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The Touch-Enabled 'MacBook Ultra' To Stick With M5 Pro And M5 Max Chips, The Base iPhone 18 To Sport A 9GB RAM
Apple is re-evaluating its product offerings with the 'MacBook Ultra' opting for older M5 Pro and M5 Max chips instead of new M6 models. This decision is influenced by the desire to improve transition times to advanced M7 chips without being hindered by TSMC's production challenges. Additionally, the base iPhone 18's announcement of only 9GB RAM has prompted concerns regarding its AI capabilities, which are expected to require more memory for optimal performance. This adjustment points to cost reduction strategies as LPDDR5X RAM prices rise dramatically.
MonitorConfidence: MediumMid term horizonSupply chain risk: High
Published 26 Jun 2026, 22:20 UTC4 min read
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Summary
TL;DR
- MacBook Ultra will utilize existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.
- Apple is skipping M6 chips to expedite M7 series chip integration.
- The iPhone 18 will reportedly come with only 9GB RAM.
- Increased RAM costs have influenced Apple's hardware decisions.
- Potential compromises in device performance are being raised.
Interesting facts
- The M7 chip is expected to have a unified memory bandwidth significantly surpassing the M5.
- Apple's decision to utilize Intel's manufacturing process for M7 chips highlights supply chain strategies.