Apple's next-generation M6 chip is expected to be released this fall, a report said. IT outlet 9to5Mac reported on Thursday that the first product to use it is widely seen as a new high-end laptop called the MacBook Ultra.

The MacBook Ultra, expected to be unveiled this fall, is known as a high-end model featuring a touchscreen, OLED and Dynamic Island. It was initially expected to debut as a new MacBook Pro, but recent leaks have strengthened the view that the first product name could be MacBook Ultra.

The MacBook Ultra is expected to use an M6-series chip. The exact lineup is not known, but it has been suggested that M6 Pro and M6 Max options could be offered from the initial launch.

If Apple releases the MacBook Ultra as a separate line while keeping the MacBook Pro, the upgraded MacBook Pro could also adopt the M6, M6 Pro and M6 Max at the same time.

The possibility that the M6 could appear first in products other than laptops was also mentioned. Mark Gurman said early this year that the M6 chip could arrive sooner than expected, in the near term. He also projected that the MacBook Pro and MacBook Ultra would be released at year-end.

Given the assumption that a new iPad Pro will not be released this year, the iMac, Mac mini and Mac Studio, which have not yet adopted the M5 chip, are cited as early candidates for the M6.

All of the points currently being discussed remain at the rumour stage. It has not yet been confirmed whether MacBook Ultra will be adopted as the actual product name, whether it will be run as a separate line from the MacBook Pro, or which M6-series chip will be applied first.