Apple Readies M6 Chip for Fall Debut in MacBook Ultra and High-End Macs

Q: With its flagship M6 MacBook Ultra now delayed, which new Mac will actually launch first this fall?

The most likely first M6 Mac this fall is not the delayed MacBook Ultra, but one of Apple’s desktop Macs—most plausibly the **Mac mini or iMac**, with the **Mac Studio** also in contention but less certain. That follows from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who has said the M6 chip could appear earlier in products that have not yet received an M5 update. The clearest candidates are the iMac, Mac mini and Mac Studio. By contrast, the MacBook Ultra is now widely expected later, and the redesigned M6 MacBook Pro line is also facing timing pressure from memory supply constraints. The strongest evidence points away from notebooks as Apple’s first M6 launch. Reports tie the MacBook Ultra and OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro models to more complex supply chains, including RAM shortages and new display production, making them more vulnerable to delay. Gurman has also indicated that some of those higher-end MacBook launches could slip toward early 2027. There is still no definitive product named as the first M6 Mac. But based on the reporting available, the safest answer is that **Apple’s first M6 release this fall will likely be a desktop refresh—especially the Mac mini or iMac—rather than the flagship MacBook Ultra**. If Apple prioritizes a simpler rollout, the Mac mini appears the most practical early candidate.

3 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · Jun 19

Apple’s M6 chip is rumored to arrive this fall, with the first launch expected in a new premium MacBook Ultra rather than only a refreshed MacBook Pro.
The MacBook Ultra is tipped as Apple’s biggest Mac reveal of the season, adding a touchscreen, OLED display and Dynamic Island while using M6-family chips.
M6 variants remain unclear, but leakers point to M6 Pro and M6 Max options at launch; Apple could also unveil updated MacBook Pros with M6, M6 Pro and M6 Max simultaneously.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had earlier suggested the M6 could appear sooner than expected, making iMac, Mac mini and Mac Studio plausible early candidates because they still lack M5 chips.
If the branding shift happens, Apple would split the new MacBook Ultra from the MacBook Pro line, signaling a broader reshuffle of its high-end Mac lineup.