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Apple is changing the way it will handle the release of its next flagship processors going forward, according to A Report from Bloomberg Newsletter.
Power On author Mark Gurman writes that in the race to get to the M7 generation of processors, which use neural processing to improve AI performance, Apple will skip some iterations of processors along the way. For example, while Apple may have released Pro, Max, and Ultra versions of some of its M-series processors, it may not do so for the next one in the line, the M6, due out this fall.
Apple’s M5 processors for Mac desktops and laptops, as well as some iPads, It’s starting to become available in those products In the fall of 2025.
Formerly Bloomberg I reported on expected changes to the M6 road map in Junebut now it’s announcing how Apple’s plans for its processor lineup, up to the M8, will be affected by artificial intelligence, including competition from companies like Nvidia. Gorman points to advanced AI performance development for the M7 Ultra processor as one reason for accelerating the chip release roadmap. According to the report, a more advanced M8 processor codenamed Soko is also in the works.
An Apple representative did not respond to a request for comment.
Apple’s long game on artificial intelligence
Apple hasn’t been as overtly aggressive in its AI efforts as other tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Meta, and OpenAI. But as Gorman notes in his report, it has been quietly laying the groundwork for its long-term AI goals using technology it developed, even in failed projects like the canceled Apple car.
The company has Late versions of Siri Assistant To improve artificial intelligence capabilities while continuing to develop processors that can handle high requirements on the device AI rather than offloading processing to data centers, as many AI services do.
This strategy has served Apple well in the past: wait for others to introduce new technology, learn from their mistakes, and then launch their own, more refined products. That’s Apple Headphones took over with the AirPods And what it did in wearables with the Apple Watch.
But with artificial intelligence, Apple is fighting competitors — including partners like Google — on several fronts. This requires the company to change its strategy in several ways. Mehdi Islamihr said that Apple seeks, through its processors, to introduce improvements to memory bandwidth and neural engine improvements. Executive Vice President at Peak Predicament Research.
“Overtaking the M6 Pro, Max and Ultra to push the M7 generation forward is the clearest sign yet that AI has replaced CPU and graphics as the organizing principle of Apple’s chip roadmap,” Islamihr told CNET.
He said that this step is supported by the company’s head of devices. John Ternos will take over as CEO in the fall. “This bet on silicon first now has support at the highest levels of the company,” Islami Mehr said.
He said Apple will not compete with Nvidia on the data center side of the AI business where it dominates its processors, but will instead focus on making hardware that excels as its own on-device AI computing power that will ultimately “push native performance toward the workstation category.”
He said the reward for Apple’s power users will be stronger native hardware AI, but it may not be until late 2027 before they get their hands on top-tier Apple M7 hardware.
