Apple future Mac roadmap leak suggests a 2028 M7 Ultra model with whopping 1.5TB RAM, details here
Apple is reportedly doubling down on AI with its future Mac devices. It is believed that the company may launch an M7 Ultra chip that could support up to 1.5TB of RAM, which can also lead to a massive price increase due to the ongoing memory shortage.
Artificial intelligence has transformed the tech industry, and Apple is not standing still. The tech giant is reportedly planning to double down on native AI performance for its Mac devices with its future M series of chipsets. While Apple is expected to only launch a single M6 chip, the M7 series may go all-in on AI.
As per a report from Bloomberg, Apple may be preparing a high-end M7 Ultra chip that could support up to 1.5TB RAM. This comes at a time when the memory crisis has forced manufacturers to raise prices due to rising costs, something that even the Cupertino giant has had to do.
Apple to focus on AI with M7 series
Apple has reportedly overhauled its Mac chip roadmap with AI at the centre. It is believed that AI is no longer just “another feature” for the company. Instead, the Cupertino giant is designing its products with a focus on AI performance.
As per the report, Apple planned major neural-processing upgrades for the M7 family and decided those improvements were important enough to justify accelerating that generation rather than completing the M6 lineup. The M7 Ultra may bring AI performance closer to dedicated AI accelerators such as Nvidia’s Blackwell.
The company is said to have started taping out the M7, the stage at which a chip’s design is finalised, just six months after doing so for the M6. Under that timeline, the M7 is expected in the first half of 2027, followed by the M7 Pro and M7 Max at the end of 2027 and the M7 Ultra in 2028.
Apple is also tipped to be developing M8 chips, including a processor code-named Soko, and other high-end Mac chips under the name Cardinal for 2028.
How much can a Mac with M7 Ultra cost?
While it is still early days in the development of the M7 series of chips, looking at the current market scenario, you can expect a Mac device with the M7 Ultra and 1.5TB RAM to come with a hefty price tag.
To give you some context, Apple recently raised prices of Mac devices in India. The base Mac Studio (M4 Max, 36GB/512GB) has gone up by Rs 65,000, rising from Rs 1,49,900 to Rs 2,14,900, while the 96GB configuration (M3 Ultra) has jumped by a massive Rs 1,70,000, from Rs 2,59,900 to Rs 4,29,900.
The last time Apple shipped a 1.5TB RAM Mac was in 2019. At the time, the memory alone cost $25,000 (roughly Rs 23.7 lakh) and a full system could reach $53,000 (roughly Rs 50 lakh). For comparison, the cheapest Nvidia Blackwell processor costs $12,499.99 (roughly Rs 11.8 lakh).
The report traces back Apple’s neural engine development to its now-cancelled self-driving car project. It is believed that the project that lasted for almost a decade helped build the foundation for the neural engine, which first appeared in the iPhone X in 2017 and later became part of the company’s Mac chips.
Apple is also said to be preparing a more powerful server for Apple Intelligence based on the M5 Ultra under the internal code name J246, while engineers are also developing a server chip built around the M7 Ultra for launch by 2029.
Artificial intelligence has transformed the tech industry, and Apple is not standing still. The tech giant is reportedly planning to double down on native AI performance for its Mac devices with its future M series of chipsets. While Apple is expected to only launch a single M6 chip, the M7 series may go all-in on AI.
As per a report from Bloomberg, Apple may be preparing a high-end M7 Ultra chip that could support up to 1.5TB RAM. This comes at a time when the memory crisis has forced manufacturers to raise prices due to rising costs, something that even the Cupertino giant has had to do.
Apple to focus on AI with M7 series
Apple has reportedly overhauled its Mac chip roadmap with AI at the centre. It is believed that AI is no longer just “another feature” for the company. Instead, the Cupertino giant is designing its products with a focus on AI performance.
As per the report, Apple planned major neural-processing upgrades for the M7 family and decided those improvements were important enough to justify accelerating that generation rather than completing the M6 lineup. The M7 Ultra may bring AI performance closer to dedicated AI accelerators such as Nvidia’s Blackwell.
The company is said to have started taping out the M7, the stage at which a chip’s design is finalised, just six months after doing so for the M6. Under that timeline, the M7 is expected in the first half of 2027, followed by the M7 Pro and M7 Max at the end of 2027 and the M7 Ultra in 2028.
Apple is also tipped to be developing M8 chips, including a processor code-named Soko, and other high-end Mac chips under the name Cardinal for 2028.
How much can a Mac with M7 Ultra cost?
While it is still early days in the development of the M7 series of chips, looking at the current market scenario, you can expect a Mac device with the M7 Ultra and 1.5TB RAM to come with a hefty price tag.
To give you some context, Apple recently raised prices of Mac devices in India. The base Mac Studio (M4 Max, 36GB/512GB) has gone up by Rs 65,000, rising from Rs 1,49,900 to Rs 2,14,900, while the 96GB configuration (M3 Ultra) has jumped by a massive Rs 1,70,000, from Rs 2,59,900 to Rs 4,29,900.
The last time Apple shipped a 1.5TB RAM Mac was in 2019. At the time, the memory alone cost $25,000 (roughly Rs 23.7 lakh) and a full system could reach $53,000 (roughly Rs 50 lakh). For comparison, the cheapest Nvidia Blackwell processor costs $12,499.99 (roughly Rs 11.8 lakh).
The report traces back Apple’s neural engine development to its now-cancelled self-driving car project. It is believed that the project that lasted for almost a decade helped build the foundation for the neural engine, which first appeared in the iPhone X in 2017 and later became part of the company’s Mac chips.
Apple is also said to be preparing a more powerful server for Apple Intelligence based on the M5 Ultra under the internal code name J246, while engineers are also developing a server chip built around the M7 Ultra for launch by 2029.
