Pro, Max, and Ultra tiers move to the M7 line as Apple chases memory bandwidth for on-device AI.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works .
The M6, codenamed Komodo , is set for entry-level machines, including a refreshed 14-inch MacBook Pro, which has seen unprecedented price rises to $1,999. According to the report, which quotes individuals who asked not to be named, it reaches around 200 GB/s of memory bandwidth against 153 GB/s on the M5, with a redesigned GPU carrying up to 12 cores, up from 10. Every family from the M1 through the M5 paired its base silicon with Pro and Max derivatives, and three of them also gained an Ultra.
The base M7, codenamed Delos, targets roughly 240 GB/s and could come in the first half of 2027, with the Pro, Max, and Ultra parts grouped internally under the Andros codename. Apple is fast-tracking the line to meet demand for on-device AI and heavier graphics work. Apple has declined to comment, and none of the specifications or dates have been confirmed by the company.
Memory bandwidth dictates how fast a chip can move the large data blocks, the main bottleneck for AI inference, and the climb from 153 GB/s to 200 GB/s to a planned 240 GB/s is a roughly 56% bandwidth increase from M5 to base M7. Those are figures for the base parts. The current M3 Ultra already delivers up to 819 GB/s by fusing two Max dies, which is why the high-end tiers, not the base chips, carry the heaviest local-AI workloads. The M6 also reportedly pairs an upgraded Neural Engine with faster GPU and CPU cores.
Apple is still planning to release an M5 Ultra this year, codenamed Sotra, with around 36 CPU cores, 80 GPU cores, and tested support for up to 768GB of unified memory. It would refresh a Mac Studio that currently runs the M3 Ultra, after Apple skipped an M4 Ultra altogether.
Apple quietly axes 128GB Mac Studio amid supply constraints and local AI frenzy
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/apple-will-skip-its-high-end-m6-mac-chips-and-fast-track-an-ai-focused-m7-generation-for-2027#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com/membership
- At Cannes Lions, NVIDIA Partners Reshape Advertising and Marketing With AI
- Prime Day gaming mouse deals round-up — up your game with a new mouse on sale
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Intel Core i7-14700K faceoff — A new battle for DDR4 supremacy in 2026
- Solidigm VP talks PCIe 6.0 SSDs, next-gen floating gate NAND, liquid cooled storage and more — Avi Shetty, VP of AI, Solutions & Market Enablement discusses the
- Rosewill’s M.2 SSD Cloner and Eraser drops to its lowest-ever price of $47 — become an IT hero, or just save yourself some time and frustration
Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.