Concerns Grow Over Macbook's Future Amid M7 Chip Speculation

WHO:

bgr.com - Apple is the organization involved in the development of MacBook models.

9to5Mac - Mark Gurman is a source providing insights into Apple's Mac Pro strategy.

WHAT:

bgr.com - The MacBook Air M1 was launched in November 2020 and is considered nearly six years old.

bgr.com - The MacBook Air M1 is available for less than $650 when refurbished from third-party resellers.

bgr.com - Apple confirmed that the MacBook Air M1 supports macOS 27 Golden Gate, expected to launch in September 2026.

9to5Mac - Apple announced the discontinuation of the Mac Pro in March and confirmed no future Mac Pro hardware plans.

9to5Mac - Apple had developed M2 Extreme and M3 Extreme chips before discontinuing those projects due to cost and demand concerns.

9to5Mac - Two Mac Pro models, codenamed J170 and J190, were developed but never released.

WHERE:

9to5Mac - The Mac Pro was removed from Apple's website, indicating its discontinuation.

WHEN:

bgr.com - The MacBook Air M1 launched in November 2020.

9to5Mac - The M3 Ultra version of the Mac Pro was supposed to launch alongside the M3 Ultra Mac Studio in early 2025.

9to5Mac - New Mac Studios with M5 Ultra chips are expected to arrive as early as this fall.

WHY:

9to5Mac - Apple discontinued the Mac Pro due to cost and demand concerns regarding the development of new chips.

HOW:

bgr.com - The MacBook Air M1 introduced a unified memory architecture where the CPU and GPU share the same memory pool, enhancing performance and efficiency.

(UPDATED July 20, 2026 12:36 UTC)

Apple has confirmed the discontinuation of the Mac Pro, which was removed from its website, following concerns about cost and demand for new chip development. Meanwhile, the MacBook Air M1, launched in November 2020, is now available for less than $650 when refurbished, and it will support the upcoming macOS 27 Golden Gate, expected to launch in September 2026. Additionally, new Mac Studios featuring M5 Ultra chips are anticipated to arrive as early as this fall, while Apple had previously developed M2 Extreme and M3 Extreme chips before halting those projects.