Apple is rumored to skip M6 Pro and M6 Max Apple Silicon chips in favor of new, AI-first M7 chips, according to a new report.

Apple is expected to launch its first M6 MacBook Pro laptops later in 2026, but while there would normally be M6 Pro and M6 Max variants, these chips are rumored to not see the light of day.

That's according to a Bloomberg report, which claims the entry-level M6 chip will focus on improved memory bandwidth when compared to the M5 it will replace.

The move not to launch an M6 Pro or M6 Max would be notable for Apple. It would be the first time that it hasn't done so since the move to Apple Silicon. It's unclear whether it will set a precedent or be a one-off.

M6, coming in hot

If the report is correct, Apple will bump the M5's 153 gigabytes per second memory bandwidth to 200 gigabytes per second with the M6. It'll do that by bringing a new memory architecture to the chip alongside an upgraded Neural Engine.

The same report notes that Apple has tested M6 chips with up to 12 GPU cores, an increase over the M5's 10-core GPU.

It's thought that the new M6 will be particularly performant when handling AI, graphics, and related tasks.

However, while Apple isn't expected to launch an M6 Pro or M6 Max, there are still plans for an M5 Ultra. This chip will have around 36 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores, and will be offered in the Mac Studio.

Apple's current Mac Studio is available in two configurations: the base model ships with an M4 Max (14-core CPU, 32-core GPU) while the upgraded model uses an M3 Ultra (28-core CPU, 60-core GPU.)

Apple has never released an M4 Ultra chip.

M7 to follow

According to the report, the M7 will follow the M6 in "relatively quick succession," rather than the usual year or longer timeframe. It's thought Apple could debut the M7 as soon as the first half of 2027.

Following M7, Apple will also introduce M7 Pro, M7 Max, and M7 Ultra versions for users who have more complex workflows. The Pro and Max aren't expected until the end of 2027, while the M7 Ultra is on track for 2028.

It's believed that the M7 line of chips will be designed to offer notable improvements to on-device AI processing. An increase in memory bandwidth to around 240 gigabytes per second is also thought to be part of the equation.

Apple's reasoning

If this report is accurate, Apple's reasoning seems to be that the AI smarts added to the M7 are vital. For that reason, it's willing to skip the M6 Pro and Max chips and wait for the M7 versions instead.

Whether that proves to be the best course of action remains to be seen.

The extra AI performance will be welcomed by some. But a lot of Ultra chip buyers are more interested in raw CPU and GPU performance for high-res video editing, app building, and other creative endeavors. Extra AI performance may not be as beneficial for those users.