Apple Accelerates AI Chip Roadmap, Skipping M6 Pro/Max for M7 Generation

TechInsights reverse‑engineered Apple’s M5 Pro processor and found it uses TSMC’s SoIC‑X face‑to‑face hybrid‑bonding to connect separate CPU and GPU chiplets via a silicon interposer. This 2.5 D integration marks the first documented use of the technology in a consumer laptop, offering higher interconnect density and lower parasitic loss compared with earlier monolithic designs.

Bloomberg reports that Apple will bypass the planned M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, moving directly to an M7 generation focused on on‑device AI performance. The M7 (codenamed Delos/H19G) is slated for early 2027 with a base model offering 240 GB/s memory bandwidth—about 20 % higher than the anticipated M6 and 57 % above the current M5 Max—and an upgraded Neural Engine designed for larger local AI models without cloud reliance. The shift coincides with CEO Tim Cook’s September 2026 transition to John Ternus, whose hardware background is said to have driven the AI‑centric roadmap.