Apple to skip M6 Pro and Max chips, jump to M7 in 2027

Apple plans to release a base M6 chip late this year but will skip M6 Pro and Max variants entirely, according to Bloomberg.investing+1
The M7 generation, codenamed "Borneo," will prioritize on-device AI capabilities and is expected to arrive in 2027 with Pro and Max tiers.investing+1
The move breaks Apple's established chip cadence and means professionals will rely on M5 Pro and Max hardware until the M7 generation launches.investing+1

Apple is breaking from its established chip cadence by forgoing higher-end versions of its upcoming M6 processor and instead fast-tracking an AI-centric M7 line, according to a Bloomberg report published Tuesday.investing+1

The company plans to release only a base M6 chip as early as late 2026 for entry-level Mac computers, but will not produce M6 Pro or M6 Max variants — a first since Apple began its transition away from Intel processors in 2020. The higher-end Pro and Max chips will instead arrive in 2027 as part of the M7 generation, which will feature more advanced computing and graphics capabilities designed around on-device AI processing.investing+1

A Break From Tradition

Since launching its custom silicon with the M1 in 2020, Apple has followed a consistent pattern: each chip generation receives base, Pro, Max, and eventually Ultra variants before the next generation begins. The decision to skip an entire tier marks a departure driven by what Bloomberg described as a need to "fast-track technologies originally planned for a later release" to meet growing demand for on-device AI capabilities and graphics-intensive software.investing+1

The base M6 chip, codenamed "Komodo," is expected to be Apple's first processor built on TSMC's Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited 2-nanometer process node. Reports from earlier this year indicated the M6 could feature memory bandwidth improvements leveraging LPDDR6 memory, potentially reaching roughly 1.67 times the M5's 153 GB/s bandwidth.laptopmag+3

The AI Pivot Toward M7

The M7 generation, codenamed "Borneo," is being designed primarily around AI workloads. Apple has been steadily increasing the AI capabilities of its silicon — the M5, launched in October 2025, delivered a nearly 30 percent increase in unified memory bandwidth over its predecessor and introduced neural accelerators in every GPU core.cryptobriefing+3

The shift comes amid a broader AI push from Apple, which unveiled a major overhaul of its AI platform at its Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month, including a revamped Siri AI assistant across iOS 27 and macOS 27. A recently announced collaboration with Intel for domestic chip manufacturing could also factor into Apple's evolving silicon strategy.bloomberg+1

What It Means for Mac Buyers

For consumers, the immediate impact is that professionals seeking Pro or Max-tier performance in new Macs will remain on M5 Pro and M5 Max hardware through 2027. The base M6 is expected to appear first in consumer-oriented products like the MacBook Air and potentially the rumored MacBook Ultra. Apple has not publicly commented on its chip roadmap.facebook+1

Sources (35)