Apple Plans Broad Mac Refresh to Capture AI Demand
Apple Inc.’s Mac business is benefiting from rising demand for machines capable of running compute-intensive AI agents locally, with sales projected to grow for a third consecutive year. The boom has also tightened supplies of memory and storage components. Apple raised prices on June 25, 2026, lifting the iMac’s starting price to $1,499 from $1,299, adding pressure to balance product upgrades with component availability.
Apple has completed development of a new entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by its M6 chip and refreshed iMacs, Bloomberg News reported on July 22, citing people familiar with the matter. The models, including the first new iMacs in two years, are expected to ship in fall 2026. Higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with OLED touchscreens and M5 Pro or M5 Max chips are targeted for late 2026 or early 2027.
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The history behind this eventApple Reportedly Scraps High-End M6 Chips to Fast-Track AI-Focused M7
Since beginning its Apple Silicon transition in 2020, Apple has supported its Mac lineup with base, Pro and Max chip tiers. As competition in generative AI intensifies, the allocation of chip-development resources will shape the upgrade cycle for high-end Macs and Apple's competitiveness in on-device AI performance, power efficiency and privacy.
The latest report says Apple may cancel the planned M6 Pro and M6 Max, allowing high-end Macs to skip the M6 generation as development resources shift to the M7 series, which is expected to debut in 2027 with enhanced on-device AI capabilities. The base M6 is still reportedly set for release in late 2026 and would be Apple's first chip built on a 2-nanometer process. Apple has not formally confirmed the plans, and the report disclosed no related financial figures.
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