Apple is shaking up its silicon roadmap to fast-track AI-focused processors, according to Bloomberg. The company will release only an entry-level M6 chip this year while canceling M6 Pro and M6 Max variants entirely. Instead, Apple is jumping directly to M7-series chips slated for 2027, marking the first time a base chip launches without Pro/Max counterparts.

The revised timeline pushes M7, M7 Pro, and M7 Max chips to launch in the first half and end of 2027 respectively, with M7 Ultra arriving in 2028. Apple still plans an M5 Ultra release for Mac Studio this year featuring 36 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores. The entry-level M6 targets 200GB/s memory bandwidth, improving on M5's 153GB/s and approaching the anticipated M7's 240GB/s.

Apple's M6 will include an updated memory architecture, upgraded Neural Engine, and redesigned GPU with up to 12 cores. Built on the rumored 2-nanometer process, these chips power upcoming MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, and iPad refreshes. The M5 Ultra Mac Studio configuration could support up to 768GB of unified memory.

This shift likely delays Apple's rumored high-end MacBook Ultra with OLED touchscreen until 2027 or forces alternative chip configurations. The move prioritizes on-device AI capabilities over traditional performance segmentation, reflecting intensified competition in the AI accelerator market.