Overview
- Citing a Bloomberg report published Thursday, Apple is expected to ship only a base M6 for entry-level Macs in late 2026 and not release M6 Pro or M6 Max variants.
- The M6 is reported to boost memory bandwidth to about 200 GB/s, add an updated memory architecture and a stronger Neural Engine, and use a redesigned GPU tested with up to 12 cores.
- Apple is said to be fast-tracking the M7 generation for AI workloads with a base M7 targeted as early as the first half of 2027, Pro and Max models planned for late 2027, and an M7 Ultra slated for 2028 with roughly 240 GB/s memory bandwidth for the base chip.
- Bloomberg and other outlets also report Apple still plans a near-term M5 Ultra for a Mac Studio refresh, with testing around 36 CPU cores, 80 GPU cores and support for up to 768 GB of unified memory, though supply limits could constrain specs.
- The change reflects pressure from rivals and memory and packaging constraints and means professionals may wait longer for new high-end chips while some upcoming Macs might ship with older M5-series silicon or face delays.