Apple is reportedly skipping the launch of its M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, opting instead to release an M6-powered MacBook Pro and move directly to the M7 Pro and Max models in 2027. This decision reflects a significant departure from Apple’s established silicon rollout strategy, which has included the incremental release of base, Pro, and Max variants since the introduction of the M1 chip.
A Bloomberg report from late June 2026 indicated that Apple would not produce M6 Pro and Max chips for its redesigned MacBook Pros, which will instead utilize existing M5 Pro and M5 Max systems on chips (SoCs). Additionally, Apple has expedited the development of M7 Pro and M7 Max chips as part of this strategic shift.
Mark Gurman, in his Power On newsletter, highlighted that Apple aims to incorporate substantial upgrades to the Neural Engine in the M7 chip family, focusing heavily on enhancing AI performance. Gurman noted that the anticipated performance improvements appear significant, especially for the M7 Ultra chip, which may be utilized in Apple Intelligence servers beginning in 2029.
The M7 Ultra is expected to support up to 1.5TB of RAM, which is double the capacity of the forthcoming M5 Ultra and consistent with the RAM capabilities of the 2019 Mac Pro. However, it remains uncertain whether Apple will offer Mac Studios equipped with the M7 Ultra and the maximum RAM due to ongoing DRAM and NAND flash shortages, as well as fluctuating memory prices.
Currently, the M3 Ultra can support up to 512GB of RAM, but configurations have been limited to only 96GB due to shortages of DRAM, which has led Apple to discontinue higher-end RAM options.
