Initially, we expected Apple to work on next-generation, higher-end Apple silicon chips, particularly the M6 Pro and M6 Max. Those chips were expected to debut on the highly anticipated “MacBook Ultra“; however, today’s report from Bloomberg suggests otherwise.
According to Mark Gurman, Apple is currently testing the M6 chip in an upcoming entry-level MacBook Pro, and the main focus of this next generation will be the improved bandwidth. For comparison, the current M5 chip’s memory bandwidth caps out at 153 gigabytes per second, with the expected new cap at up to 200 gigabytes per second for the M6 chip. This would be a welcome change, and it would be especially ideal to handle even heavier multitasking. Additional improvements that Gurman expects include an upgraded neural engine for more demanding AI workflows and upgraded video encode/decode engines. Gurman expects the M6 to launch by the end of this year.
However, the biggest shocker is that Apple will not develop any higher-end chips for the M6 generation. This would be the first time that the M-series of chips will not have either a “Pro” or “Max” variant. Instead, the company would skip the M6 Pro and M6 Max chips altogether, and solely focus on a new family of chips for the next M7 generation. The timeframe for when the M7 chips will be released is the following:
* Standard M7 chip: “as early as the first half of next year” (early-mid 2027)
* M7 Pro / M7 Max chips: by the end of next year (late 2027)
* M7 Ultra: 2028
Bloomberg indicates that the “M7 line is designed primarily around major advancements to on-device AI processing. The base version is slated to support around 240 gigabytes per second of memory bandwidth.”
Last, but not least, Apple is actively developing the upcoming M5 Ultra chip that is slated to be used on the next Mac Studio. With today’s price hikes and the recent change to the Mac Studio’s configurations, the release timeframe for the next Mac Studio remains uncertain. Furthermore, with this report, this could also suggest that we may have to wait even longer for the “MacBook Ultra” with OLED displays, but the timing based on this report wouldn’t make sense. Worst case is that the “MacBook Ultra” could feature the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, but we will see. Only time will tell.
In the meantime, if you’re in the market for a MacBook, I’d suggest jumping on purchasing one now, considering Amazon’s sales are still going on, and Amazon will likely adjust the prices to reflect Apple’s new price jumps, and check out those deals here.
