Apple’s touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro models will reportedly launch with the same chips as today’s MacBook Pro and then wait until late 2027 for a new generation. That upgrade skips M6 and goes straight to M7 Pro and M7 Max.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said on his latest podcast that Apple is “pretty much done” with M6 chips. The M6 debuted in the Mac mini, and an M6 iMac and an entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro are still planned. Apple is not making M6 Pro, M6 Max or M6 Ultra chips.
The touchscreen models are expected to debut on October 27 or 28 with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips that Apple introduced in March. Apple has not confirmed the chip plans or the launch date.
Apple Is Going Straight From the M5 Pro and M5 Max to the M7 Lineup
Gurman says the high-end touchscreen MacBook Pro models get M7 Pro and M7 Max chips in late 2027. That puts the M7 versions roughly a year after the first touchscreen models go on sale.
Apple is reportedly skipping the rest of the M6 line to put its resources into the M7 generation, which includes technology aimed at AI workloads. Across the lineup, the plan breaks down as follows.
- The M6 chip is in the Mac mini, with an M6 iMac and an entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro still to come
- A refreshed low-end MacBook Pro with an M7 chip arrives in 2027
- The high-end touchscreen MacBook Pro models get M7 Pro and M7 Max chips in late 2027
The OLED Display and Touch Support Are the Reason to Buy This Generation
With the chip staying put, the changes are on the outside. The new models bring an OLED display with touch support, and Apple is expected to sell them as the high-end MacBook Pro option.
Apple has begun inviting selected media to an all-day launch experience in Los Angeles on October 28, according to Gurman. The event covers touchscreen MacBooks, a new iPad mini and Macs with M6 chips.
Anyone holding out for the AI-focused M7 chips will wait about a year after launch. The M5 Pro and M5 Max are the only chip options when the touchscreen models go on sale.
A New Mac Studio Is Unlikely Before the M7 Ultra Arrives in 2028
With no M6 Ultra planned, the next Ultra chip is the M7 Ultra, so a new Mac Studio in 2027 looks unlikely. Apple is going from the M5 Ultra straight to the M7 lineup there as well.
The M7 Ultra is slated for the first half of 2028.
