Here's Why Apple is Reportedly Skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max Chips

Apple is reportedly skipping the M6 Pro, M6 Max, and M6 Ultra chips to accelerate the M7 family, which will feature major neural-processing upgrades for AI performance, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The base M6 chip will still launch in late 2026, followed by M7 chips starting in 2027, with the M7 Ultra expected to power Apple Intelligence servers by 2029.

According to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman, Apple will be releasing a regular M6 chip, but it has no plans to offer higher-end M6 Pro and M6 Max chips https://www.macrumors.com/2026/06/25/2027-macs-m7-chips/ . In his Power On newsletter today, he said the reason for this break in tradition is AI. "Apple had been planning major neural-processing upgrades for the M7 family and ultimately decided those improvements were important enough to justify accelerating the next generation rather than completing the M6 lineup," he explained. There won't be an M6 Ultra chip either, he said. A new 14-inch MacBook Pro with a base M6 chip https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/01/redesigned-m7-macbook-pro-2027/ will be released later this year, and then Apple plans to move on to releasing the base M7 chip in the first half of 2027, M7 Pro and M7 Max chips in late 2027, and an M7 Ultra chip in 2028. He said the M7 Ultra chip in particular "dramatically upgrades AI performance," and that it may power Apple Intelligence servers starting in 2029. "AI is no longer just another feature Apple's chips need to support," said Gurman. "It is now shaping how those products are designed and when they are shipped." The current M5 Pro and M5 Max chips launched in March, and Gurman still expects an M5 Ultra chip to debut in the Mac Studio https://www.macrumors.com/2026/06/25/m5-ultra-mac-studio-2026/ as early as this year. A summary: M5 chip: October 2025 M5 Pro and M5 Max chips: March 2026 M5 Ultra chip: Late 2026 M6 chip: Late 2026 M7 chip: First half of 2027 M7 Pro and M7 Max chips: Second half of 2027 M7 Ultra chip: 2028 This article, " Here's Why Apple is Reportedly Skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max Chips https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/12/why-apple-is-skipping-m6-pro-m6-max-chips/ " first appeared on MacRumors.com https://www.macrumors.com Discuss this article https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/heres-why-apple-is-reportedly-skipping-m6-pro-and-m6-max-chips.2485286/ in our forums