Apple is abandoning the Pro and Max variants of its M6 chip, marking the first time a generation of M-series silicon will lack these high-end options. Instead, the company is focusing on a base M6 for the MacBook Pro, which improves NPU performance and bumps the GPU to 12 cores.

Memory bandwidth is a major focus here. The base M6 targets 200 GB/s, a jump from the M5's 123 GB/s. Meanwhile, the M7 series will arrive in early 2027, pushing bandwidth further to 240 GB/s and introducing a total overhaul to better handle on-device AI processing.

Production is shifting too, as the M7 will be the first Apple Silicon design manufactured by Intel using the 18A-P node. While the M7 Pro and Max launch in late 2027, a massive M5 Ultra with 36 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores is currently being tested for the Mac Studio.

This strategy prioritizes a massive leap in AI capabilities over incremental M6 updates. By skipping the M6 Pro and Max, Apple accelerates the transition to Intel's manufacturing process for its most powerful chips. The M7 Ultra will eventually arrive in 2028 for the Mac Studio.