Apple is planning to keep its next chip generation lean.
According to a new report, Apple intends to release the M6 chip in a base configuration only, skipping the Pro and Max variants it typically ships alongside. Those higher-end tiers, plus a new Ultra option, are reportedly being held for the M7 lineup expected in early 2027. The move would mark a notable departure from Apple's established silicon cadence, which has delivered Pro and Max versions of every M-series chip since the M1.
For most MacBook Air buyers, this changes little — the base chip has always been their model. But for creative professionals and power users who reach for a MacBook Pro or Mac Studio, a gap year without a meaningful chip upgrade could delay purchases or push buyers toward older configurations. Apple would essentially be asking its highest-spending customers to wait an extra cycle.
It also signals something about Apple's engineering roadmap: the company may be reserving its real architectural advances for M7 rather than incremental refinements on M6. That could mean M7 is a more substantial generational leap than usual.
Read this one with some skepticism — chip roadmap leaks have a mixed track record, and Apple has surprised before.