M6 skipped: MacBook Ultra with older chips?
Apple's new top MacBook model with OLED touchscreen could stick with the older M5 chip. The reason is Apple's general SoC strategy.
Person with MacBook.
(Image: Farknot Architect / Shutterstock.com)
Fans of the MacBook Pro can look forward to autumn: according to serious rumors, Apple is planning a new series with a fresh form factor with the “MacBook Ultra” – as a kind of top-tier notebook. The plan includes the integration of a new screen using tandem OLED technology and a touchscreen, both of which would be significant innovations for the Mac. Reportedly, there will also be a slightly thinner case. The as yet unanswered question: Which processor will Apple use for the (presumably expensive) model? Now there are initial answers that might disappoint some users.
The M6 skips Pro and Max variants
According to a report from the financial news agency Bloomberg, the MacBook Ultra will use old hardware here. The next chip generation with M6 processor is reportedly only planned for entry-level devices like a corresponding MacBook Pro and later also a MacBook Air. This is because Apple allegedly plans not to deliver any Max and Pro or even Ultra variants of the M6 chip. Instead, the company wants to focus more on the M7, which is expected to score significantly better in local AI.
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This means that Apple would have to equip the first generation of the MacBook Ultra with M5 Pro and M5 Max, as have long been used in the MacBook Pro with 14 and 16 inches from last spring. Thus, it would be a computer that is state-of-the-art in terms of display, touchscreen, and form factor, but not in terms of chips. A MacBook Ultra with M7 Pro or M7 Max would not be expected before autumn 2027, which could unsettle buyers. Apple's decision is unique in the history of Apple Silicon so far: every M chip has always had Pro, Max, and usually Ultra variants. Compared to the M5, the M6 offers advantages in terms of process node width, among other things, and is expected to be the first Apple chip in the Mac to use TSMC's 2 nm process.
Those who want M7 Pro or M7 Max will have to wait
According to Bloomberg, the MacBook Ultra will be delivered in 14- and 16-inch sizes, like the MacBook Pro. The work on the M7 with Pro and Max variants is reportedly already advanced, with the first machines equipped with it planned for late 2027 at the earliest. The Mac Studio is also expected to receive the M7 Max and an M7 Ultra variant, but likely not until 2028.
Users who have been waiting for a new MacBook form factor and were hoping for the improved OLED technology from the iPad Pro in a Mac now have to weigh how sensible it is to wait for next year and the M7 Pro and M7 Max variants. Some of them may still be using older series like M2 Pro and M2 Max or M3 Pro and M3 Max because they hoped for cutting-edge technology from the Ultra. However, older chips in Macs are not new. The still current Mac Studio features an M3 Ultra paired with an M4 Max, as there has never been an Ultra variant of the M4.
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