Apple Debuts M6 on 14-inch MacBook Pro, Skipping Pro Max Ultra Variants
Updated
Updated · Thurrott.com · Jun 25
Apple Debuts M6 on 14-inch MacBook Pro, Skipping Pro Max Ultra Variants
3 articles · Updated · Thurrott.com · Jun 25
Summary
A base M6 chip will launch later this year in a new 14-inch MacBook Pro, with Apple shelving M6 Pro, Max and Ultra versions until the M7 generation.
About 200 GB/s of memory bandwidth, up from 153 GB/s on M5, plus up to 12 GPU cores and an improved Neural Engine are meant to speed AI workloads and graphics-heavy software.
The shift is designed to fast-track technologies Apple had planned for later, as demand grows for on-device AI features across future Macs.
M7 is now expected in the first half of 2027 with up to 240 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while M7 Pro and M7 Max could follow in late 2027 and M7 Ultra in 2028.
An M5 Ultra Mac Studio may still arrive later this year, but memory constraints have already pushed the M3 Ultra base price to $5,299 from $3,999 and could curb M5 Ultra ambitions.