Apple Inc. is preparing for one of the biggest changes in its silicon chip strategy for Macs, planning to transition to a new generation of processors focused on artificial intelligence for its next high-performance models. The company, which currently uses the M5 series, plans to introduce the base M6 processor later this year for entry-level Macs, according to sources familiar with the situation. However, for the first time, the company will skip the higher versions of this chip, the sources said, asking not to be named as the plans are confidential.
Instead, Apple intends to introduce its next Pro and Max chips with enhanced computing and graphics capabilities in 2027 as part of the new M7 generation. This unusual move by the company is to accelerate the implementation of technologies it originally planned to release later. The change is aimed at meeting the growing demand for on-device artificial intelligence capabilities and more graphically intensive software. Apple’s Pro and Max chips are designed for high-performance Mac mini, Mac Studio, and MacBook Pro models, while the base chips are typically used in entry-level MacBook Pro models, entry-level Mac mini, and iMac desktops. Apple also uses these less powerful chips in some iPad Pro and iPad Air models. A representative from Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, declined to comment on the company’s plans. Earlier this Thursday, Apple raised prices on all its current Mac and iPad models.
Plans for M6 and M7 chips
This move, which involves releasing only the base chip as part of the new generation, will be a first for Apple. With each chip family from M1 to M5, the company has introduced Pro and Max variants, and for M1, M2, and M3, it also released even higher-performance configurations called Ultra. Apple’s efforts in chip production have become one of its key differentiators, allowing the company to directly link its own technologies with hardware design and software to create more unique products. Apple’s competitors in hardware manufacturing mostly use components from suppliers such as Intel Corp. and Qualcomm Inc.
The chip division is led by Johny Srouji, who was promoted this year to senior vice president of hardware technologies as part of John Ternus‘s transition to CEO. As part of these changes, Srouji is taking over all hardware design for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and other devices. However, like other companies, Apple’s efforts in silicon technology have been complicated by industry-wide chip and memory shortages, leading to increased costs, reduced margins, supply constraints, shipping delays, and forcing the company to revise product roadmaps and operational planning.
Apple has tested the M6 chip as part of an updated entry-level MacBook Pro codenamed J804, which is planned for release this year. According to sources familiar with its development, the M6 will include several improvements aimed at making it the most powerful in its category in the industry. The M6 chip, codenamed Komodo or H18G, will improve memory bandwidth to accelerate tasks in artificial intelligence, video editing, model training, and high-resolution graphics rendering. The M6‘s memory bandwidth is expected to reach about 200 gigabytes per second, compared to approximately 153 gigabytes per second in the M5. Memory bandwidth has become a key metric for evaluating a computer’s ability to handle AI tasks that require rapid movement of large volumes of data.
The M6 chip will include an updated memory architecture and an improved neural engine—a specialized component of the company for artificial intelligence processing. Performance will also improve across all cores, the computational blocks inside the chips. Improvements for video encoding and decoding are also planned. Another planned change for the M6 is a redesigned graphics processor, with Apple testing versions with up to 12 graphics cores. This is more than the maximum of 10 in the M5. The new graphics processor is designed for better handling of simultaneous rendering demands of artificial intelligence, graphics, and other tasks.
Relatively soon after the base M6, Apple will begin releasing the M7 lineup. The company plans to introduce the base M7, codenamed Delos or H19G, as early as the first half of next year. Apple also plans higher-end M7 Pro, M7 Max, and M7 Ultra chips, all internally referred to as Andros. They are also known as H19S, H19C, and H19D. The M7 Pro and M7 Max are scheduled for late 2027, while the M7 Ultra is planned for 2028. The Ultra chip, which typically includes double the performance of the company’s Max processors, is usually used in the highest-end variants of the Mac Studio desktop. The M7 lineup is designed primarily around significant advancements in on-device artificial intelligence processing. The base version is expected to support about 240 gigabytes per second of memory bandwidth.
M5 Ultra developments and other initiatives
Apple still plans to release one more chip for the current generation: the M5 Ultra. Its release is scheduled for later this year as part of a new Mac Studio codenamed J775, which was delayed due to supply and cost issues. The M5 Ultra chip, codenamed Sotra D or H17D, will have about 36 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores. These specifications will make it one of the most powerful chips available in a mass-market computer. Apple has also tested support for up to 768 gigabytes of memory in the Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra, although component limitations may complicate its debut. The company initially launched the Mac Studio with the M3 Ultra chip in 2025 with support for 512 gigabytes of memory but later limited new orders to 96 gigabytes of memory due to supply shortages.
The company is also preparing a series of new chips for the iPhone, as reported by Bloomberg News, including a transition to a 2-nanometer manufacturing process. Additionally, there will be new silicon designed for the company’s future foldable phone, set to debut this year, and iPhones for the 20th anniversary, which will be released in 2027.
Source: