2027 Macs to Get AI-Focused M7 Chips as Apple Skips High-End M6

[MacRumors]

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.

Article Link: 2027 Macs to Get AI-Focused M7 Chips as Apple Skips High-End M6

 

[MacUserFella]

Apple: We have to increase prices due to memory costs caused by AI

Also Apple: We keep focusing on AI and be part of the reason why memory costs continue to increase!

 

[emmab2006]

AI Is Killing the tech industry. yet companies do not give a single damn if we can afford anything. before we know it , we will have just displays where we remote into computers to use them. i for one think it is a Disgrace

 

[nickf]

Hey Mark, what about that $100 increase in the price of an AppleTV, you didn't warn us about THAT did you, eh?

 

[DocMultimedia]

Estimated price for 16gig... $8499.

 

[neuropsychguy]

With the price hikes, it looks like I'm waiting another year to upgrade my M1 Pro MBP. It's still super zippy (that's a technical term) and I've noticed no slowdown in it over the past 4.5 years.

 

[EllZ89]

An M5 Ultra Mac Studio could have as much as 768GB of unified memory.

The way things are going, Apple either won’t release anything past 64GB, or it won’t be anywhere remotely affordable.

 

[abatabia]

AI rules the tech industry. The AI bubble needs to burst already.

 

[Christopher Pelham]

Would they really "delay" their rumored OLED/touch MacBook Pro until late 2027? The roadmap and release dates for the various chips must seem a bit confusing to many shoppers. Should you get an M5 Pro or an M6? Maybe they need to re-name these things so people can clearly tell which is fast, faster, or fastest without having to research?

 

[profets]

Would they really "delay" their rumored OLED/touch MacBook Pro until late 2027?

Unless it ends up with that potential M5 Ultra?

Regardless, seems like a weird situation.

 

[Line_Noise]

Or we could just write the things we want to tell people and read the things people wrote to us.

 

[bluecoast]

Yeah, surely the redesign & 'MBP Ultra' will happen with the M7.

And with all of Apple's cash, surely they can induce - i.e. pay - a memory manufacturer to create a new facility which will 100% be for Apple.

If so, I guess that wouldn't come online until 2027.

 

[EllZ89]

AI Is Killing the tech industry. yet companies do not give a single damn if we can afford anything. before we know it , we will have just displays where we remote into computers to use them. i for one think it is a Disgrace

They very much do give a damn if you can afford it. If you can’t, they make zero.

They will keep pushing the envelope seeing what they can get away with.

 

[poorcody]

So maybe we'll get the MacBook Ultra with an M5 Pro/Max/Ultra end of this year, or one with an M7 Pro/Max/Ultra end of next year?

 

[CWallace]

Glad I bought an M5 Pro MacBook Pro while they were on sale this year. I really don't have need for AI so I am not interested in paying the premium it will assuredly impose on the M7 Pro.

 

[hare_star]

They very much do give a damn if you can afford it. If you can’t, they make zero.

They will keep pushing the envelope seeing what they can get away with.

This is the logical conclusion. People complain but if profits margins aren’t affected then this ai push will continue.

 

[jz0309]

Meh for the on device AI and stuff ...
My M1Max Studio should last me another 2-3 or maybe 4 years so I'll just monitor this space

 

[Nyx1]

M5 Ultra should cancel too

 

[JPack]

Would they really "delay" their rumored OLED/touch MacBook Pro until late 2027? The roadmap and release dates for the various chips must seem a bit confusing to many shoppers. Should you get an M5 Pro or an M6? Maybe they need to re-name these things so people can clearly tell which is fast, faster, or fastest without having to research?

Almost certainly not. Apple isn’t going to waste a full 12 months of sales.

It’ll launch with M5 Pro/Max and endure a shorter lifecycle. We saw this with M2 MacBook Air 15.

 

[Kylo83]

what about the new MacBook Pro oled

 

[osx64]

Doubt that the supposedly thinner MacBook Ultra would be able to cool an M5 Ultra.

 

[Macalicious2011]

With the price hikes, it looks like I'm waiting another year to upgrade my M1 Pro MBP. It's still super zippy (that's a technical term) and I've noticed no slowdown in it over the past 4.5 years.

M1 pro was over powered from day one. It will last for several more years.

 

[Digitalguy]

Given that the 512GB M3 ultra was already $10000, a 768GB M5 ultra with the new prices will definitely go above $20000, and the local AI enthusiasts will still buy it

 

[visualseed]

Apple: We have to increase prices due to memory costs caused by AI

Also Apple: We keep focusing on AI and be part of the reason why memory costs continue to increase!

Bringing more AI capabilities on-device will reduce dependencies on datacenters. Would you rather buy your compute or rent it?

 

[ThatGuyInLa]

SO around the time Elder’s Scrolls 6 comes out, we will finally be able to get a new Ultra level desktop.