A global shortage of memory components has begun to affect MacBook Air availability: many configurations are currently out of stock in Apple retail locations, with delivery estimates for some models pushed to the end of August and, in certain cases, as late as mid-September. Digital Trends cited Mark Gurman, the Bloomberg Apple analyst, reporting these shortages.
Why this matters
Until now, the MacBook Air benefited from Apple’s long-term supplier contracts, significant purchasing power and relatively high margins, which helped the company absorb rising component costs. The current situation shows that this protection is no longer complete and that memory shortages are starting to reach Apple’s most popular laptop.
Price and marketing shifts
Shortly after Apple raised the price of the M5 MacBook Air in the United States by an amount equivalent to roughly HUF 63,000, the company adjusted its sales strategy. Apple postponed its back-to-school campaign that had promoted the MacBook Air to students, and its marketing materials now emphasize the entry-level 14" MacBook Pro instead. The 14" MacBook Pro offers a better display, more ports and stronger sustained performance, but it is substantially more expensive, so the shift also steers customers toward higher-margin hardware.
Gurman suggests Apple may be hoping to sell through some higher-margin Pro inventory before an anticipated M6 update arrives.
Outlook beyond the near term
Longer-term prospects are also uncertain. Although Apple is seeking alternative suppliers, industry participants including Samsung expect memory tightness to worsen in 2027 and possibly persist into 2028, because demand from the AI sector continues to take priority for memory allocation. Data centers and AI-serving hardware require very large quantities of memory, which ties up supply.
If memory prices keep rising, Apple could announce further price increases for its already expensive laptops, although the brand’s strong demand may blunt the effect of such hikes.
Summary
In the short term, stronger demand for MacBook Pro models could boost Apple’s revenues because of their higher margins, but persistent memory shortages and rising prices pose a risk to availability and pricing through 2027–2028. The situation will depend on supplier capacity and ongoing demand from AI and data-center customers.
