Apple’s affordable MacBook Neo could soon become much harder to buy.
The company has significantly reduced production plans for the laptop, not because demand has cooled, but because ongoing memory shortages are putting pressure on chip supplies.
According to DigiTimes, Apple has cut its production target for the MacBook Neo by up to 40%. This lowers expected output from around 10 million units to between six and seven million by the end of the year.
The move is notable given how well the laptop has reportedly performed since launch. Earlier reports suggested the MacBook Neo had boosted Apple’s overall Mac sales by around 10%. Strong demand for its lower price point has made it one of the company’s biggest hardware successes of the year.
Apple is believed to have originally planned to build between five and six million units, largely using stockpiles of A18 Pro chips with one disabled GPU core. As demand exceeded expectations, the company reportedly doubled its production target to around 10 million devices.
Now, however, those plans appear to have run into a familiar problem.
The latest report points to the ongoing DRAM shortage, which is affecting production across the semiconductor industry. With AI hardware continuing to dominate manufacturing capacity, foundries such as TSMC are reportedly prioritising higher-margin chips for data centres. This is coming at the expense of processors destined for more affordable consumer devices.
That leaves Apple with two options: pay considerably more to secure additional A18 Pro production or reduce MacBook Neo output. According to the report, the company has chosen the latter. This allows it to protect profit margins rather than absorb higher component costs or increase the laptop’s price only months after launch.
If the report proves accurate, it could make the MacBook Neo increasingly difficult to find over the coming months. This will be especially true if demand remains strong heading into the holiday shopping season.
For now, there’s no indication that Apple plans to discontinue the model or replace it. Instead, prospective buyers may need to act sooner rather than later if stock becomes more limited. The price of the machine has already risen by £100/$100 since launch due to the RAM issues.
As with any supply chain report, it’s worth treating these claims with some caution until Apple comments officially. Still, if Apple really has scaled back MacBook Neo production by nearly half, the laptop’s biggest challenge may no longer be convincing buyers. It could simply be keeping enough units on shelves.
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