Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is preparing a significant shift in its Mac chip roadmap, with plans to prioritize artificial intelligence capabilities in its next generation of processors.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported on June 26, 2026, that Apple is planning the change, citing people with knowledge of the matter.
Apple is expected to launch a base M6 chip for entry-level Macs as early as this year, while skipping the M6 Pro and Max variants entirely.
Higher-end performance upgrades are instead being reserved for an AI-focused M7 generation, which is targeted for release in 2027 with more significant computing and graphics advances.
Gurman wrote that the shift should help meet growing demand for on-device AI capabilities and more graphics-intensive software applications.
The chip roadmap news arrives alongside a separate development, with Evercore ISI noting on June 25 that Apple made the “rare move” of raising prices intra-cycle across select Macs, iPads, and home devices.
Evercore ISI called the price hikes “a surprise,” saying increases of 17% to 25% across the core Mac and iPad lineup should help protect gross margins but could create demand friction.
Despite the price concerns, Evercore ISI maintained an Outperform rating and a $365 price target on Apple shares, which were trading down about 5% at $277.65 at the time of the report.
Apple confirmed the price increases across several MacBook and iPad products, saying the consumer electronics industry is facing an “unprecedented challenge” as AI data center growth drives higher memory and storage demand.
Apple said it had “reached a point” where it needed to raise prices on some products, while also noting it is actively working to find solutions to these supply-side cost pressures.
The dual developments of a chip roadmap overhaul and mid-cycle price hikes underscore how deeply AI infrastructure costs are reshaping Apple’s product and financial strategy heading into 2027.
Apple designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, and accessories across a broad global footprint, making the AI transition central to its long-term competitiveness.
