Global Memory Shortage Now Hitting Apple's MacBook Air

The global memory shortage is now disrupting the supply of Apple's MacBook Air, extending shipping delays for the company's most popular Mac.



Supply constraints for the MacBook Air are worsening, according to recent checks by Mark Gurman. Delivery estimates on Apple's online store have slipped into late August and early September across a wide range of standard and custom configurations. Such lengthy delays are unusual for a current-generation MacBook Air, which was refreshed with the M5 chip in March.


Limited inventory is also affecting Apple's retail stores. Retail store sources told Gurman the lack of on-hand availability is unlike anything they can recall for the MacBook Air in recent memory. Because the notebook is Apple's best-selling Mac and especially popular during the back-to-school season, retail staff have begun steering education buyers toward the more expensive entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro as an alternative. Apple has also updated its internal marketing materials to warn customers that the MacBook Air is "subject to availability."

The delays stem from the ongoing global memory chip shortage. The shortage initially hit higher-end desktop Macs, causing severe backorders for the Mac mini and Mac Studio earlier this year, but has now spread to Apple's highest-volume consumer devices.

During the company's recent Q3 earnings call, Apple executives confirmed supply constraints would only worsen as the September quarter progresses. CEO Tim Cook previously described the situation as a hundred-year flood for the supply chain.

The crunch is largely driven by semiconductor manufacturers shifting production away from standard DRAM and toward the higher-margin memory used in AI data centers. The resulting bottleneck has already forced Apple to implement rare price increases across its Mac and iPad lineup.


As it works to address supply issues, Apple has proposed sourcing memory chips from Chinese suppliers for devices sold within China, a move intended to free up inventory from manufacturers such as Samsung and Micron for products shipped to other markets. The strategy has already drawn political scrutiny, with a bipartisan group of U.S. senators urging Apple to reject memory chips from blacklisted supplier CXMT over national security concerns and requesting Apple respond by August 21.