Apple's M5 MacBook Air may be tough to buy as memory shortage disrupts supply

A global shortage of chips and other computer components has disrupted the consumer electronics industry. While the majority of smartphone and laptop brands have been impacted, the shortages has also disrupted Apple's M5 MacBook Air supply. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is struggling to keep the MacBook Air in stock, while the demand remains strong and component shortages continue to limit production.

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Why is the M5 MacBook Air facing a supply crunch?

Recently, the demand for HBM2 DRAM (High Bandwidth Memory) has increased as they are widely used in AI servers and high-performance computing, leaving less supply of standard memory chips and storage for everyday devices like laptops and smartphones. As a result, SSDs (solid-state drives) and DDR5 RAM have become significantly more expensive since the beginning of the year.

In June, Apple also increased prices of its products, including MacBooks, by Rs 40,000 to meet soaring memory and storage component costs. However, retailers reveal that MacBook Air inventory is tighter than ever, and Apple is unable to manufacture enough units to meet demand because of limited component availability. It has also impacted the supply of Apple's lower-volume desktop computers, such as the Mac mini and Mac Studio.

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What is Apple doing to meet demand?

The report suggests that if you’re trying to buy a MacBook Air from the Apple website, you may have to wait until late August, while some configurations may not ship until September. Apple is currently trying to improve supply by raising product prices or by sourcing memory chips from Chinese suppliers.

It was also highlighted that, for the first time, Apple's marketing for the promotion is highlighting the base-model MacBook Pro instead of the MacBook Air. Its promotional material also comes with a disclaimer that says “MacBook Air subject to availability.”

The global shortage of chips and memory components may continue into 2027, keeping supply chains under pressure and pushing up production costs for consumer electronics.