its Macs and iPads.
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