The MacBook Air is facing a dual squeeze of higher prices and severe inventory shortages. Following a recent price jump from $1,099 to $1,299, Apple’s popular ultraportable is virtually out of stock, with new orders delayed until late August. In an unprecedented strategic shift, Apple is actively steering potential buyers toward its entry-level MacBook Pro instead.
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As Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman observed, “Across its website and retail stores, Apple is prominently steering customers toward the base MacBook Pro instead of the Air — something it has rarely, if ever, done,” with marketing materials even carrying explicit warnings that the “MacBook Air [is] subject to availability.”
Two primary drivers are behind the constrained supply:
- The “Ramageddon” Memory Bottleneck: Insatiable demand for memory components from AI data centres has created a global supply squeeze, directly impacting consumer hardware assembly lines.
- M6 Refresh Preparation: Apple is strategically prioritizing supply and retail focus for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, reportedly aiming to clear existing inventory ahead of an upcoming M6 chip refresh for the Pro family.
Despite recently topping Wall Street earnings expectations, Apple cautioned investors that ongoing supply constraints could weigh on next quarter’s financial performance and potentially necessitate additional price adjustments. Meanwhile, consumer demand across the Mac lineup could climb even higher following the recent launch of the new Apple Upgrade program, placing further strain on limited hardware availability.
