Apple announced on June 26 that it will release a base-level M6 chip for entry-level Macs by late 2026, but is skipping the M6 Pro and M6 Max variants to jump directly to an AI-optimized M7 chip family expected in 2027. The M6 will serve as a bridge chip, while the M7 will be purpose-built for AI workloads. The M5 series, launched around October 2025, already delivered more than four times the peak compute power for AI tasks compared to previous generations. Alongside the hardware, Apple is preparing macOS 27, codenamed “Golden Gate,” for a fall 2026 launch, integrating advanced Siri AI features. In early July 2026, Apple locked a multi-year agreement with Broadcom worth more than $30 billion for the production of over 15 billion US-made chips through 2031, reducing overseas dependence and securing a domestic manufacturing pipeline for the AI era.