MacBook Air Faces Supply Shortages Due to Global Memory Chip Crisis
Apple's MacBook Air is facing its worst supply shortage in recent memory, driven by a global memory chip crisis caused by AI companies buying up high-bandwidth memory at scale. Customers ordering from Apple's website face wait times extending into late August or September. Apple has raised the MacBook Air price to $1,299 and is sourcing memory from Chinese suppliers to address the gap.
Apple's most popular Mac is running short, and the culprit is the same memory chip demand that is reshaping the entire tech industry.
The MacBook Air is facing severe supply constraints, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Retailers say the shortage is worse than anything they have seen before. Customers ordering from Apple's website face wait times extending into the second half of August or, for some configurations, into September.
The shortage stems from a global memory chip crisis driven by AI companies. Data center operators are buying up high-bandwidth memory, or HBM2 DRAM, at a scale that has disrupted supply chains for consumer electronics. Apple's more niche computers, the Mac mini and Mac Studio, were affected first. Now the MacBook Air has been hit.
Apple has responded by raising prices. The MacBook Air now costs $1,299, up from $1,099 in March and $999 before that. The company is also working to source memory from Chinese suppliers, particularly for units sold in China.
Apple delayed its annual back-to-school promotion from its usual June start. For the first time, the company's marketing materials are focused on the base model of the 14-inch MacBook Pro rather than the MacBook Air. The materials include a disclaimer noting that the MacBook Air is "subject to availability."
Industry analysts say Apple is prioritizing sales of the base M5 MacBook Pro to clear inventory ahead of an expected M6 refresh later in 2026.
Amazon raised its 2026 capital expenditure to $220 billion, partly due to increased memory costs. The broader memory shortage is expected to persist through the year as AI infrastructure spending continues to grow.
