Although it is predicted that the M6 Pro and M6 Max will not be announced, the Industry and Commerce Times speculates from a packaging technology perspective that there is a possibility that the lineup will include the M6 Ultra in the future.
Focus on next-generation Ultra Fusion and WMCM
The Industry and Commerce Times focuses on the next-generation Ultra Fusion adopted by the M5 Ultra, pointing out that Apple is moving away from designs that use one large die to modularization that combines multiple dies.
Furthermore, we are paying attention to WMCM (Wafer-level Multi-Chip Module), which is expected to be increasingly used in TSMC’s 2nm process, which manufactures M6.
WMCM is a packaging technology that places the processor and DRAM horizontally, unlike traditional PoP, which stacks DRAM on top of the chip. It is expected to be adopted in the iPhone 18 Pro series and the A20 Pro for foldable iPhones.
Will the new package be used for the higher version of M6?
In order to take advantage of these new packaging technologies, the M6 series may also include the M6 Pro, M6 Max, and M6 Ultra in the future, according to Industry and Commerce Times.
If the M6 Pro and M6 Max are released, it could also be installed in the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, which are rumored to have organic EL (OLED) displays and touch screens.
However, this view differs from the current Apple silicon roadmap.
Will OLED MacBook Pro continue with M5 Pro?
The new MacBook Pro with OLED and touchscreen was initially rumored to include the M6 Pro and M6 Max.
However, the latest predictions from Bloomberg’s Mark Garman say that Apple will skip the M6 Pro and M6 Max and continue to use the M5 Pro and M5 Max as OLED-equipped models.
Its successor model is expected to arrive around the end of 2027, with the chip updated to the M7 Pro and M7 Max. Furthermore, Garman reports that the M6 Ultra will not be available, and the next Ultra chip will be the M7 Ultra, which is scheduled to be released in 2028.
The article in the Industrial and Commercial Times merely speculates on the future expansion potential of the M6 series based on packaging technology, and is not considered to be information that indicates a specific product roadmap at this time.
Mr. Garman’s prediction is considered to be strong
Wccftech has also covered both reports, and we believe Garman’s version is more likely at this point. If this prediction is true, the M6 series will only include the standard M6, and the M6 Pro, M6 Max, and M6 Ultra will not appear.
The new MacBook Pro, which has an OLED display and touch screen, will be based on the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max.
The Mac mini that was sold until recently had a configuration of M4 and M4 Pro, but the new model has a configuration that combines chips of different generations, M6 and M5 Pro. If there were plans to introduce the M6 Pro, it would be possible to use it with the Mac mini, but in reality, the M5 Pro was continued.
This point also seems to be one of the materials that reinforces the expectation that Apple will skip the M6 Pro and M6 Max.
Examples like the M3 Ultra
However, we cannot deny the possibility that the Apple silicon roadmap may be changed later. There was also a time when it was predicted that the M3 Ultra would not appear, but it has since been actually commercialized.
Therefore, at this point, it is likely that the M6 Pro and M6 Max will not be released, but it seems too early to completely rule out the possibility that Apple will change its plans in the future.
Source: Industry and Commerce Times via Wccftech
Photo: Apple Hub/Facebook
Source: iPhone Mania
