Apple’s sleekest MacBook is in short supply.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Apple can’t keep up with the MacBook Air’s demand due to the ongoing DRAM and NAND shortage. It is supposedly “struggling to keep the laptop in stock.”
Entry-level MacBook Air configurations are only available for shipping in late August, while custom configurations are listed for September delivery.
The memory crunch hits the MacBook Air
Mac mini and Mac Studio already have long lead times due to the DRAM and NAND crisis. They are backordered for months, with Apple discontinuing high-end memory configurations.
The company reportedly pushed back the launch of the M5 Max/Ultra-powered Mac Studio to later this year as it can’t source enough memory chips.
That shortage is now affecting Apple’s most popular MacBook, the MacBook Air. As Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reports in his latest Power On newsletter, delivery times for the M5 MacBook Air stretch into late August or early September.
It’s the same story in retail stores. One of the retail sources even said that “shipments of new units are more constrained than they can ever recall.”
The shortage comes despite Apple raising the MacBook Air’s starting price by $200 due to the steep increase in memory prices. Higher-end models received an even bigger price bump.
While demand for Macs is elevated, the Air shortage is linked to the memory crunch. As a result, Apple is pushing customers towards the entry-level MacBook Pro.
The memory crisis isn’t ending anytime soon
The DRAM crisis will supposedly continue until at least 2028. And the situation isn’t going to get better anytime soon. So, long lead times may just become the new normal for in-demand Macs and other Apple devices.
Unless supply improves or demand drops, you may have to order your MacBook well in advance to get your hands on it. And expect the long lead times to affect other Macs and Apple devices in the future as well.
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
You can reach out to him at mail[at]rajeshpandey.me.
