Apple is opting to develop M7 chips instead of M6 Pro and M6 Max

Instead of developing M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, Apple is focusing on the M7 processors, which are expected to deliver superior AI performance.

July 12, 2026 0

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple will release a standard M6 chip but has no plans for high-end M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. In his newsletter “Power On” today, he explained that the reason for this break with tradition is AI. “Apple had planned major neural processing improvements for the Apple M7 series and ultimately decided that these improvements were important enough to move forward with the development of the next generation rather than completing the M6 series.”

Furthermore, there will be no Apple M6 Ultra chip, according to Gurman. Instead, a new 14-inch MacBook Pro with a base M6 chip will be released later this year. Apple then plans to launch the base M7 chip in the first half of 2027, the M7 Pro and M7 Max chips at the end of 2027, and the M7 Ultra chip in 2028.

Apple M7 Ultra is expected to “dramatically” improve AI performance

He said that the Apple M7 Ultra chip in particular would “dramatically” improve AI performance and could power Apple Intelligence‘s servers from 2029 onwards.

“AI is no longer just another feature that Apple’s chips need to support. […] It is now shaping how these products are developed and when they are shipped.”

The current Apple M5 Pro and M5 Max chips were launched in March, and Gurman still expects an M5 Ultra chip to premiere in the Mac Studio later this year.