Apple Tapes Out M7, Plans 1.5TB M7 Ultra and M8 by 2028
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- Apple is already taping out the M7 chip with major NPU upgrades, with an M7 Ultra designed to support up to 1.5TB of unified memory — double the M5 Ultra's planned capacity — and an M8 chip slated for 2028.
- Apple is reportedly skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max chips entirely, finalizing the M7 design just six months after M6 to compress its silicon timeline around AI.
- Apple Pencil will get two new models in spring 2027 — a refreshed Apple Pencil Pro and a low-end USB-C version — debuting alongside next-generation iPad Pros.
- EU regulations are reportedly driving user-replaceable batteries in the new Apple Pencils by early 2027, per AppleInsider.
- Apple's failed self-driving car program is contributing AI silicon expertise that now feeds into the M7 Ultra's design, per The Verge.
- iOS 27 public beta is approaching this July, per Apple's release schedule reported by Forbes.
Why it matters: Apple's M7 Ultra at 1.5TB of unified memory directly targets Nvidia Blackwell territory, while skipping M6 Pro and Max chips to compress the silicon roadmap by roughly six months shows how acutely AI compute pressure is warping Apple's traditional annual cadence. Even the Apple Pencil line is now bending to EU regulatory pressure on replaceable batteries.
