We’ve become accustomed to being able to get nearly anything we want—including Macs—overnight, or at least within a couple of days. Unfortunately, surging demand from AI data centers has created a global memory shortage that’s squeezing the consumer electronics industry. As a result, we’re seeing both higher Mac prices and significantly longer delivery times as Apple competes for a limited supply of chips.
Although higher-memory configurations are particularly affected, there’s no guaranteed way to predict which Macs will be affected or the estimated length of delivery delays—the situation changes daily. As of August 4, the Apple Store is reporting the following representative delivery estimates to ZIP code 14850:
- MacBook Neo (8 GB / 256 GB): 10–14 days
- 13-inch MacBook Air (16 GB / 512 GB): 15–22 days
- 14-inch MacBook Pro (16 GB / 1 TB): 1 day
- 14-inch MacBook Pro (24 GB / 1 TB): 8–15 days
- 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 Max (128 GB / 2 TB): 50–57 days
- 16-inch MacBook Pro (24 GB / 1 TB): 1 day
- 24-inch iMac (16 GB / 256 GB): 2 days
- Mac mini M4 (16 GB / 256 GB): 22–29 days
- Mac Studio M4 Max (64 GB / 512 GB): 56–70 days
If you’re in the market for a new Mac, what should you do? It depends on whether you’re buying for yourself or for an organization.
Individuals
If you just want to upgrade from an older model, waiting might not be a hardship—what’s another few weeks? But waiting isn’t easy if you’re replacing a Mac that has been lost, stolen, or broken. You have a few options:
- Shop around: Some retailers may have precisely what you want in stock. Inventory may even vary by Apple Store, if there are multiple stores nearby. It’s often best to call before visiting since online inventory systems may not be up to date.
- Adjust your desired configuration: Standard base configurations often have the best availability. Delivery estimates change with configuration, so if you can get by with less memory or storage, you might be able to get a Mac sooner. Even a different color might be more readily available.
- Choose a different model: As with configuration, some models can be delivered sooner than others, so it may be worth getting an iMac instead of a Mac mini if that means you can have it right away.
- Buy used: Apple sells refurbished Macs (with full warranties) that may have been store models, returned within the 14-day window, or used for demos. Other retailers may also sell older reconditioned Macs, and you can always look on eBay or Craigslist. Thanks to the performance of Apple silicon, a previous-generation Mac isn’t much of a compromise, but be certain any used Mac has Activation Lock removed, isn’t assigned to an organization’s device management system, and is completely erased.
Organizations
The situation may be more problematic for organizations that can’t afford for an employee to be without a Mac or need to equip a new location or a cohort of new hires. Along with the strategies above, organizations should consider:
- Maintaining a loaner pool: Keep a few Macs on hand as backups, even older models that would otherwise have been traded in. This is a good strategy in general, but make sure to refresh the loaner pool periodically so they remain supported and useful.
- Extending replacement cycles: Although many organizations prefer to replace Macs on a 3–5-year cycle, it may be worth extending replacement dates until new Macs can be acquired.
- Handing down equipment: Depending on what’s available, it might make sense to buy an existing employee a new Mac and hand their old Mac down to a new hire.
- Ordering earlier: Build Mac ordering into the hiring process earlier so machines are available when they’re needed.
- Building a deployment reserve: Organizations with predictable hiring may want to keep a few standard Macs ready for immediate deployment. Rotate those machines into normal service rather than accumulating sealed inventory.
Just-in-time manufacturing and overnight shipping have spoiled us, but with some planning and flexibility, you should be able to find the Macs you need to stay productive. Contact us if you need help forecasting Mac purchases, identifying acceptable alternatives, or adjusting deployment workflows around constrained availability.
(Featured image generated by Adam Engst with ChatGPT)
